The leaves are changing color, the temperatures are dropping and the stakes are getting higher as the calendar flips through October in what has been so far a perfect season for the undefeated Dexter varsity football team. The Dreadnaughts’ victory on Friday night, along with Saline’s loss to Bedford, gives Dexter sole possession of first place in the SEC Red – a division dominated by Saline for the past 10 years.
The Hornets’ 7-0 loss at home to the Kicking Mules kicked Saline into the loss column for the first time in nearly a decade, ending a 52-game winning streak in the league. It also opened the door for the Dreadnaughts to win its first ever SEC division title in football. Fittingly, Dexter hosts Saline on Friday in the final division regular-season game for both schools.
The Hornets (previously ranked No. 9 in the state in Division 1) defeated Dexter (ranked No. 1 in the state in Division 2) 42-40 last season. The Hornets had scored 40 or more points in their previous four games before getting shutout on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Dexter has scored 40 or more points in five games this year – including Friday’s 59 – and are 7-0 overall on the season and 6-0 in the SEC.
The Dreadnaughts built a commanding 28-0 lead – and despite two scores by the host Trojans in the second quarter that cut the deficit to 28-13 at halftime – cruised to another lopsided victory, 52-13, in an SEC Red matchup.
Reeves Taylor bounced back from a late hit the previous week for his best game of an already impressive season. The senior was 19-26 passing for 291 yards and five touchdowns.
Taylor and the Dexter offense got everyone involved in the action – and the scoring. Taylor hit Micah Davis for 17 yards, Joey Tessmer for 41 yards and Brennan Parachek for 26 yards for Dexter’s first three scores of the game. Cole Cabana ran it in from the 1-yard line to give the visitors a 28-0 lead.
Taylor hit Tessmer for 26 yards and a score and Cabana hit the end zone from five yards in the second half. He then threw a 30-yard TD pass to Parachek for his fifth TD pass of the night.
Gerzon Herter finished off the scoring with a school-record 49-yard field goal for Dexter.
Cabana had 18 carries for 93 yards and the two scores and Grant Goodrich had 1 carry for 18 yards.
The receiving group had quite the night. Tessmer had five catches for 85 yards and two scores; Parachek had three catches for 68 yards and two scores; Wyatt Novara had three catches for 63 yards; Cabana had four catches for 30 yards; Davis had two catches for 27 yards and a score; and Cole Darby had two catches for 18 yards.
It was another solid night for the Dexter defense. Parachek was all over the field and led the Dreadnaughts with 11 tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss. Sophomore Owen Wondrash and senior Niko Michos each recorded eight tackles, freshman Nathan Gersh had seven tackles and senior Daniel Delduca had six tackles. Herter had an interception and Brock Komaromi and Sean White each had two tackles for loss, and Noah Pitts had a big tackle for loss in the win.
SEC Red Football Standings (unofficial)
School (Enrollment – Class / Division) – SEC Red W-L / All W-L –
Dexter (1,180 – A / 2) – 6-0 / 7-0
Saline (1,756 – A / 1) – 5-1 / 6-1
Ann Arbor Huron (1,858 – A / 1) – 4-2 / 4-3
Bedford (1,396 – A / 2) – 4-2 / 5-2
Lincoln (1,224 – A / 2) – 2-4 / 3-4
Monroe (1,761 – A / 1) – 2-4 / 2-5
Ann Arbor Pioneer (2,108 – A / 1) – 1-5 / 1-6
Ann Arbor Skyline (1,537 – A / 1) – 0-6 / 0-7
*
SEC White Football Standings (unofficial)
School (Enrollment – Class / Division) – SEC White W-L / All W-L –
Tecumseh (737 – B / 4) – 5-0 / 7-0 – 2022 SEC White Football Champion
Chelsea (799 – B / 4) – 4-1 / 5-2
Jackson (1,120 – A / 2) – 3-2 / 4-3
Adrian (786 – B / 4) – 2-3 / 3-4
Pinckney (772 – B / 4) – 1-4 / 2-5
Ypsilanti (1,055 – A / 3) – 0-5 / 0-7
Standings courtesy of Jim Mulchay
