Southlake Carroll Bounces Back, Downs Keller Central 35-17
Two losses to open district play. That hadn’t happened to Southlake Carroll in over 20 years. Toughest schedule in the state will do that. Thursday night, the Dragons finally found their footing, taking down Keller Central 35-17 at Keller ISD Stadium.
Dez Bryant Jr. summed it up best afterward, calling it exactly the bounce back the team needed to prove it still belongs among the state’s elite.
Carroll jumped out early, building a 21-3 first half lead behind two rushing touchdowns from Bryant, who normally lines up at receiver but has been getting run at running back. He piled up 85 yards on 14 carries, still adjusting to a new position but clearly figuring it out fast. Quarterback Hudson Tomcheck added a 13-yard scoring run right before halftime, finishing the night with 172 passing yards, 66 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns of his own.
Keller Central didn’t back down. The Chargers put up a respectable 282 total yards against a stout Carroll defense, led by two way standout twins Isaiah Taylor and Jeremiah Taylor. Isaiah threw for 133 yards and ran for 55 more, while Jeremiah hauled in five catches for a team high 69 yards and made a game changing special teams play, forcing a fumble on a botched Carroll punt snap that teammate Farrod Meling scooped up and took 35 yards to the house.
That cut Carroll’s lead to 11, and Central kept clawing. Running back Jerry Dillard capped a grinding 15 play drive with a two yard touchdown to make it a game, but Carroll answered when it mattered most. Tomcheck iced it with a 12 yard touchdown run with under two minutes left.
For a Central program that lost 49-3 to Carroll just last season, this was a massive step forward. Head coach Eric Vance credited his team’s improvement but pointed to roster depth as the difference, Central dresses just 50 players compared to Carroll’s 77. Still, this group already captured the 2026 state 7-on-7 title over Allen and looks ready to compete near the top of District 4-6A.
Carroll head coach Lee Munn didn’t hold back his respect for what Vance has built. Central has gone from two wins in three seasons to a legitimate contender in less than a year.
Both teams get right back to it. Carroll hosts Haslet Eaton next Friday, September 25, while Keller Central heads out to face Byron Nelson on Thursday.
