By Lonnie Turner
The first words out of Coach Jackie Hayes following the Wildcat’s 37-0 pasting of the Wilson Tigers were, “It was ugly, wasn’t it, Stats!”
Yeah, it was, but Coach Hayes later told the media that the mistakes that were made, can be fixed, so it’s back to work on the practice field starting on Monday.
Like Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney stated a week ago, “We have games like that…and they are ugly, but a win is a win and we can build on it!
Case in point…Johnny Allen ran all over the place Friday night piling up yard after yard, but penalties flags dotted the field all evening, especially holding and false starts. The one that this writer can still see vividly was the hold that was called on Allen’s 86-yard run. Thing about it is, Speedy Johnny doesn’t need much of a hole to get through. Just enough roon to get through is all he needs.
All it takes is just a little hole and Johnny will do the rest. Case and point, in the first half, the senior running back rushed just ten times for 64 yards and had an 86-yard touchdown called back for a holding penalty, but I looked at the replay time and time again and I still haven’t seen a hold. Any way, all it takes is a small hole and let him do what he does best. He rushed for a touchdown and then scored on a 10-yard and 62-yard pass reception from Brayden Hawkins. The young man has become quite a receiver running his totals to 12 catches on the season for a team leading 288 yards and four touchdowns. The Wildcat defense forced two pass interceptions in the first half while the Dillon offense scored 21 points in the second quarter alone. The Wildcats finished the game with 289 total yards while allowing only 137 yards in total offense for the Tigers.
With nothing going in the first quarter, the Wildcats scored just five seconds into the second quarter on a run by Allen and after an interception by Khw’Dief Manning at the Wilson 40 and a 13-yard return. Zareon Hayes put the Cats up, 14-0, running out of the Wildcat formation. Just five minutes later, Hawkins hit Allen with a 10-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead. Drew Covington was a perfect 5 for 5 in the extra point category, which runs his season’s total to 17 of 19.
On the final drive of the first half, Allen broke a tackle on 2nd and 10 from the Dillon 14 and two more downfield for an apparent touchdown and a 28-0 halftime lead, but a holding penalty nullified the score.
The two teams shared take-aways half way through the third quarter with Dillon taking advantage of a fumble at the Wilson 9, but losing possession on a pass interception at the Tiger 14. On a three and out possession, the Wilson punter was back to punt, but the ball sailed over his head and Jermaine McDaniel was there to make the stop for a safety and a 30-0 lead.
The Wildcats scored the final TD of the game when McDaniel blocked a punt at the 20-yard line and the ball popped into the arms of Zareon Hayes, who carried to the Wilson 3. On another Wildcat run, Hayes bolted through the Wilson line ans into the end zone.
Aided by a face mask penalty, the Tigers picked up only their eighth first down of the game, but the Dillon defense turned them away at the Wildcat 31.
The defensive secondary allowed only 11 of 28 pass completions and in addition to the two pass interceptions, there were five passes knocked away and the Wilson quarterback was sacked three times, with McDaniel getting to Tyler Johnson twice!
Dillon will be away in Bennettsville to take on the Marlboro County Bull Dogs this coming Friday.
Dillon holds an 11-9 edge in the series that dates back to the 4A days in 1988.
The Bull Dogs hold a 4-3 lead over the past seven meetings.
