Drew Ducker is in his second year coaching the Dexter boys’ soccer team and it didn’t take him long to learn about the Chelsea Bulldogs.
“Yeah, I think I heard about them on my first day last year on what a big game it is and what a great rivalry Dexter has with Chelsea,” Ducker said.
Ducker’s Dreadnaughts defeated those Bulldogs last week to win the SEC White Division Soccer Tournament under the lights at Al Ritt Stadium in Dexter. While the Dreads are preparing for Districts after a very successful regular season, adding an SEC trophy to the case was a nice confidence builder heading into the postseason.
“Yeah, that was nice for us,” Ducker said. “I think it meant a lot more because it was Chelsea we played in the finals and you always want to win those games. So to win the first ever SEC Tournament and then on top of that, beat Chelsea in the finals really meant a lot to everyone.”
And then consider the fact that the two teams played to 1-1 draws during the season gave the Dreadnaughts bragging rights for the year.
To reach the finals, Dexter crushed a good Jackson team 5-0 in the semifinals. The Vikings are the defending SEC champs and beat the Dreadnaughts 2-1 just a few weeks earlier.
“I wasn’t at that first game with them and we were missing a couple of key players but we played really well in the semifinal game,” Ducker said. “I think after losing to them the first time, the guys were looking for a little revenge. We played a good game and took a 3-0 lead on them and then added a couple goals late in the game. It was a solid game with a few great finishes.”
The Dreadnaughts, who head into the postseason with just one loss and four ties, will host Belleville in a District opener on Thursday or Friday.
Check out WeLoveDexter later in the week for a District preview.
