Southlake Carroll wide receiver Dez Bryant Jr. (8) runs the ball during the first half of the game against Keller on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake.
Abigail Dollins
FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
SOUTHLAKE
Southlake Carroll took a slim 5-point lead over Keller with less than five minutes remaining.
The undefeated Keller Indians hadn’t beaten the cross-town Dragons since 1999 and had one of their best shots in decades. Keller gave Carroll a fight but ran out of steam, and the Dragons played their best football late in the fourth quarter to seal an 40-28 win Friday at Dragon Stadium.
“We know what to expect when we play this game,” Southlake Carroll head coach Lee Munn said. “ … [Keller is] always going to take their game to the next level when its against us. They’re always going to play with a little bit more enthusiasm.”
Keller students cheer for their team during the game against Southlake Carroll on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
To start the game, Keller (6-1, 3-1) embarked on a six play, 75-yard drive capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass up the middle from quarterback Matt McCroskey to tight end Ethan George. The Indians thought they had a blocked punt returned for a TD, but it was called back; Carroll (5-2, 4-0) capitalized with a 46-yard TD reception from sophomore Thomas Joyner III.
After a Carroll field goal, Keller took a 14-10 lead as McCroskey once again found George, this time for 11 yards.
Keller quarterback Matt McCroskey (3) throws a pass during the first half of the game against Southlake Carroll on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
The Dragons retook the lead with a Hudson Tomcheck quarterback sneak and kept the momentum with an interception from Parker Olson, arguably the most important play of the half. Carroll added a 40-yard field goal, taking a 20-14 lead into the break.
Southlake Carroll defensive back Parker Olson (27) intercepts the ball during the first half of the game against Keller on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Keller’s defense then paved the way for a momentum shift, and the Indians took the lead with a 32-yard TD reception from WR Graham Kaler. The Dragons reclaimed the lead with a gutsy 10-yard rushing TD from Tomcheck, who broke a tackle and fell backward into the end zone.
“I just tried to hit a little spin move,” Tomcheck said. “I was falling down, but in my head, I was thinking, ‘I’m going to score that touchdown.’ So, I did whatever I could to do that.”
Keller once again took the lead. A 54-yard reception from Kaler set up a 3-yard rushing score from RB Blake Dyniewski.
Keller running back Blake Dyniewski (22) scores a touchdown during the second half of the game against Southlake Carroll on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
But after a 9-yard TD run from Carroll RB Brooks Biggers, Keller’s offense failed to retaliate and a 12-yard punt made matters worse for the Indians.
With strong field position, wide receiver Blake Gunter put the game away with a 7-yard rushing score. He finished the game with eight catches for 74 yards and five carries for 29 yards.
Southlake Carroll celebrates after defeating Keller, 40-28, on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
“I see Blake as a Swiss Army knife,” Tomcheck said. “He can play quarterback and running back. We can put him at receiver. He can do it all.”
McCroskey did everything he could, completing 25 of 38 passes for 372 yards with the one interception. Cash Erdmann had five catches for 111 yards for the Indians with Kaler hauling in three for 102 yards and Dyniewski had 11 catches for 95 yards to go along with 13 rushes for 58 more.
Keller running back Blake Dyniewski (22) runs the ball during the first half of the game against Southlake Carroll on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Tomcheck was an efficient 22 of 31 passing for 298 yards and rushed 12 time for 56 yards for Carroll. Brody Knowles led the Dragons with 9 catches for 143 yards.
Carroll ran the ball well late with Brooks Biggers, who picked up 107 yards on 17 carries.
Munn and the eight-time state champion Dragons aim for a very high standard, one they haven’t quite reached yet, even after winning a game that could ultimately decide the District 4-6A champion.
Despite still being far from its goals, Munn said the team has come a long way since its lopsided non-district losses to North Crowley and Allen.
“Those young kids that we had those first three weeks have grown up and matured,” Munn said. “They’re starting to figure out some things, in terms of our preparation. … And also personnel, figuring out who we are and what’s our identity. We finally settled in on that and have kids in the right places. Now, it’s about, ‘How much better can we get each week?’”
Southlake Carroll quarterback Hudson Tomcheck (3) calls out a play during the first half of the game against Keller on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Munn said there is a laundry list of things to clean up, including penalties. He said the team did not play up to the standard, especially early in the game. He took some of the blame, saying he did not call a good game defensively with inefficient man coverage.
“We protected the ball, and that was good,” Munn said. “But there are so many things we have to get better at. Fortunately, we won the football game. But we’re not doing our team justice if we don’t look into the mirror and fix a lot of stuff.”
Up next, Keller will look to bounce back against Justin Northwest in a road game at Northwest ISD Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Southlake Carroll will aim to remain undefeated in District 4-6A play and extend its win streak to five games as it faces Trophy Club Byron Nelson at Northwest ISD Stadium on Friday, Oct. 23.
“I think it’s good we had those hard games at the beginning because it built lots of character,” Tomcheck said. “I think we came closer together as a team, and we just built from that. Now, we’re stronger.”
Southlake Carroll students cheer for their team during the game against Keller on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM 
Keller wide receiver Graham Kaler (9) runs the ball during the second half of the game against Southlake Carroll on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM 
Southlake Carroll wide receiver Dez Bryant Jr. (8) runs the ball during the first half of the game against Keller on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM 
Southlake Carroll wide receiver Blake Gunter (5) runs the ball during the first half of the game against Keller on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Abigail Dollins FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
This story was originally published October 16, 2026 at 10:04 PM.
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Charles Baggarly is a high school sports editor and reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He graduated from TCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and served as TCU 360’s sports editor. Connect with Charles on Twitter or via email.