FINAL: Carroll 31, Heritage 7

DCTF's Travis Stewart will be blogging live from the first of three playoff games today at Texas Stadium in Irving: Southlake Carroll vs. Colleyville Heritage. Check in with Travis just before kickoff at 10:00 a.m. Question or comment? Send Travis an email.

FINAL: Southlake Carroll 31, Colleyville Heritage 7(12:28 p.m.)That's going to do it for the day -- Carroll has iced this one, 31-7. Heritage's offense is going to finish the day as the culprit, but perhaps Carroll's defense was just more the hero. The Panthers never could find the right scheme, and now they're 0-10 against the Dragons all-time. I'm going to go ahead and move out -- there's still a long day ahead. Hope you enjoyed the blog -- see you next week, and check back on TexasFootball.com all week for more analysis and predictions. Thanks!CARROLL ONE LAST TIME(12:25 a.m.) John Nathan just rumbled in from 9 yards out to officially ice this one -- the Dragons now lead 31-7 with just 2:25 left in the game. Heritage watched the kickoff fly for a touchback, but from here on out everything is just a formality.HERITAGE HAS ANOTHER CHANCE(12:17 a.m.) The Panthers have another chance to make this a football game-- they forced a punt and now start their drive from their 28. 4:51 left in the game.CARROLL BACK ON OFFENSE(12:13 a.m.) The Dragons forced a turnover on downs at their own 47, so they now have the ball from that spot with 6:58 left in the game. Heritage is still down 24-7.THE BACKBREAKER(12:04 a.m.) Heritage actually looked like it was developing some offensive pace at a good time ... and then a ball-carrier coughed it up for Heritage and Carroll's Seth Jameson picked it up and sprinted in for the touchdown. With the PAT, that makes it 24-7 with just 8:26 left in the half and probably put things out of reach for the Panthers. The offense never got in sync today, while Carroll's defense really rose to the occasion.Heritage fielded the kick and returned it to the 23 -- that where it starts its desperation drive.CARROLL PUNTS IT AWAY(12:01 a.m.) Facing a third-and-8 from near midfield, Piland looked for a post route down the seam; it was there, but the receiver was help up and couldn't haul it in. There was no flag, so the Dragons punted and Heritage took over from its own 14.9:59 left in the game, Panthers down 17-7.END OF THIRD QUARTER(11:55 a.m.) Carroll will face a 2nd-and-2 from the Heritage 46 at the start of the fourth quarter. Dragons up, 17-7.HERITAGE CAN'T CONVERT(11:54 a.m.) The Panthers had already converted one fourth-down play on the drive but came up empty the second time around, and now Carroll takes over fromits own 38 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. Dragons, 17-7.HERITAGE HOLDS(11:48 a.m.) After a crushing blow to a Southlake receiver on an incomplete pass, a fired up Heritage 'D' held the Dragons on third down and forced a punt. The Panthers now take over from their own 25 with 2:56 left in the third. They're still down 17-7, but what once seemed like a running clock now seems like plenty of time. Perspective is a funny thing, huh?HERITAGE STRIKES, 17-7(1:40 a.m.) Heritage looked like it was in trouble again -- Hill took a long sack back to near the 30-yard line, but answered on the next play with -- told you! -- a long scoring strike to a wide-open Jake Skinner for a 26-yard touchdown pass. The kick was good, so Heritage now trails 17-7. Gosh, it needed that.Carroll called for a fair catch at its own 19, so that's where the Dragons take over, 5:43 left in the third.CARROLL SCORES AGAIN, 17-0(11:38 a.m.) That just might be the death knell -- Carroll's John Nathan punched it in from a yard out to put the Dragons up 17-0 with 6:52 in the third. That sounds pretty early to start talking about a final score, but I can't tell you how out of sync Heritage looks right now. If it doesn't start stringing together first downs now, it could be out of reach soon. Unsung hero on that drive -- WR Ryan Blair, who caught three consecutive passes for 49 yards, all for first downs. That's his entire box score for the day, all in one drive.Heritage fielded the ensuing kickoff and -- guess what -- returned it all the way to the Carroll 15. That's the last time I say "never"! If Heritage can;t scorehere, they don't deserve to win.NOPE, NO TURNAROUND(11:30 a.m.) Despite the great field position, Heritage ran a generic dive, threw the ball away, took a false start and threw another incompletion. The result? Another punt. This is getting dicey. I mean, Heritage can't move the ball at all. Carroll looks psyched after the stop. The punt went out of bounds, so Carroll takes over at its own 11, 11:15 