By Matthew Bartow / WLD
For a half, Dexter looked to have top-seeded Livonia Churchill on the ropes. Despite allowing 305 yards of offense to the high-powered Churchill attack, the Dreadnaughts trailed by only three points at half.
The second half was a horse of a different color for Dexter, as it allowed four touchdowns and committed three turnovers en route to a season-ending 52-35 loss to host Churchill in Friday’s pre-district playoff game.
The bleeding started for Dexter just before the end of the first half. Leading 21-17, Dexter appeared to have forced a three-and-out, but a questionable pass interference penalty gave the Charger offense new life. Churchill took advantage with a 5-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Gavin Brooks in the final seconds of the first half to pull ahead.
Dexter head coach Phil Jacobs called the sequence ‘back-breaking.’
“Without that pass interference call, we go into halftime leading,” Jacobs said. “It was important to be up, and that was kind of a back-breaker right there.”
Dexter had previously had the lead, thanks to an offensive explosion to the tune of 254 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.
After Churchill running back Boston Clegg Jr. scored a 26-yard touchdown on the opening drive, Dexter responded with a 9 play, 65-yard scoring drive that tied the game. A sliding catch by receiver Cal Bavineau converted a third-and-long to move the ball into Churchill territory, and the Dreadnaughts finished off the drive as quarterback Colin Parachek found his brother Brennan for a 7-yard touchdown over the middle on a screen pass.
Dexter took its first lead of the game early in the second quarter. Trailing 10-7, the Dreadnaught offense looked to be in huge trouble after Parachek was sacked at the 2-yard line on the drive’s first play. But running back Cole Cabana found a hole and burst off a 72-yard run to move the ball deep into Chargers’ territory. Parachek capped a 9 play, 87-yard drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown to give Dexter a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter.
Churchill reclaimed the lead on its next drive following a 37-yard passing touchdown from Brooks to receiver Ryan Hutchinson, but Dexter’s offense had more magic of its own. Bavineau made a leaping catch over the middle, good for 15 yards, to keep the drive alive and move the ball into Churchill territory. Nine plays later, Cabana scored from 2 yards out to put Dexter in front 21-17 with 2:53 remaining in the first half.
That was the last time Dexter would see the lead. The Dreadnaughts struggled all night to contain Churchill’s read-option, which doomed it last year as well in Churchill’s 41-39 pre-district victory between the two teams. Leading 24-21 coming out of intermission, Churchill took a two-score lead on a 36-yard touchdown pass over the middle from Brooks to his brother Bailey.
The third quarter couldn’t have started worse for the Dreadnaughts. Dexter’s first offensive possession saw it move the ball to Churchill’s 12-yard line, but a key scoring chance went awry when Parachek faced heavy pressure in the pocket and was intercepted by Churchill corner Josh Brown in the back of the end zone.
Dexter’s defense stepped up and forced Churchill to punt, but Dexter’s returner muffed the punt and Churchill, up 31-21, took over at Dexter’s 31-yard line. Four plays later, Churchill took advantage when the Brooks’ brothers hooked up for a 20-yard touchdown to give Churchill a three-score lead.
Dexter didn’t quit. It responded with a 10 play, 69-yard scoring drive that was finished with a 6-yard touchdown from Colin to Brennan Parachek to pull back within two scores with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Things got real interesting after Brennan Parachek recovered an onside kick in Churchill territory next play. Dexter was in trouble, facing a fourth-and-9, but Parachek dumped off a short pass to Cabana, who incredibly dodged multiple Churchill defenders to pick up a first down.
Dexter was unable to take advantage after a fourth-down pass fell incomplete, and the ball went back to Churchill with about 8 minutes left. The Chargers essentially ended any hope of a Dexter comeback when Brooks found Brown wide open for a 64-yard touchdown that put Churchill up 45-28 with 4:35 remaining.
Dexter was able to respond with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Parachek to Bavineau, but Churchill recovered the onside kick and added a late touchdown from Clegg Jr.
