Dixie Dominates Dogs

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-Greyhounds blow out second half

Head Coach Bret Pearce was cautiously optimistic before Friday night’s contest at West Milton. “Dixie is very solid. They have an accurate quarterback and big receivers. Our secondary will be challenged.”

When asked what he thought had to happen for his Bulldog’s to be successful, Pearce replied, “We have to be physical, pound and possess the football. It is a battle of styles.”

For most of one half, the game plan was solid, but the game seemed to turn on one play that turned the momentum to Dixie and deflated the Bulldogs. The Greyhounds never looked back, taking that halftime momentum and turning it into second half dominance defeating M-U 30-6 before a large, homecoming crowd.

The first quarter showed both teams tentative and unwilling to make a mistake. The first and third Dixie possessions ended in punts with Evan Gues intercepting the football for the Bulldogs in the second possession. Both M-U possessions ended in punts as well, and the first quarter ended with the scoreboard unchanged 0-0.

The start of the second quarter saw another M-U punt downed at the eleven yard line where Dixie took over, and, immediately fumbled on the first play from scrimmage. M-U recovered at the Greyhound nine yard line poised to change the scoreboard first. Five plays later they did when Jake Finfrock scampered five yards into the end zone giving the home team a 6-0 lead. The extra point was blocked, and that was a foreshadowing of how the game would go from that point forward.

Dixie’s next drive also ended in a punt, but M-U, unable to move the football, punted back to Dixie. Finally after having been stopped the entire game, the Greyhound offense untracked. Dixie mounted a nine play drive that ended with a Luke Bowling quarterback sneak and a 6-6 game. The extra point sailed wide right, and the game seemed destined to be tied at the half with just 56.3 seconds remaining.

Adam Martin received the kickoff and charged up the middle of the field where he fumbled. In the scramble, it looked as if the ball was recovered by Martin, but the officials ruled Dixie football at the twenty-five yard line. Four plays later, Bowling found John Issacs in the corner of the end zone for a Greyhound 13-6 lead at the half.

Momentum never swung back to M-U. The Bulldogs had to punt after just three plays, and Dixie scored in just 1:26 on a Bowling to De’Aaron Issac sixty-three yard pitch and catch. After the extra point, Dixie led 20-6.

M-U showed no quit and methodically marched down the field to the Greyhound four yard line. With first and goal from the four, the Bulldogs were assessed a crucial holding penalty that took the ball back to the sixteen. On fourth down, quarterback Cody Hollon was sacked, and Dixie took over on down at the eleven yard line. One play later the Greyhounds struck again. Ryan Jordan took a handoff and went untouched eighty-nine yards for a Dixie touchdown and a score of 27-6.

Fourth quarter play was a battle of field position and turnovers with Dixie adding a final field goal, and the Bulldogs adding nothing making the final score 30-6.

M-U managed 211 yards on the evening, led by Jake Finfrock’s eighty-one yards rushing. Dixie totaled 348 yards.

M-U stands at 3-5 with Waynesville coming into West Milton for Senior Night next Friday night.

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