Preparing to Take the Field
Dragons Anxious to Begin Two-a-Days Next Week

By Zach Warner
The Southlake Journal

Like a kid counting down the final days before Christmas, the Carroll football team and its fans are anxiously awaiting for Monday to get here. For many, it can’t come soon enough.

That’s the day the Dragons take the practice field and begin their two-a-day training for the upcoming football season. The sight of players taking reps and running drills at Carroll Senior High points to the fact that the Dragons’ first game is just weeks away.

For Carroll players that took part in spring ball in May and 7-on-7 competition in June and July, this is the time of the year toward which all of their training leads up to.

"They’re extremely geared up," Carroll head football coach Hal Wasson said about his football players. "They’ve been ready since last spring."

Wasson will meet with his varsity players starting at 8 a.m. Monday. Two-a-days will start with a morning practice and a return in the afternoon, but will also consist of back-to-back practices separated by a short break later in the week.

Per UIL requirements, athletes will not begin practicing in full pads and with full contact until Aug. 14, five days into pre-season training. Players will wear helmets and run individual drills the first part of the week. The team’s first inter-squad scrimmage is scheduled to take place Aug. 15 at Dragon Stadium.

Carroll’s only scrimmage with another team is set for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21, as the Dragons take on Grapevine at Mustang-Panther Stadium. Carroll will then open the season by facing Plano West at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at SMU’s Ford Stadium.

Wasson said that the three weeks leading up to the Dragons’ first regular season contest will be well spent.

"We want to become efficient in our execution," he said. "That’s the big deal. … I’m anticipating seeing us being physical. Those are two good qualities to have coming out.

"We want to be a very disciplined football team. If we are, that will help us accomplish each of our goals."

With 13 returning starters – eight on defense and five on offense – with which to work, the Dragons are expected to carry with them a good share of leadership and experience. Quality training over the spring and summer and a trip to the 7-on-7 state tournament last month should also help boost the team.

However, Carroll’s expectations are the same as they are every year – high and climbing. Wasson said his team is taking an approach this year that should help players work even harder to improve in all areas of the team’s performance.

"We focus on the process and purpose and we don’t want to lose sight of that," he said. "We’ve honed in on that aspect. We’ve also done some things this off-season to help generate leadership.

"We made a couple of tweaks and that’s paid good dividends for the summer," he said. "We’ve got a great senior group coming back. … We’re anxiously anticipating Aug. 10." 

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