“I could not be happier for our kids,” said Dewar’s football coach Joshua Been after the Dragons took a 38-20 victory at the state championship Saturday.
“This was a complete team effort. Our offensive line and our entire defense was amazing”
been kissHe pointed out the five times the Dragons were able to force Laverne’s offense to turn over the ball or punt it away on fourth down situations.
One of those fourth down turnovers was at the Dewar 5 with the Dragons holding onto a slim 14-12 lead. That came in the second quarter when Joey Fowler snagged a Laverne pass giving the Dragons possession on their own five. Dewar would move the ball to the Laverne 17 before Fowler would go in for the touchdown followed by the two-point conversion putting Dewar ahead 22-12 at the half.
Earlier in that first half, Dewar saw Laverne recover the opening on-side kick and turn it into a touchdown for a brief lead.
Dewar followed that up with Shawn Maxwell capping off a four play drive when he went in for a touchdown from the three. The conversion effort was good putting the Dragons ahead 8-6.
Laverne would add another six to the board punching the ball in from the three ending a drive that started on the Laverne 48.
Dewar fans were startled at the end of the first quarter when Laverne intercepted a pass taking over on the Dragon 49. That’s when the Dewar defense stiffened up forcing a turnover on downs setting the Dragons on their 40 yard line.
Fowler would throw a pass to Thomas Brownfield for the 53-yard touchdown run to set the Dragons up 14-12.
With five minutes left to go in the half, Fowler intercepted a Tiger pass that would turn into the 22-12 lead at the half.
The third quarter was a defensive effort by both teams but the Dragons took the upper hand in the closing minutes to drive down to the Laverne 10. Fowler would open the fourth quarter with a touchdown then passed to Brownfield for the two point conversion making it 30-12 with 11 minutes left in the game.
It only took three more minutes before Maxell would get his touchdown from the one and the conversion pass from fowler to Brownfield added the final points to the Dewar side of the scoreboard.
Lavern’s final TD came on a 23 yard rush with the conversion run adding the last two.been ice
“This is something that has obviously eluded a very highly respected and successful high school football program for a long time,” Been said. The Dragons capped off their year undefeated and, along the way to the goal ball, took out three other former state champion teams including Regent Prep, Shattuck and Laverne.
“I really want to thank God for the opportunity to have been in this position to win this State Championship. As a Dewar graduate, I could not be happier for our community and school.
The Dragons were sent off to the state tournament with police sirens and, despite the late hour, they returned to town with more sirens and police lights flashing as fans lined the highway.