Byron routs Dixon in battle of unbeatens, clinches Big Northern Conference championship

BYRON – The top-ranked Class 3A Byron Tigers defeated the eighth-ranked 4A Dixon Dukes 49-6 on Friday night at Everett Stine Stadium in Byron.

The Tigers (8-0) scored three first-quarter touchdowns on their way to a 35-0 halftime lead. Sophomore running back Caden Considine rushed for almost 200 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. He finished the game with 215 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries.

“This is a statement game,” Considine said. “Some people might’ve thought we’re overrated, we shouldn’t be No. 1 in the state. I think tonight we proved that we’re the best in the state.”

The Tigers opened the game with a seven-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Considine took a carry on all seven plays, breaking a long run of 49 yards before capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Byron took a 7-0 lead with 9 minutes to play in the first quarter.

“All of [the credit to the offensive line]. Every run I get, it’s because of them,” Considine said. “They don’t get their blocks, I don’t get my yards. All thanks goes to them.”

After an immediate Dixon three-and-out and punt, Byron got the ball back and scored in two plays on its second drive. Junior running back Brayden Knoll took an end-around for a 13-yard gain on the first play, then Considine broke a 51-yard run down the left sideline on the next one to make it 14-0 Byron with 6:49 to play in the first quarter.

On a fourth-and-2 with 55 seconds left in the first quarter, Knoll took a toss left for a 49-yard touchdown, extending the Tigers’ lead to 21-0.

“We knew they would come in here, be our biggest opponent yet,” Considine said. “One of our teammates, Nick Ingram, his dad just passed away, and we were all playing for him tonight.”

After quick three-and-outs on its first two drives, Dixon (7-1) attempted a fake punt near midfield early in the second quarter. The pass over the middle was intercepted by Jacob Ross and returned for a short gain just past midfield.

That set up another scoring drive for Byron, capped by an 18-yard Considine touchdown run off the left side of the line. Byron stretched its lead to 28-0 with 9:39 to play in the first half.

After another Dixon three-and-out, Byron quickly scored for a 35-0 lead with 5:17 to play in the half. Quarterback Ayden Shank connected with a wide-open Everett Wichman down the left sideline on a play-action pass for a 38-yard touchdown.

Dixon senior Aiden Wiseman recovered a fumble at the Dukes’ 30 with 1:36 to play in the half, but Dixon was forced to punt once again after a quick three-and-out. The Dukes’ longest gain in the first half was a 33-yard run by senior quarterback Tyler Shaner.

Considine rushed for his fourth and final touchdown on a 23-yard run off the left side with 2:24 to play in the third. The scoring play stretched Byron’s lead to 42-0.

With 9:24 to play in the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Andrew Talbert capped the Tigers’ onslaught with a 50-yard touchdown scamper down the left sideline.

Junior defensive back Gabe Rowley recovered a fumble in Dukes territory and returned it about 50 yards to the Byron 17 to set up Dixon’s only scoring drive two possessions later. A few minutes after the fumble recovery, junior running back Devon Wallace ran up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown. Dixon cut the margin to 49-6 with 3:34 to play after a failed two-point conversion run, but that’s all the offense it could manage. That was the Dukes’ only trip to the red zone all game.

“They’re a really good team. Hats off to them. They were better than us by far tonight. They’re the real deal,” Dixon coach Jared Shaner said. “I wish we could’ve competed a little bit better, but we didn’t. I told the kids this is our first real test of adversity on the year, so we’re going to see how we respond. We’ve got senior night next week. One of our goals probably isn’t going to happen with conference championship, but we have other goals that we want to get to, so hopefully our kids will respond well.”