left in the third. Carroll up, 10-0.SECOND HALF UNDERWAY(11:26 a.m.) OK -- the third half is now underway. Southlake Carroll fielded the kick and returned it out to the 37, but the returner fumbled it and Heritage jumped on the ball. Panthers now take over from the Dragons 37 to open the half. A turnaround, perhaps?HALFTIME THOUGHTS(11:15 a.m.) Just some quick thoughts with the time I've got left to type them.First of all, Heritage's offense needs to loosen up -- big-time. The Panthers took several deep shots down the field in the first quarter, and had it not been for a gust from the football gods, they would've been completed for touchdowns. Since those misfires, Steven Hill and the rest of the offense has really packed it in, which plays right into Southlake's style. The Dragons' power lies in the linebackers and linemen ... why play everything three yards from the line of scrimmage? Go back to stretching the field, Heritage ... that's how you'll win.For Carroll, keep doing whatever you're doing along the defensive line. The blitz packages have been fantastic, and several times Hill has been rushed or sacked when he drops back to pass. If you disrupt Hill, you disrupt everything the Panthers are trying to accomplish. The run game might hurt you, but the passing game will kill you. Stay in Hill's face and you stay in the lead.Three minutes to half -- who woulda' thought we'd only see one touchdown in the first two frames?HALFTIME: DRAGONS, 10-0(11:00 a.m.) First of all - Piland appears to be OK. He came back in the game and completed two more passes to get Carroll within FG range, and the Dragons converted a 20-yard attempt to take a 10-0 lead at the halfway mark. I have a host of things to attend to, so I can;t give you much analysis. I'll be back before the second half kicks off! I need some water.PILAND HURT(10:53 a.m.) Piland took two huge shots in a row, the second of which came on a 9-yard scramble that he didn;t get up from. The coaches attended to him, and the Dragons now face a 3rd-and-1 from the Heritage 28 with 18 seconds in the half.HUGE PLAY!(10:49 a.m.) Carroll DB Shawn Hoagland just made a crazy interception with a Heritage receiver draped all over him -- that gives Carroll the ball at its own 39 with 1:33 left in the half. Could it get a score before the break? Still 7-0, Dragons.CLOSE CALL FOR CARROLL(10:48 a.m.) After a dropped interception -- that may very well have turned into a touchdown going the other way -- Piland threw another incompletion (this time a drop) on third down to put the Dragons into a punting situation ... again. I'm exhausted!Heritage now takes over from its own 26-yard line with 1:47 left. The Panthers should try and eat the clock. Giving the ball back to Carroll might be questionable. Of course, a score would be great, too.HERITAGE ... SIGH(10:44 a.m.) Heritage has run the same two or three plays every time, and Carroll is eating up the Panthers' zone-option read. They just tried that same strategy on 3rd-and-short and came up empty near the 50. They had to punt again. Surely there must be something else in the playbook? i think Heritage had two first downs on its first drive, then three since then.Carroll starts now from its own 17 yard line, 3:00 left int he half.GREAT DEFENSE( a.m.) Heritage just got a great play out of some DB -- couldn't catch the number -- that laid otu to deflect a pretty post play that would've been a touchdown. The Dragons just putned after that key play, and even though the Panthers muffed the punt, Heritage jumped back on it -- I think Barton was the name -- to ensure they'd have an offensive drive. They now start from their own 39, 5:01 left in the half. Carroll 7, Heritage 0.STILL ANOTHER PUNT(10:38 a.m.) This is beginning to feel like a punt-pass-kick competition! Heritage had another three-and-out -- credit the Carroll D -- and now the Dragons have it again from its own 19. They're still up 7-0 and at this rate will be in halftime in six minutes. Memo to Heritage offense: your defense will drop dead at this pace! Slow down!UGLY SERIES FOR CARROLL(10:33 a.m.) A fumbled snap by Piland and a false start penalty put the Dragons in a bad 3rd-and-20 and they had to punt. Heritage now has the ball -- for what feels like the 13th time -- from its own 17-yard line. 9:02 left in the half. The Panthers are still down 7-0, and there's lots of time left, but you have to think they need to do something soon. The defense is going to get tired being on the field so long!FIRST-DOWN SACK DERAILS HERITAGE(10:29 a.m.) Looking to throw on first down, Steven Hill was swarmed over by Carroll defenders for a 14-yard loss, and the Panthers were never able