Dillon defeated Oceanside on Friday night to advance in the playoffs. Here is a photo gallery by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon Herald.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon Herald
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By Lonnie Turner
The Landshark players would be the envy of many small college coaches in the state with their size, with the offensive line averaging 6’4’’ and weighing in at a hefty 270 lbs.
The visitors won the toss of the coin and elected to receive the opening kick-off and in a show of power, quarterback Colby Shirey, who has thrown for over 1300 yards this season and running back Vaughn Blue, who has been equally tough on the run, rushed and threw thirteen plays that covered 50 yards and three first downs, but bogged down at the Dillon 10.
One of the better place kickers who has played at Memorial Stadium this season, Spencer McKinley kicked a 28-yard field goal that would have been good from over 40 yards. The Wildcats had the football for only seven plays in the first quarter but scored the first of two touchdowns on the second play of the second quarter. Jack Grider stole some of Shirey’s thunder by hitting wide receiver Chris McCollum running out of the backfield for a 52-yarder to the Oceanside 3 on the first play of the quarter and Nemo Squire ran in to take the lead. Ny’an Maxwell kicked his first of five extra points giving the Cats a 7-3 lead.
The Wildcats took advantage of the first of four turnovers after forcing a fumble when Shirey was sacked at the Dillon 9-yard line. The Cats drove 91 yards on eight plays with Grider hitting Charles Brayboy with a 40-yard touchdown pass and a 14-3 lead with 5 minutes remaining in the first half.
The smaller Dillon players had little trouble moving the bigger players around after the first drive that ended with the field goal. The “Nasty Cat” defense allowed 6 first downs, 77 yards rushing and 24 yards passing in the first half.
Dillon received the second half kick-off and in six plays, Grider broke loose down the visitor’s sideline, shaking would-be tacklers and ran 30 yards for a 21-3 lead.
The Wildcat defense stepped up on the next series for the Landsharks. Charles Brayboy picked off his first of two interceptions, which was turned in to a 28-3 lead on the strength of Grider’s arm.
Again, it took only six plays before the senior signal caller connected with Squire who scored from 28 yards out.
The Dillon defense sacked Shirey twice in the following offensive series and Blue was hit hard and lost a second fumble in the game, but the Cats couldn’t take advantage of the turnover, but on the next series, Brayboy went to work again with a 40-yard pick-six to tally the final Wildcat points.
The defense sacked the Landshark quarterback five times for minus 20 yards and forced two fumbles. Dillon finished the game with 155 yards rushing and 176 yards passing, compared to 81 yards on the ground and 135 through the air for Oceanside.
