Playoff Magic

PLAYOFF TRADITION:
As we polish off the last of our Thanksgiving leftovers, and head back from our Thanksgiving traditions, I thought it might be a good time to examine where did some of our playoff tradition come from. Like, for example, that glowing blond hair. And the black playoff pants. They've just seemingly always been around. But they had to start somewhere. So pull up a chair, because here is a tradition refresher course so that you will be ready before we write the next chapter in our playoff lore.

It was the fall of 2001, Todd Dodge was a second year Carroll coach and the spread offense wasn't yet a part of the nation's venacular. A Carroll team had just relinqushed a 17-0 half-time lead to Boswell to cost a share of a football district championship. And was 6-4 and looking for some magic. All that years seniors knew was they were not shaving their heads as had been previously done. ( I have photos of the old tradition of shaving heads.....I'll take bleached anytime over shaved.)
So varies ideas were tossed about. Mohawks - too ugly. Green hair for everyone gained some serious traction but was eventually discarded as too grung. So...the hair part stuck. But the day-glow blond look won the day. Now if this Carroll team had gone down in the first round of the playoffs to Wichita Falls, nobody would be discussing this some 10 years later, but a 35-20 win over Old High set up a match up with the State's 6th ranked Ft. Worth Dunbar at  Birdville Stadium. Clinging to a 1 point lead late in the 4th quarter, every green clad pair of eyes watched as Dunbar's sophomore kicker prepared to hit a 25 yard chipie with a 25 MPH wind. The snap was perfect, the hold was good. The kick was straight down the middle and then as if blinded by all that blond starts to drift to the left. Missing by a quarter of an inch, no good, Carroll winds 20-19 and something is working. The 2001 Carroll team would go on to the State semi-finals.  For some unknown reason, the next year's group decided to continue. All that team did was go 16-0, moving up a classification and winning a state champhionship. Bingo, the blond hair is permanetly entrenched.

STADIUMS:
There has been much discussion and there will be much written about the stadium selection for this week's game vs. Trinity.  I've even had questions on why we don't move the game to a bigger venue.  It's not that simple.   Birdville was mutually agreed on ahead of time by Trinity and us some time ago.  We work weeks in advance reserving stadiums and planning games.
For round 3, Cowboys Stadium was not available. SMU and UNT were not options. UTA, Mansfield, and Birdville all seat about the same. The Cotton Bowl and TCU are grass fields and most high school coaches do not like to play on grass this time of year.

With that being said, if we can mutually agree with the other team we will always choose the venue and kickoff time that gives our team the best opportunity to succeed. If we cannot mutually agree, we will flip a coin to try to get what we feel is the best case scenario.  These decisions are not taken lightly as we are trying to be in the best possible situation for success.  However, the Team will always come first. Fan seating, parking, pressbox, media accomodations, and other stadium details are always next on the list behind what our coaching staff and I believe is the best for our team to win. There is a very well thought out collaborative effort among our staff and I to what we want to do each week.   We go though many different scenarios each playoff week and it is part of our process. 

Thus, I encourage all Dragons to come early this week to get your game tickets, tailgate at Birdville's stadium, and be as loud as possible to support our Dragons.  The last time I checked Birdville's field is still 100 yards long and we have a pretty good record at their stadium :-)

Tickets Information:

CARROLL DRAGON VARSITY FOOTBALL

Playoff Game vs. Trinity

 @ Birdville ISD’s Fine Arts and Athletic Complex

Saturday, 12/1/12

6:00pm Kickoff

WEEKLY PRE-GAME TICKET SALES

Carroll Sr. HS, Carroll HS, Dragon Stadium Athletic Office

Tuesday, 11/27/12, 8:00am-3:30pm

Wednesday, 11/28/12, 8:00am-3:30pm

Thursday, 11/29/12, 8:00am-3:30pm

Friday, 11/30/12, 8:00am-12:00pm

Pre-game General Admission, Adult- $8.00

Pre-game General Admission, Student- $6.00 (1 year old-12^{th grade})

Tickets below will go on sale at 4:00pm Game Day at Birdville ISD’s stadium

·       All Game-night General Admission- $10.00 

Dragon Football vs. El Paso Eldorado Ticket and Game Information

WEEKLY PRE-GAME TICKET SALES

Tickets will be on sale at the Dragon Stadium Athletic Office

Tuesday, 11/20/12, 8am-12:00pm

Wednesday, 11/21/12. 8:00am-12:00pm

Friday, 11/23/12, 8:00am-12:00pm

 

Pre-game General Admission, Adult- $8.00

Pre-game General Admission, Student- $6.00 (1 year old-12^{th grade})

Tickets below will go on sale at 4:00pm Game Day at Grande Stadium

·        All Game-night General Admission- $10.00

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

CROSS COUNTRY defended their State Championship by claiming 2 more titles this last weekend in Round Rock. The dual state championships makes it the second consecutive year the Dragons have pulled off the feat. CONGRATULATIONS to both these outstanding champions!! I cannot say enough good things about Coach Leonard, his staff, and our x-country kids. They have been a real treat to watch. Click here to read more about Cross Country.

