ALBION, Pa. – Friday night presents an intriguing matchup for the Warren Dragons.
At 4-3, the Dragons are done with their Region 5 schedule and locked into a playoff spot. There is still plenty to play for, however, as they travel to Albion to take on a Northwestern team that is 5-0 and features one of the top defenses in District 10.
The Wildcats, who are coming off a 48-7 win at Eisenhower last week, have yielded just 25 points on the season and are also opportunistic, intercepting four passes last week.
They haven’t seen an offense quite as dynamic as Warren’s, however.
The Dragons are coming off a dramatic 21-18 win over Oil City, a game in which they rallied from an 18-0 halftime deficit.
Eric Dippold was perfect in the fourth quarter last week in directing the Dragons’ comeback, firing a late touchdown pass to Kody Vega to help seal the deal. Dippold has thrown for 910 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Ben White is one of the top receivers in District 10 with 482 yards and seven touchdowns, including a pair last week. Tommy Nyquist has rushed for 533 yards and five scores and also tossed a 50-yard touchdown last week to White.
They will be tested in a big way by the aforementioned Wildcat defense. Logan Stagl (37 tackles), Jordan Dohanic (29 tackles, 4 sacks 3 tackles for loss), and Brent Swift (24 tackles), help lead the way.
Offensively, quarterback Ryan Tewell has directed them to the tune of 1,011 yards and a perfect 16-0 touchdown to interception ratio. He has also added four more scores on the ground, a run game that will also heavily feature Ben Campbell, Gage Haniske-Brockett and David White behind a strong offensive line. Eric Steinle (315 yards, three scores), Jake Kelley (191 yards, five scores), Cam Perkins (187 yards, two touchdowns), Logan Stagle (184 yards, one score) keep with the balanced theme for the Wildcat offense.
The Dragon defense is anchored by the likes of Vega (42 tackles, 4.5 sacks), Nick Pennucci (56 tackles, 6.5 TFL), Gage Shaffer (51 tackles, 4 sacks), Easton Hultberg (33 tackles, 2 sacks) and Justice Green (30 tackles, 5 sacks).
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
