The Dexter football program, win or lose on Friday night, had already established itself as a huge success story for 2018 – both on and off the football field. Decades of frustration were put to rest by a group of young men and coaches determined to prove that the present was setting a new course for the future.
That course took Dexter to South Lyon on Friday night for the program’s first ever postseason football game. The Lions came in not only with home-field advantage but a perfect record in the always competitive KLAA and winning the Lakes Valley Conference title.
The Dreadnaughts put on an impressive performance, giving the Lions everything they had and playing another solid football game. But South Lyon made a few more plays when it mattered the most and pulled off a dramatic 31-24 overtime victory to knock off the Dreadnaughts in a cold Division 2 pre-district game.
Dexter’s historic season ends with a 6-4 record.
The game ended with Dexter trying to extend overtime but quarterback Colin Parachek’s pass was intercepted in the end zone. South Lyon got the ball first in overtime and scored on an 8-yard TD pass from Connor Fracassi to Ron Menard on a third-down play.
The Dreads had to answer when they got the ball but Parachek’s pass was picked off on a third-down throw.
The game was a back-and-forth hard fought contest between two very evenly matched football teams. The Lions led 7-0 after the first quarter.
But Dexter cranked up the offense in the second quarter. Parachek, who is only a sophomore, threw a 21-yard TD pass to junior Antwan Ficklen. The second score came after the ball deflected off a helmet and into the arms of receiver Zach Koone who went the distance to complete a 72-yard play.
The game was tied 14-14 at halftime.
Dexter took a 21-17 lead when Andy Durand returned the kickoff – after a South Lyon field goal – 95 yards for the touchdown.
With Dexter leading 21-17 in the fourth quarter, Fracassi threw a 52-yard TD pass to James Haddock to give SL a 24-21 lead.
Dexter’s Karl Kerska kicked a 27-yard field goal to tie the game at 24-24.
There was plenty of offense on display despite the weather conditions. South Lyon had 403 yards of total offense and Dexter racked up 306 yards of offense. South Lyon had 146 yards passing, including 52 yards on a touchdown pass, and 257 yards on the ground. The Dreads had 243 yards passing and 63 on the ground.
Dexter converted 6 of 12 third-down conversions but had two interceptions. South Lyon was 3 of 9 on third down and did not turn the ball over in the game.
South Lyon QB threw four touchdowns in the game and had a completion percentage of 64.7 percent.
South Lyon faces league-rival Walled Lake Western at 7 p.m. on Friday.
