Another big non-district matchup takes place at UT-Arlington’s Maverick Stadium on Friday night as traditional power Southlake Carroll(1-0) will take on 6A dark horse Arlington Martin(1-0). Carroll enters this game coming off a 21-14 win over Broken Arrow in Oklahoma, while Martin won impressively 57-20 over Dallas Skyline.
The Dragons come into this game as the favorite behind quarterback Wade Bowers who threw for 263 yards and a touchdown in the 21-14 win. TJ McDaniel carried the ball for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries including the touchdown that put Carroll over the top for the victory. Despite four turnovers, the Dragon defense stood their ground and held Broken Arrow to 14 points.
Martin struggled against Carroll last season but the Warriors are hoping that things will be different this year. The Warriors lost last year 37-14. This year senior quarterback Juma Otoviano is looking to guide the Warriors deep into the playoffs. Otoviano, who stared at running back for Martin in 2016, completed 10 of 22 passes for 134 yards as well as 17 carries for 96 yards and four rushing touchdowns. After their first test at Dallas Skyline (Martin won 57-20), this game could show if Martin is ready for a deep playoff run come November. The Martin defense is really going to have to step up and make some key stops.
The big key to this game revolves around the quarterback. If Wade Bowers has time to throw, he can tear the Martin defense apart. On the other side of the ball, the Carroll defense is one of the best in the state. But if just one mistake is made, Juma Otoviano can make them pay through the air and on the ground. It should be a fun game to watch tonight to see where these traditionally-strong DFW teams stand after two weeks.
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