November 22, 2024
Shaw Local
Illinois High School Football NewsPhoto GalleriesSubscribeAnalysisFeaturesPodcastNewsletterPhoto Store

Davon Grant snags 3 touchdowns as DeKalb avoids winless season

By Skyler Kisellus
DeKalb's Davon Grant sheds the tackle attempt of a Stagg defender during their game Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at DeKalb High School.

DeKalb's Davon Grant sheds the tackle attempt of a Stagg defender during their game Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at DeKalb High School. (Mark Busch)

DeKALB – The 2024 season wasn’t kind to DeKalb. But the Barbs overcame that Friday night with a dominant win in front of the home crowd to close out a loss-ridden campaign.

The Barbs (1-8) scored a season-high 41 points and reached the end zone six times in a 41-0 beatdown of Southwest Valley Green foe Stagg (3-6). The win allowed DeKalb to avoid its first winless season since 2004.

“I’m just happy to see the kids win,” DeKalb coach Derek Schneeman said. “It’s been a tough season for a lot of reasons. But ultimately, it was a really enjoyable group to coach … They really deserve this one tonight.”

Barbs senior quarterback Mikey Hodge threw four touchdowns – three of them to star wide receiver Davon Grant – and four interceptions.

After a fruitless opening drive, DeKalb scored touchdowns on each of its next three possessions. The Barbs got on the scoreboard with a long scoring connection with 8:33 left in the first quarter. Hodge found Grant in open space and took care of the rest for the 64-yard touchdown.

“(It was) just straight green grass,” Grant said. “There was a couple of people in my way, but (I was) able to make a couple of moves.”

Hodge added on a 28-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jack Rosenow and a 68-yarder to Grant to put the Barbs up 21-0 with 3:16 left in the first quarter. The QB then threw picks in each of the next four consecutive drives, keeping DeKalb at a 21-0 lead at halftime.

Senior running back Mariyan Dudley put an exclamation point on the victory with rushing touchdowns of 80 and 42 yards in the second half – with Grant catching his third TD in between them. On Dudley’s second scoring run, he fumbled near the goal line before landing on it in the end zone.

On defense, the Barbs found great success in the pass rush, sacking Chargers quarterback Isaiah Jimenez seven times. DeKalb’s senior edge-rushing duo of Damarrion Belue and Justin O’Neal combined for 5.5 sacks in their swan song outing.

“Really, it was our blitzes,” Belue said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do none of that without if it wasn’t for none of my D-tackles – Jeremiah Pineira and Owen Sisson. If it wasn’t for them, those holes wouldn’t be wide open, and I wouldn’t have them sacks.”

Ending the season at 1-8, Schneeman said his Barbs came up short too often and need to find a way to get over the hump in 2025.

“We have a lot of kids coming back next year with a ton of experience,” Schneeman said. “I think the guys don’t want to have a repeat, win-loss wise, of what we did this year. I know they’re going to work hard in the offseason.”