During the first half of Friday’s 59-8 win over visiting Skyline, the Dexter student section began chanting, “it’s too easy.” And it certainly appeared that way, both on the field and on the scoreboard.
While there was joy on the faces of the players, coaches, cheerleaders, band members, students and anyone else wearing burgundy and yellow, the game was more or less a scrimmage. Skyline’s football program is in a different place right now – and anyone from Dexter with a decent memory doesn’t have to dial back that long ago to understand where the Eagles have landed.
In 2017, the Dreadnaughts didn’t win a football game – all season. But that was 26 wins and four consecutive playoff appearances ago. The times are not changing, they have changed. And with changes come higher expectations and the Dreadnaughts certainly have plenty of those and for all the right reasons.
Dexter, ranked fourth in last week’s MHSFCA Division 2 poll, improved to 2-0 on the season with the win over Skyline. The Dreads defeated Grosse Pointe South 41-21 in week one in another dominant performance.
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Mixed in with the high-fives and smiles on the Dexter sideline Friday night was a little bit of eagerness. A sense that these guys are ready to play some meaningful, challenging and tough football games. They want a little adversity, a little fight, a little fourth down and three at midfield down four points with the clock ticking.
In other words, they want to prove that this year’s team is special and ready to take this program to the next level – the highest level. They want to beat Saline (ranked fifth in D-1 poll), they want to end the losing streak to defending state champion and rival Chelsea and they want to go far in the playoffs.
Well, while Saline and Chelsea will have to wait until the middle of October, week three should be a good test of where the Dreadnaughts are as a football team at this still early point in the season.
The Dreadnaughts will head south on Friday to face a 2-0 Bedford team. The Kicking Mules defeated Utica Ford 42-21 in their opener and beat Pioneer 30-6 last week in their SEC Red Division opener. Dexter lost a heartbreaker last season to Bedford 37-36 in overtime.
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Dexter will get its first look at Bedford’s new turf field – but on the field, there is nothing new to their approach. “That’s what we do,” Bedford head coach John Phillips told the Monroe News after their win over Pioneer. “We don’t score a lot of points because we’re using up the time of possession. That’s our game plan.”
And that’s the perfect game plan for Dexter. Skyline kept going three and out on Friday, not only giving the ball right back to the Dreadnaughts high-powered offense, but handing them excellent field position as well.
The Kicking Mules will approach the game with two adversaries – Dexter and the clock. If they win the clock battle – keeping the ball, chewing up time and keeping Dexter’s offense off their new turf – they may have a shot at beating the Dreadnaughts.
Finally, a challenge. A fight. A time, place and matchup to prove they are very much for real. There will be nothing “easy” about Bedford – and the Dreadnaughts can’t wait.
