By Lonnie Turner

In a battle of unbeaten teams last Friday night, the Dillon Wildcats scored in every quarter against the Darlington Falcons and came away with a 36-7 victory to sport a 4-0 record going into this week’s match-up with the Marlboro County Bulldogs at McAlpine Stadium in Bennettsville. The Dogs have beaten the Cats for the past two years and have stopped Dillon four times over the past 6 years.

In Friday’s game against Darlington, the Wildcats entered the playing field wearing new dark gray uniforms and from an announcer and statistician’s viewpoint it is murder trying to identify the players, especially past the middle of the playing field. But, according to Head Coach and Athletic Director Jackie Hayes, “It’s what the players wanted, so we were going to try with just this one game, but they played so well, I guess we’ll use them again!”

Regardless of what they were wearing, the Cats proved to the Falcons that it is not nice to taunt a Wildcat in its own den! After the Wildcats entered the field from their familiar tunnel and settled near the 50-yard line, a few of the Falcons ran up to within a few yards of the team and began jawing and making gestures…big mistake!

Dillon took the opening kickoff at their own 37 and on four successive first down plays, both through the air and on the ground, the Cats were at the Darlington 15-yard line and two running plays later, Johnny Allen scored from the five to give the Cats the early lead. Drew Covington’s try for the extra point was blocked.

The Wildcat’s offense went on to score on each possession of the first half and continued to score at will on their next three possessions in the second half, while the defense forced three critical turnovers, limiting the high-flying Falcon offense to only one touchdown. After getting the football following Dillon’s first touchdown, Falcon quarterback Shakeem Thomas mixed the run and pass well enough to go nearly the length of the field before Trayvon Thomas fumbled at the Dillon 2-yard line.

The Cats in turn drove to the Darlington six in 18 plays while knocking the final seven minutes of the first quarter off the scoreboard clock and two and a half minutes of the second period, before Drew Covington kicked a 26-yard field goal to give Dillon a 9-0 lead.

Avery McCall continued to show why so many colleges have interest in him, completing 10 of 13 pass attempts for 243 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite receiver, Eri’Reon Hayes, was on the receiving end of three aerials that resulted in touchdowns. The first, a 41-yard bomb, came seven plays after the football sailed over the Falcon quarterbacks head at the Dillon 15 on a second and six play. Before the second quarter ended, McCall found Hayes again in the Falcon end zone for his second touchdown from 10 yards out to give the Wildcats a 23-0 edge at the intermission.

Darlington took the second half opening kickoff and drove 80 yards to finally get on the scoreboard. With leading rusher Trayvon Thomas being held to only 42 yards in the first half, Falcon quarterback Thomas hit his favorite receiver Elmo Johnson for two big first down passes, and the Falcon’s leading rusher Trayvon Thomas ran in from 14 yards out for the score. Thomas finished the game with 116 yards on 23 carries.

Hayes returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for an apparent touchdown, but an illegal block in the back at the Darlington 49 nullified the score.

Dillon held the Falcons at the Dillon 20 on downs at the 3:08 mark of the third quarter, and the McCall-Hayes combination resulted in still another long touchdown. Hayes took a short throw just past the left hash mark, broke across the field and outran the defenders for a 70-yard touchdown.

Jamison Chapman scored the final touchdown of the evening on a five-yard run with 8:36 left in the game.

The Wildcats had 204 yards on the ground and 243 yards through the air for 447 yards in total offense and Darlington ended the game with 132 rushing and 212 passing.

McCall has completed 79 percent of his passes this season without an interception and has completed 12 for touchdowns, seven of which have been caught by Hayes, who leads the team with 15 catches for 333 yards. Jamison Chapman and Johnny are still the main thrust in the running game with Allen accounting for 269 yards on 29 carries for the season and Chapman tallying 268 yards on 52 carries.

Daeshawn Davis recorded a season’s high 11 tackles on defense and had a tipped pass to his credit. Trey Melton contributed nine take downs and Malcom Buie had seven stops.

Dillon travels to Marlboro County Friday for a 7:30 kickoff. The series record since Marlboro County consolidated in 1988 has Dillon leading 10-9, but the Bull Dogs have won the last two years and four of the past six years. Dillon’s last win was a 56-9 blowout at Dillon in 2011. Dillon was knocked out of the playoffs that year by Timberland.

Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD. Click the images below to view at full size!