Dexter dominates Allen Park in Michigan football district semifinal

Running back Ronnie Johnson led the Dreadnaughts

ALLEN PARK, MICHIGAN – In the MHSAA Division 2 District semifinals, the Dexter Dreadnaughts (7-3) dominated the Allen Park Jaguars (8-2) with running back Ronnie Johnson scoring three touchdowns in the first half. 

The Dreadnaughts continued the onslaught of offense scoring three touchdowns in the second half to help Dexter roll to a 47-9 rout on Friday.

These are the key takeaways

Dexter was Dominant

With a spot to the district finals on the line, Dexter's offensive and defensive line proved too strong for their Allen Park opposition to handle.

Dexter took a commanding 29-9 lead to end the first half. This was predominantly due to their ability to muscle Jaguar players off the line and consistently secure 5-to-15-yard runs per attempt, which led to a host of easy touchdowns.

This power difference also translated defensively, as the Dexter line was not only able to stuff any Jaguar momentum in its tracks but also remain in the face of Allen Park quarterback Braylon Orsette the entire game.

The Magic of Ronnie Johnson

While the Dexter line routinely found success in the trenches, the prime beneficiary of those victories was Johnson, who opened the game with a 50-yard touchdown run to secure a 6-0 lead. 

The junior back proved to be the factor of the Dexter offense, making the most of each attempt and, for much of the first half, routinely broke out big plays and scored three of the team's first four touchdowns.

His performance did not stop there, as his number was almost called exclusively during the second half, notching consistent breakout runs on nearly every attempt. 

Opening the third quarter, Johnson seemingly made it his mission to punish the defense with every rushing attempt, either demoralizing the Jaguar defense with his outside speed or simply following behind the aforementioned line and marching down the field each to another Dreadnaught touchdown.

Coach Said

Following tonight’s victory, Dexter head coach Phil Jacobs praised his team’s performance and their ability to apply pressure with a commanding lead.

“We played very assignment, mistake-free football,” Jacobs said. “We got some third down stops when we needed to and made them punt the ball, and I don’t think that’s something they’re used to doing.”

During the second half, Dexter held Allen Park scoreless, forcing two turnovers, including a late-game fumble.

“Our kids are young, and we’ve gone through some growing pains this year,” Jacobs said. “We had some growing pains during this game, but our kids executed in the second half.”

Following tonight’s victory, Dexter will move on to the MHSAA District Finals to play Gibraltar Carlson (9-1) at Carlson high school.

“People don’t understand how hard it is to get into the postseason," Jacobs said. "Once you’re in it, it’s even tougher to win, and our kids won it in preparation this week.”

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