to catch up to the chains. Force to punt from deep in its own territory, Heritage nwo gives the ball back to Carroll, trailing 7-0. The Dragons start from the Panthers 46-yard line. 10:10 left in the half.CARROLL PUTS UP A SCORE, 7-0( a.m.) David Piland ran the left-side option in from a yard out to put the Dragons up 6-0; the PAT was good and Heritage now faces a deficit for the first time this morning. The offense has looked good, it just keeps stalling around Carroll's 30-yard line. Steven Hill needs to step up and make some throws -- he's missed at least three touchdown passes already. Maybe it's the wind?Heritage fielded the kick and starts its opening drive of the second quarter from its own 24-yard line.CARROLL THREATENING(10:23 a.m.) After a 42-yard bomb to Brett Renger, Carroll got down to Heritage's doorstep and faces a third-and-1 at the start of the second quarter. This could be a big hold for Heritage or an ice-breaking score for the Dragons.HERITAGE COMES AWAY EMPTY ... AGAIN(10:19 a.m.) After missing a wide-open touchdown pass, Hill and the Panthers went for it on fourth down, and even though WR Smith got behind the line of scrimmage, the ball floated and fell incomplete -- his fifth straight miss. Carroll's ball at its own 39 ... only three minutes left in the first and still no score. Carroll doesn't have a first down!I'M GOING HOME(10:15 a.m.) Not seriously ... but come on. Carroll's Piland just threw three straight incompletions -- none of which were on target -- and the Dragons punted again. That gives us four consecutive punts. I feel like I'm at the wrong game. Heritage fielded the punt and now starts at its own 30. A first down would be nice.SERIOUSLY?(10:11 a.m.) After a great run on first down to escape out to the Heritage 26, the Panthers never gaiend another yard and had to punt again. That's three straight punts for a game that was supposed to be offensive-minded! Carroll took a fair catch and now starts its second drive from its own 40. 0-0.CARROLL STOPPED, TOO(10:08 a.m.) Heritage denies Carroll right back! The Panthers forced an immediate three-and-out by stuffing QB Piland on two straight dive plays and force the punt from the 42 yard line. But the boucne on the putn was favorable, and now Heritage starts its second drive from its own 1-yard line. Watch out, Steven Hill! Still 0-0, 6:33 left in the first.DROP PROVES COSTLY(10:05 a.m.) A dropped pass on 2nd and 10 put Heritage in bad down-and-distance, and the attempt to get three yards on fourth down went bad went QB Hill was sacked by half the Carroll defense. Dragons ball, 50 yard line. Still tied at 0.HERITAGE ON ITS WAY(10:02 a.m.) Heritage fielded the kick for a touchback and will start its first drive from the 20. Here we go!TEAMS TAKE THE FIELD(10:00 a.m.) OK, both our teams are on the field now, Southlake in the emerald tops and black bottoms and Heritage in the all whites with red and black trim -- such a sharp looking uniform. the wind is blowing left to right accross your dial, and again, it's gusty -- Heritage will be heading right to left across your dial (into the wind) and has elected to receive.RANDOM THOUGHTS AND SUCH(9:53 a.m.) The wind is still gusting powerfully ... I actually couldn't help but watch a plastic bag float across the parking lot for about five minutes on my way in. It was cool, I promise. Neither team is on the field yet, but I just have some things rummaging around in my head worth mentioning.I think Carroll's corners may be in for a long day -- Heritage has a number of wide receivers over 500 yards receiving (Brandon DeFrance, Bryan Head and Stan Smith) and QB Steven Hill knows how to use all three effectively. They say CBs have to have a short memory ... the Dragons' secondary may want to develop some temporary amnesia. It could get frustrating.For Heritage, history frowns upon it. The guy next to me was just saying Heritage is 0-9 against Southlake all-time. I can't verify that right this minute, but if that's true, then there's usually a reason why. If there was ever a time to buck the trend, it would have to be this morning.The schools songs are playing, so I'll check back in near kickoff.WELCOME TO IRVING!(9:30 a.m.) OK ... I'm just now settling in at Texas Stadium, and I can give you this much analysis right away -- it's pretty dang cold and windy. With two pass-oriented attacks on the field today, this one could get pretty interesting. I think the winds from last night were peaking at 40 miles per hour ... if we get more of that today, both quarterbacks are going to get pretty frustrated. Check back closer to kickoff at 10 a.m. -- I'll have some more info then.Thanks for joining me!