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For the Dragons, their season opener is a day of great anticipation, as players can’t wait to take the field. But the team knows its abilities will be tested right off the bat when it faces Plano West in the first game of the Tom Landry Classic, set to kick off at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at SMU’s Ford Stadium.
And although Carroll’s team is much more experienced heading into this season, with 13 returning starters as compared to five last year, the Dragons don’t come in thinking that a repeat of their 35-9 opening day victory over the Wolves in 2008 is a given.
"Make no mistake, this offensive unit for Plano West is better than they were last year," said Carroll coach Hal Wasson, whose team went 8-3 last season after bowing out in the second round of the playoffs. "That’s going to challenge our defense, and we’ll see how good we are and how we can do against them.
"They say this is the best offensive line [Plano West has] had since they’ve been there," he said. "We feel real good about our defensive line, so that should be a good match-up. They have a top defensive recruit in [Jackson] Jeffcoat, so that’s going to be a challenge for our offensive line."
The Wolves went 5-6 for the season last year, but it was a team Carroll nearly faced again in the second round of the playoffs. Plano West led Cedar Hill 28-0 at the half of the 5A Division II bi-district playoff game before eventually losing 52-49 to the Longhorns. Cedar Hill went on to defeat the Dragons, 31-18, in the second round of the playoffs the following week.
For the Wolves to be a better team than where they ended last year is a scary proposition, but Wasson carries plenty of confidence regarding the strides his team has made since the end of last season.
"This team has a lot of confidence and experience heading out on to the field," the Carroll coach said. "I expect them to play that way. I don’t think it’s going to take time for us to get going.
"We’ve shot for consistency in all phases," he said. "You have to set that tone early on and we have to flat-out play physical and consistent."
Wasson takes encouragement from the way his team performed in its only intra-squad scrimmage of the pre-season, facing Grapevine last Friday. Although detailed stats weren’t kept, Wasson said his team displayed plenty of positives.
"We saw some definite strengths that we’re excited about," he said. "The intensity was great and the enthusiasm was there.
"We were pretty efficient with our play and we were opportunistic in our approach."
The contest at SMU represents the start of a two-game road trip for Carroll. The Dragons, who did not even scrimmage at Dragon Stadium due to the installation of new turf that has since been finalized, follow this week’s game with a contest at UTA’s Maverick Stadium against Arlington on Sept. 4.
Carroll’s first game at home won’t be until Sept. 11, but Wasson doesn’t believe that waiting to take the home field will have an adverse affect on his team.
"For immature football teams, it’s tough," he said. "For mature teams that are focused and are hungry, you can’t use that as a crutch.
"Whether we’re at home or on the road, we have to stay focused," he said. "I’m very confident in the maturity and focus of this football team. Good football teams play well at home and on the road."
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Carroll (0-0) vs. Plano West (0-0)
4:30 p.m. Saturday
SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Prediction: Carroll 35, Plano West 14. The Dragons’ experience on both sides of the ball should show, though it’s likely they’ll be tested early against a solid Wolves team. Carroll starting quarterback David Piland and running back Tommy Avers should play a key role, as could defensive end Jackson Richards and a solid Dragons’ secondary.
Get the full version of this article at The Southlake Journal and full Southlake news at www.southlakejournal.com.
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