BASKETBALL:
While the great majority of eyes will be focused on Cowboys Stadium for the football game on Friday, there is another group of Carroll athletes that are just beginning their respective journeys for the 2012-2013 year. A new era in CISD athletic history begins Tuesday night, November 13th, at home against RL Turner. Fresh off coaching at perennial basketball powerhouse Duncanville HS, Coach Eric McDade and his staff are ready to begin anew in Dragon land.

The challenge of building a championship basketball team awaits Coach McDade. When asked what attracted him to Southlake, Coach McDade stated that a combination of 3 things, great community, great tradition and great kids grabbed his attention immediately. Southlake does offer him these 3 things, but he stressed that for him before a win or loss is tallied, the most important thing "was to build positive relationships with our athletes."

A month prior to my acceptance of the  AD's job in Carroll, I hired coach McDade in Duncanville.  While I never got to work with him in Duncanville, Eric's passion for coaching kids and building great realtionships was communicated very well to both the Duncanville and the Carroll hiring committtees.  Eric stood apart from the other great candidates who interviewed at both places and he will make a huge impact not only in the basketball program but also in the entire district. 

While the era of Coach McDade is just beginning, Coach Teri Morrison and her Lady Dragon's journey together is well under way. Coach Morrison enters her fourth year here at Southlake with a top 5 ranked squad. However, Coach Morrison is not about to bye into pre-season hype. Rankings, she says mean nothing "unless you go out and back it up on every possession."

Coach Morrison also knows a thing or two about the Carroll tradition and she emphatically states "At Carroll, it is in the blood of every fan, teacher, athlete, and alumni."

Coach Morrison has a very similar philosophy and style on coaching and teaching kids as Coach McDade.  I am so excited to watch both programs do great things this year.

So it is time to see the Carroll crazies make their return to the gym for a little basketball. While there are titles to be chased for several Carroll sports, there are two that have already been brought home.

 

FOOTBALL enters the first round of playoffs undefeated in 4-5A. They are 9-1 overall and will face the Arlington Martin Warriors at 6:00PM on Friday at Cowboys Stadium.  Carroll will be the visiting team and will be on the north side of the stadium. Tickets will be available beginning Wednesday at Dragon Stadium, CSHS, and CHS. Tickets will continue to be on sale through Friday at noon.  Click here for ticket information.

VOLLEYBALL concluded their season with a heartbreaking loss to Colleyville Heritage in the Region 1 semi-final on Friday. The defeat brought their record to a sparkling 47-4 final tally.  47 wins is a new Carroll school record.  I am very proud of the Lady Dragons and our coaches.  Our volleyball program has become one of the powerhouses in Texas and we look forward to tremendous future successes.

SWIMMING AND DIVING
Our Carroll Dragon Swimmers were in action at the Mansfield Non-Tisca Swim Invitational this past Friday, Nov 9th.
45 of our Dragon Swimmers did a great job as they won both the Boy's and the Girl's Non-Tisca Championships at Mansfield. Nine Teams were represented at the Meet.
Another 50+ of our Dragon Swimmers and 7 Dragon Divers will strive to duplicate these wins this Friday and Saturday at the North Tisca Invitational Swim/Dive Meet at the Lewisville ISD Natatorium in The Colony.

WRESTLING
Meets begin this week with the Green and Black Dual on Nov 14 and then the varsity heads to Oklahoma for the prestigious Southmoore Classic. 


Have a good week.
See you at the game,
Coach Ozee

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OBIYTC

I SEE DRAGONS

I see Dragons everywhere. Yes, of course they are in obvious places: the football field, the volleyball court, and even out running across town and through fields.

But most importantly and most significantly, I see Dragons in all parts of town. They are the teachers, the coaches, the parents, the volunteers and the hard working staff. They join together to support their teams, yes, but they also unite as one when others are in need.

We at CISD athletics have no more ardent and faithful volunteers than our own Dragon Council. Without having to be asked they are wherever they are needed...all the time. They are at games, practices, collecting tickets, running chains, running clocks, and running around like mad. They do not seek attention or pay. For this reason and after a recent media story about the expenses of an athletic program, the Dragons Council have good-naturedly earned the sub-title of "The Zeros." We cannot remember how we functioned without our Council. They have simply been there since at least the dawn of the Millennium, seriously. We salute these Dragons and thank them for their love of CISD.

