PHOTO GALLERY: Dillon Defeats Crestwood In Varsity Football Action
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon Herald
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By Lonnie Turner
Jack Grider and Nemo Squire combined their total output to 354 yards and five touchdowns in Dillon’s 41-14 victory over the Crestwood Knights in the second round of the state high school playoffs Friday night. That sets the stage for the Oceanside Collegiate Academy Landsharks and Wildcats to do battle inside the white walls of Memorial stadium as the two # 1 teams in the bracket will be going head-to-head in the lower state championship bracket.
While Grider, Squire and wide receiver Charles Brayboy were providing exciting offense for the Dillon fans, Brayboy and X’zavion Davis led the defense with three pass interceptions between them to score one touchdown and set up another to take a 28-0 lead halfway through the third quarter. Brayboy’s pick came near the 5-minute mark of the first quarter when he picked off the ball at the Dillon 20-yard line and raced untouched to the Knight end zone. Ny’an Maxwell’s kick for the extra point was good to put the Wildcats up, 7-0.
The Cats drove 93 yards in 14 plays on their first offensive series in the second quarter to score again on a four-yard run by Squire out of the “Wildcat” formation. The shifty running back carried the ball eight times in the drive, including two long runs of 23 and 15 yards. Grider chipped in throws of 11 and 18 yards on the way to the 14-0 lead.
Davis halted a short Knight drive with his first of two picks in the game, but the Wildcats were unable to take advantage of the take-away. On the next offensive series for the Cats, Grider stepped up completing 3 out of 4 passes, including a 59-yard scoring toss to Brayboy in the third quarter.
The Knights got on the board at the end of the quarter with quarterback Javion Martin completing five short passes for 61 yards, including a 14-yard scoring pass to his favorite receiver, Nicholas Fortune, who caught a total of seven aerials for 139 yards. Martin threw 28 times, completing 14 for 235 net yards. He threw another six-pointer to wide receiver Maki Williams, who caught five passes for 70 yards.
Davis took the ball away from the Knight intended receiver, Williams at the Dillon 34 late in the fourth quarter and returned it 62 yards to the Crestwood-4 and Squire tacked on the final 4 yards for his third touchdown of the game.
Dillon’s offensive output was 224 yards rushing and 185 passing, plus 193-yards in returns, while Crestwood registered only 39 yards on the ground on 15 carries and Martin’s 235 in the air.