LL Cool J told us not to call it a comeback. Southlake Carroll made that impossible.
After all, the Dragons falling behind is one thing. Seeing Southlake Carroll trailing 27-0 before halftime? That does not happen very often.
Coming off a 14-1 season and a trip to the Class 6A Division II state semifinals, Southlake Carroll opened 2026 in disastrous fashion against Oklahoma powerhouse Jenks at the Cotton Bowl. The Trojans scored 20 points in the first quarter, added another touchdown in the second, and at one point had outgained Carroll 291-17.
Then everything changed.
Backup quarterback Palmer Pensom provided the first spark, connecting with Easton Nied for a 42-yard touchdown. Hudson Tomcheck followed with a scoring pass to Brody Knowles, cutting the deficit to 27-14 by halftime.
Carroll kept coming after the break.
Tomcheck ran for a touchdown in the third quarter to make it 27-21. Jenks answered and pushed the lead back to 33-21, but Southlake Carroll refused to go away.
Tomcheck hit Knowles for a 54-yard touchdown, and the Dragons eventually marched 67 yards on 14 plays for the winning score. Tomcheck finished the drive with a three-yard touchdown run, giving Carroll its first lead, 34-33, with 2:09 remaining.
The Dragons finished with 419 total yards, including 387 through the air. Tomcheck threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns, while Pensom added 65 yards and a score. Knowles led the receivers with seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
Not a bad way for Lee Munn to earn his first victory as Southlake Carroll’s full-time head coach.
The 1-0 Dragons now turn their attention to another major test at North Crowley on September 4. Jenks, now 0-1, has a week off before traveling to face Bixby on September 11.
