Dexter scored first and last – but in between it was all Saline.
The Hornets invaded Dexter on Friday night before a packed Al Ritt Stadium with SEC title hopes already on the line – even in the first league game of the season for both teams. These two top-ranked programs in the state have rosters loaded with talent and among the crowd were many college scouts watching these elite players go head to head.
And the atmosphere was electric with huge student sections on both sides of the field and packed bleachers. Cue Norman Rockwell because it was everything high school football on a Friday night in America is all about, complete with a marching band, cheerleaders, youth football players and great sportsmanship.
While the final score shows a lopsided result (34-14), the game came down to a few big plays that really changed the momentum, and in the end, the outcome. Dexter scored first and Saline answered. On the ensuing kickoff, Dexter fumbled and Saline took advantage – like all good teams do. In the second quarter, the Dreadnaughts put together an outstanding drive and marched right down the field only to be stopped a few yards from the end zone. Dexter went for it on fourth down and the Hornets shut it down.
Saline went the distance the other way and it was 21-7 instead of 14-14. They added a field goal right before the half and a TD right after the half and there is your lopsided score.
The game started with a big kick off return by Cole Novara who returned the ball deep inside Saline territory. Senior running back Ronny Johnson went 12 yards for the score, diving in right next to the pylon for the first TD of the game. Trey Kuhr nailed the extra point and before people could get settled in, Dexter led 7-0.
The Hornets answered the first time they touched the ball. James Rush scored the first of his two touchdowns in the game on a 12-yard run to tie the score at 7-7.
After the Dexter turnover on the kickoff, Rush scored again, this time from 7 yards out, to give Saline a 14-7 advantage.
Dexter marched down the field but Saline stopped Johnson’s fourth-down run – and the Hornets never looked back as they marched forward all the way down the field. Saline QB Tommy Carr took the snap at the Dexter 8-yard line and ran to the right side, and when there wasn’t a hole there he bounced back and headed in the other direction for a Saline TD and a 21-7 lead.
Ethan Cotsonika’s field goal at the end of the second quarter gave Saline a 24-7 halftime lead.
The Hornets used the first 6 minutes of the third quarter to go the length of the field and score again to push the lead to 31-7.
After blocking a punt, Dexter scored the final TD of the game when QB Mason McAllister threw a 6-yard TD pass to Oliver Hutchison, who made a nice one-handed grab for the score.
Dexter junior quarterback Cooper Arnedt was 12 of 19 passing for 79 yards. McAllister was 2-3 passing for 14 yards and a TD.
Johnson finished with 48 rushing yards on 13 carries. Jack Votaw had four carries for 24 yards. Jaiden Juback (41 yards) and Holden Niemi (21 yards) each had five receptions for the Dreadnaughts.
Defensively, Dexter couldn’t get off the field on third down. Saline converted on 8 of 10 third downs. Leading tackles on defense were Junior Nathan Gersh with 15 tackles, senior Jack Sayler with 10 tackles, senior Grant Goodrich with 8 tackles and senior Connor Robeson with 7 tackles.
The Dreadnaughts (1-1 overall) will look to return to the win column against Bedford on Friday. The Kicking Mules are 1-1 on the season after losing their opener to Canton (31-28) and defeating Skyline 48-3 on Friday.
Saline heads to Pioneer to take on the undefeated Pioneers in a rematch of last year’s playoff game.
