No. 19 Southlake Carroll (Texas) opened the Texas high school football season with what may end up being the most improbable comeback of the year. The Dragons stormed back from a 27-0 first-half deficit to defeat Jenks (OK) 34-33 in the Cotton Bowl, setting the stage for the 2026 season.
Dragons quarterback Hudson Tomcheck scored on a QB keeper with 2:09 remaining to give Southlake Carroll its first lead of the game, the only lead the team needed to get the win.
After a game riddled with Southlake Carroll errors, it was a dropped pass by Jenks on third-and-six that allowed an opportunity for the Dragons to set up this final drive. And while Jenks dropped the pass on third-and-long, Southlake Carroll needed to convert several on its way down the field.
How Southlake Carroll sealed the win
Early in the pivotal drive, the Dragons faced a third-and-eight. Tomcheck hit Dez Bryant Jr. on the left side for a first down.
This wasn't the first impactful play for the junior receiver, who is indeed the son of the former NFL star. In the third quarter, Bryant came through on fourth-and-two, catching a 20-yard pass but being pulled down about half a yard shy of the end zone. Tomcheck finished that drive with a rushing touchdown to trim the deficit to 27-21.
Bryant came through again in the fourth on this play, but the Dragons were slow to move the ball again, soon facing third-and-10. Tomcheck, backpedaling, hit receiver Brody Knowles for a first down and more.
Knowles, an Illinois commit, was superb throughout the game. He caught a difficult touchdown pass in the second quarter, and then had a 54-yard score in the fourth quarter to inch the Dragons closer, putting them at 33-28.
Those scores may not have mattered if he didn't complete this fourth-and-10.
It wasn't long until Southlake Carroll faced another third-and-eight. Again, Jenks couldn't stop the Dragons, as Tomcheck hit senior running back Brooks Biggers for a first down. Then, one more time, a third-and-nine, and Tomcheck completed a pass off his back foot to Cal commit Blake Gunter to get a fresh set of downs in the red zone.
There wasn't another third-and-long. Tomcheck ran in the three-yard touchdown, taking the lead and getting the win.
It was a shocking comeback for the Dragons, who fumbled the ball twice in the second half while trying to fight through the deficit. Coming off a 14-1 season last year and an appearance in the UIL 6A Div. 2 semifinal, ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation, Southlake Carroll is eying success after lots of turnover from graduation of key contributors this offseason.
This game showed that they'll be hard for other teams to fend off, whether Texas or beyond.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No. 19 Southlake Carroll pulls off possible 'Comeback of the Year' in opener
