Dixon can’t match Phillips’ physicality in 50-26 opening-round loss

CHICAGO — Dixon coach Jared Shaner worried Phillips’ physicality would pose a problem in his team’s opening Class 4A playoff matchup.

That fear came true.

The Wildcats offensive and defensive lines posed an issue for the Dukes on Saturday at Chicago’s Gately Stadium, creating plenty of offensive opportunities in a 50-26 win over Dixon.

“They’re a good football team,” Shaner said. “We knew that heading in, they played good competition this year and we made a few too many mistakes and they were better than us.”

Shaner knew his team would need to take advantage of Phillips’ mistakes if his team wanted to win and the Dukes had a shot to make a statement down 30-20 early in the third quarter.

Phillips fumbled the ball on a punt to give Dixon the ball on the Phillips 7-yard line. After an incomplete shot to the end zone, the Dukes committed delay of game, illegal block and holding penalties, which took them away from the red zone. Phillips forced an incompletion on fourth down and scored on the next drive, taking away any momentum Dixon had.

“That one was tough,” Shaner said. “That was the first time in the game where I felt like we had momentum.”

Dixon did take advantage of its first opportunity. After the Wildcats fumbled a punt after the Dukes’ first possession, Dixon took over on the Phillips 43-yard line and drove to the end zone, scoring on a 1-yard run from Mitchell White to make it an early 6-0 Dixon lead.

That would be the last time the Dukes led the game, as the Wildcats showed off their strength in the trenches. Phillips used five plays to score on its first possession, with Daeshawn Hill scoring on a five-yard run to make it 8-6 Phillips after a two-point conversion.

After a Dixon three-and-out, Phillips got back to work, this time driving from its 30 and scoring on a 26-yard pass from Tyler Turner to Da’Kwan Phillips.

The two teams exchanged touchdowns when Jacob Gaither threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Gehrt for Dixon and Turner threw a 53-yard touchdown to Avante Savage before Phillips defensive tackle Antwon McAdams intercepted a pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown to make it a 30-12 game.

“The kids played hard, played together, played fast like we always ask them to do,” Phillips coach Joe Winslow said. “We made a lot of mistakes but it’s expected. This is their first year experiencing state playoffs. It’s a big deal.”

Phillips continued the pace in the second half, with Hill scoring three more touchdowns to put the game away. The junior finished with 215 rushing yards while Turner completed 10 of his 17 passes for 121 yards, including another touchdown.

Winslow knows he can do a lot offensively with the line that he has. Sometimes, it’s just choosing which one he wants to run.

“I’m pretty confident in our offensive line,” Winslow said. “They worked their tails off in the weight room in the offseason and it’s showing up now, which is a perfect time.”

Gaither threw for two touchdowns in the loss and 117 yards, adding on 74 on the run. Zavion Johnson rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown.

Phillips advanced to the second round to play Kewanee while Dixon’s season ended on Saturday. After a long season of battling the pandemic and different restrictions, Shaner was happy his team got a chance in the playoffs, even if he wished his team could coach another week.

“As coaches, we loved coaching them,” Shaner said. “We love these guys. We have a great group of 16 seniors that we are going to miss tremendously and all the hard work and effort, it’s tough to end your year.”