I'd like to take a moment to recognize some of our behind-the-scenes athletic personnel as well. Recently promoted, Mary Broadway serves as our department secretary and does a ton of volunteer work for her son's teams.  We have brought back retired Dragons, Debe Savage and Teri Rhodes, to help us in the office during football season with ticket sales.  Intern, Brad Townsend has also been a tremendous help this Fall in our office.  A role that she has quietly done for many years, Cathy Jackson volunteers many hours each week helping our coaches and I. 
I am also thrilled to have a new special assistant, Jay Armstrong.  Many of you may remember Jay from his days as a student at Carroll helping Coach Dodge and the other sport coaches.  Jay is a Carroll grad, an honorary Dragon Council member, and will serve as our program's Sports Information Coordinator/Special Assistant to the AD.

So...onto some new reasons to celebrate being a Dragon...

Ranked nationally, Cross Country will head to Lubbock this weekend for the Region I meet as the 4-5A District Champions. Both girls and boys teams captured the titles. Hats off to both these teams and coaches.

Volleyball will also enter the playoffs as the 4-5A District Champions and will play North Crowley in the Bi-District round at Arlington Lamar High School on Tuesday, October 30th at 7:30PM

Tennis finished the Fall season as District 4-5A Champions and made it to the semi-finals of the UIL Region I Tournament this weekend.  A pretty good way to begin his first year as a head coach for Corey Aldridge. 

Swimming and Diving is picking up right where they left off last year and are blowing people out of the water at the Dragon Hunt on Oct 20 and the Ranger Relays on Oct. 6.  The Dragons beat Plano and Flower Mound this past Thursday.  The Dragon Swimmers and Divers head to The WoodlandsAstococita HS next weekend. 

Football has clinched a playoff spot and will try to clinch the District 4-5A Championship this week against Fossil Ridge.  This Friday night is Senior Night. Purchase Senior Night Game Tickets here.  If you'd prefer to buy tickets in person, tickets will be on sale at CSHS, CHS, and Dragon Stadium Tuesday-Thursday 8:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm and Friday 8am-12:00pm. 

In Golf, Matthew Gilchrest has once again been selected to be on the Junior Rolex All-American Team.  The team consists of 48 junior golfers, ages 13-19, from 22 states, Puerto Rico, and nine foreign countries (China, Colombia, France, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Sweden, and Thailand.)

Basketball starts soon and we have some very exciting teams!

Have a good week.
See you at the game,
Coach Ozee

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OBIYTC

Homecoming Week and Pink Out

As we begin Homecoming Week and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, that will spotlight many Pink Out ballgames/fundraisers throughout CISD, we mourn the loss of several of our Dragons over the past couple of weeks.  One of the hardest parts of being in education and coaching is losing a student-athlete.   We lost a very courageous young man a few weeks ago after a fierce battle with cancer and yesterday we lost two Dragons in a plane crash. While these young men will not be with us for Homecoming, their memory and spirit will be with us and I know that their classmates will play in honor of their friends.  This is a tough time for our coaches and kids and I would like to thank the many community members who have reached out to me asking how they can help during this tragic time.  Please keep the families, our student-athletes, and our coaches in your prayers.

Tuesday the Lady Dragon Volleyball team will host Keller Fossil Ridge. Tuesday's game will be a Pink Out game.  Please come out to support the VB team, wear your pink, and donate what you can for a great cause. 

While on volleyball, I want to take a moment to congratulate Coach Arthur Stanfield on winning his 900th game last week. Coach Stanfield moves into #14 for all-time wins in the nation!

On Wednesday, we will host the Homecoming Community Pep-Rally at Dragon Stadium. Tickets for Friday's Homecoming football game vs. Richland will move fast. Please purchase your tickets early.  Once we sell out home-side tickets this week, we will sell visitor-only side tickets that will allow Dragon fans to sit on the visitor's side.  However, the visitor side tickets will not allow entrance to the home side due to capacity and fire code issues.  You can purchase tickets now through this link:   Homecoming Game Tickets   If you'd prefer to buy tickets in person, tickets will be on sale at CSHS, CHS, and Dragon Stadium Tuesday-Thursday 8:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm and Friday 8am-12:00pm. 

Shout out to Cross Country who continues to dominate the running world in Texas. Yesterday, both the Boys and Girls Dragons won the Nike South Meet.  Last week, both the boys and girls won the Javelina Invitational at Texas A&M-Kingsville.  We are just  a couple of weeks away from the District 4-5A Cross Country Meet. 

Tennis and Golf continue to do very well and Swimming & Diving began it's title defense this weekend at the Ranger Relays.  Please check the CABC website and MySouthlakeNews for the latest news stories from all sports.


