By Lonnie Turner
The Dillon-Marlboro County rivalry is a fairly new one, dating back to the time of consolidation in 1988 when McColl, Clio and Wallace joined Bennettsville High to form Marlboro County High School, a potential 4A power in the area.
Dillon was on the schedule that season as a 4A school and defeated the Bull Dogs that first season, 23-6 and came back in the second season to register a 14-0 shutout.
Since that time, the Wildcats hold an 11-9 edge, which includes a 1994 win in the post season playoffs, won by the Cats, 15-0, as they still competed in the 4A classification. The Bull Dogs have won 5 of the last 9 contests with the last game won by MC coming in 2013. It was the last game the Wildcats would lose until they lost 7-3 to Mallard Creek in this season’s opening game, ending a 37-game streak with out a loss.
The dogs are currently 2 and 3 with losses to Cheraw, Scotland County, NC, and the Hartsville Red Foxes, the current top rated team in the Pee Dee Area. Dillon, after losing to Mallard Creek has followed wit a 62-14 thumping of Mullins, a hard fought 44-13 win over an upstart team from Latta, which were just a touchdown down to start the third quarter. Last week, for the first time since 2011, the Wildcats traveled to Wilson at Memorial Stadium in Florence and came away with what Head Coach Jackie described as an ugly game, but the bottom line read…win. As statistician for the Wildcats for longer that I care to remember. I’ve come to the conclusion that stats are good, when you need them, but again the bottom line is whether you team wins or loses!
Leading the way for the Bull Dogs is senior signal caller, Jacob Evans, a 6’4, 190 pounder who has completed nearly 50 % of his pass attempts for 455 yards and three touchdowns. Carrying the football on the ground and averaging nearly 9 yards per carry is senior Dylven Covington, who tilts the scales at 180 pounds on his 5’10 frame. He has scored four TDs. The Dogs have a trio of pretty good receivers, including Covington (9 receptions for 116 yards), senior Myron Williams (13 receptions for 97 yards) and Senior Decosta Ford (11 catches for 121 yards and three touchdowns.
Countering on offense, the Wildcats have senior Johnny Allen, who has turned into quite a double threat, both rushing, 48 rushes for 474 yards and three TDs and leads the receiving corps with 12 catches for 288 yards and four more touchdowns. He had an 86-yard TD run called back against the Tigers last week.
Junior quarterback Brayden Hawkins is coming into his own throwing the football, completing 61% of his passes for 549 yards and seven touchdowns. He has thrown only 2 interceptions in 62 pass attempts.
Defensively the Wildcats depend greatly on defensive end Jermaine McDaniel, a 6’3, 235 pound senior, who leads the team with 30 total tackles, four QB sacks and a blocked punt.
The kicking game is also critical at the point of the season and the Wildcats have a solid senior kicker, Drew Covington, who handles punts, kick-offs and extra point chore. He has kicked 17 out of 19 PATs and has a 30-yard field goal to his credit. He is currently in second place on the scoring chart with 20.
Should be a good crowd going the Friday, so make your preperations and if you would like to see what the younger Cats have coming up, the JVs will play Thursday evening at the Stadium! See you threre!
