Dragons fall: Austin Vandegrift defeats Southlake Carroll in 6A D2 state championship

Southlake Carroll entered the Class 6A Division II high school football state championship at AT&T Stadium for the first time since 2020 and looked to win its ninth state championship in front of 26,247 fans.

The Dragons took an early lead, but three turnovers kept Vandegrift one step ahead the rest of the way. The Vipers secured a 24-17 victory to claim the program’s first state title on Saturday, Dec. 21.

“It hurts,” Southlake Carroll coach Riley Dodge said. “You put a lot into it, right? These kids put a lot into it. The staff puts a lot into it. Our families put a lot into it.

“Just trying to look at it in the sense of giving God the glory. Because man, we’re very blessed to be here and to have this opportunity and to compete on this stage.”

The Dragons, after returning “one or two” on offense after a 2023 state semifinal season, won their previous four playoff games by an average of 6.5 points en route to the title game.

“For us to be here, it’s pretty incredible,” Dodge said. “It says a lot about the kids we coach. It didn’t end with a state championship, but I’m super proud of the way our kids battled all year.”

Dodge called the 2024 Dragons to most reliant group he has coached, mentioning the season-ending injuries to running backs Riley Wormley and Davis Penn, both key players.

“I’m just proud of the way our kids battled,” Dodge said. “It’s just always a next man up mentality. The last several weeks, … we’ve been cardiac kids. We’ve been finding a way, and it just didn’t go our way tonight.”

Southlake Carroll (15-1) struck first with a nine-yard reception from quarterback Angelo Renda to sophomore WR Brody Knowles. Vandegrift (15-1) retaliated with a touchdown, a stop and another touchdown to take the lead.

At this point, two turnovers limited the Dragons. First, a Renda interception halted a drive. The Vipers couldn’t capitalize, but another turnover, a fumble from junior receiver Brock Boyd, gave them another chance; Vandegrifted then added to its lead with a 10-yard reception from QB Miles Teodecki to Brendan Fournier.

In the third quarter, Southlake Carroll’s defense got them back in the game. A 48-yard completion from Renda to Caden Mackey set up a Boyd 23-yard touchdown reception that got the Dragons back into striking distance.

Boyd finished the game with 178 receiving yards on 13 receptions, which is the second most catches in UIL 6A title game history.

After another stop, Renda’s second interception fizzled a Carroll drive. Both teams traded punts, and the Vipers then hit a field goal to extend their lead to 10.

The Dragons had a chance to cut the lead in the red zone but turned it over on downs with 2:32 remaining. A field goal would’ve made it a one-possession game; Southlake Carroll elected to go for it and failed, essentially locking Vandegrift’s victory.

Dodge said that the Dragons needed a touchdown eventually; they wanted to get a touchdown and an onside kick.

The Dragons got a quick stop and hit a 47-yard field goal to cut the lead to seven with one-second remaining. An outside kick attempt went out of bounds as time expired.

One of the Dragons’ main problems was the rushing attack. The Dragons tallied 53 rushing yards compared the Vandegrift’s 193.

After a state championship appearance with a young team, Southlake Carroll will return several stars for a senior season: Renda, Boyd and Penn.