Everything you need to know (and don’t need to know) about Dexter’s upcoming playoff game with Gibraltar Carlson on Friday night.
Dexter fire power: The Dreadnaughts have been an offensive machine in the first round of the playoffs since reaching the postseason for the first time in 2018 – when they lost to South Lyon 31-24. In 2019, they lost to Livonia Churchill despite scoring 39 points (might have been in OT but who can remember that far back). They scored 56 points in a rout of Lincoln in 2020 before scoring 48 in a one-point loss to Lakeview in 2021. In the program’s best season ever, Dexter opened last year’s playoff run with a 41-15 win over Milford. And they just put up 47 points on Allen Park on Friday.
Defensive stand: Dexter’s D came up huge in last year’s postseason run. The defense allowed 15 points in the first game and seven in the next two (24-7 win over South Lyon and 42-7 win over Midland). They allowed 20 in the Semifinal game loss to Forest Hills Central.
Worth noting: Two of Dexter’s three regular-season losses (Saline and Chelsea) also won their playoff openers. Other opponents (Livonia Franklin, Huron and Pioneer) all lost.
Different perspective: It might look like this Friday’s opponent will be as easy as last Friday’s opponent, seeing both play in the Downriver League. And it might be. Like Dexter, Carlson defeated Allen Park, but the Marauders squeaked by with a 20-18 win while the Dreads were dominant in their victory. Carlson defeated Livonia Churchill 42-35 in its playoff opener. And Churchill and Dexter have a common opponent in Livonia Franklin. The Patriots defeated the Dreads in week one 33-27 and defeated their rival Churchill 22-21 late in the season.
History books: Carlson went seven seasons without reaching the state playoffs, ending the streak in 2017 when they defeated Huron before falling to Riverview in the second round. They have reached the postseason now for seven consecutive years since then but the playoffs have not been kind to the Marauders. Carlson has lost in the first round three times and they have not gotten past the second round.
Worth noting II: Carlson has scored 40 or more points six times this year. The teams Carlson defeated in the regular season that reached the postseason (Southgate Anderson, Allen Park and Trenton) all lost in the first round.
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