Have a good week.
See you at the game,
Coach Ozee

Please log-in and stay in touch with what is going on in our program. In addition to this blog, you can follow us on SLC Athletics on Facebook


OBIYTC






 

Dragons=Amazing

This past week, I experienced several things that reminded me why Southlake Carroll is such a special place and how truly blessed we are to be involved with such a great program. Last Monday, our oldest boy, Tyler,  played in his first 7th grade football game.  In three weeks, Tyler has fallen in love with playing Dragon Football for his school and is really excited about having to wake up at 5:45am to get to practice by 6:30am!  I cannot think of too many other things in this world that would motivate a 12 year old to get up that early.  Furthermore, having a vertically aligned system, Tyler and I have taken our discussions about footballl to a whole new level.  We run the same plays and use the same terminology on the varsity level as we do with the 7th graders.  The coaches and teachers have made the school a place that is exciting for tweens.  Thank you, coaches and teachers!  Tyler's love for football, school, and being a Dragon has given my wife a different perspective and now we know what it means to be Dragon parents.  The culture is simply amazing to my wife and I!

Another thing this week happened very quietly and it exemplifies how special our student-athletes are and how special Dragon Land is occurred at Friday's football game at Cowboys Stadium.  I wasn't even made aware of the situation until today (Sunday).   In Friday night's varsity football game vs. Temple, our football team wrote two letters on their shoe tape and their wristbands.  I was asked several times Friday what the letters meant and I did not have an answer. This morning, the father of some of our CISD students emailed Coach Wasson and I to thank our players for taking it upon themselves to honor his wife who passed away on Thursday.   I knew on Friday that one of our moms had passed away on Thursday but I never made the connection with the football players' putting her initials on their shoes and wristbands.   The father went on to write in the email that during a time of tragedy in his family, he and his children will never forget the unbelievable tribute to their mom/wife.   Again, I am blown away at the culture of our district and program that where teenagers would take it upon themselves to honor the mom of one of their classmates. 

In today's society where the fear that the youth of our nation are not being groomed to be good leaders, I feel great about having two sons in Carroll ISD and its culture of excellence.   They are getting a great education in and out of the classroom.

To all current Dragons and all former Dragons,  THANK YOU for providing a great example for our two boys, my wife, and I  and for creating a culture of excellence.  We are looking forward to many years of being amazed. 



See you at the game,
Coach Ozee

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OBIYTC

Happy Labor Day, Dragons

I hope that everyone has had a relaxing extended weekend.  I'd like to give a shoutout out to our coaches who worked on Labor Day getting ready for this week. Thank you, coaches, for all you do.

Much was written and spoken in the media last week about Allen ISD's new stadium.  The stadium was a great venue and I commend the community of Allen on voting and building what they wanted for their school and community.  I told one reporter last week that I really wished that the media spent more time writing about the students, in all groups, performing on Friday night rather than a building as there is always more students performing on Friday nights in Texas than people realize . One of the great sights of the night was seeing the Dragon band join the massive Allen band on the field at halftiime.  If you did not get to see the bands' performance last Friday, click here.  Thank you, Band, Belles, Cheer, Crew, and Stuco for your support at all of the Dragon Football games.

With the preceding being said, I am very excited that the Dragons return home this week to what I consider the best atmosphere for high school football in the nation.  I would not trade our stadium and our fans with any other high school in the country.  
There is no doubt in my mind that the most disappointed people in Southlake last Friday night were our players and coaches.  The team is determined to get past Friday and improve.
This week's game is our Green Out game and we need all Dragons to show up and cheer on our team toward victory. Click here for online tickets.


Cross Country and Tennis are off to very fast starts.  CC has won its first two meets and tennis won its District 4-5A opener last week. Volleyball is still doing well and won the Arlington Invitational this past weekend.  Come out and support our CC, Tennis, and VB teams. 


GAME BALLS:
Christen Sikora for being named the Tournament MVP and Danielle Proskovic for being named the Top Offensive Player at the Arlington Invitational Volleyball Tournament.

Joe Sansone for his 1st place finish at the Marcus I Invitational Cross Country Meet on Saturday.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
We are looking for a few volunteers to help in the Dragon Stadium Athletic Office a few hours each week to help with ticket sales. light copying, answering phones, and filing.  If you are interested, please email me at kevin.ozee@southlakecarroll.edu


SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS:
The Carroll Athletic Booster Club's new website now has advertising opportunities to fit every budget. With flexible times and rates, your business can support all of our athletes in 7th -12th while partnering with one of the premier athletic programs in the nation.  For as little as $100 per month, you can reach everyone who visits the CABC site. Please consider trying the new advertising opportunities for one month. Click here to get started. 





See you at the game,
Coach Ozee

Please log-in and stay in touch with what is going on in our program. In addition to this blog, you can follow us on SLC Athletics on Facebook