Andy Close
WARREN, Pa. – The Warren Dragons had a perfect start to their season last Friday, blanking Region 5 foe Conneaut 33-0 at War Memorial Field.
On Saturday, they’ll have what coach Mark Morelli is calling a measuring stick type of game against another Region 5 counterpart, Harbor Creek, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. from War Memorial. The game will be live-streamed on D9and10Sports.com with airtime set for approximately 6:30 p.m.
“I told them to enjoy this one because the road continues to get harder,” Morelli said after the win over Conneaut. “Harbor Creek is going to be a pretty stern test for us.”
In their opener, the Dragon defense was dominant, limiting Conneaut to just 100 yards of total offense. Derek McMeans and Tommy Nyquist recorded an interception, while the defensive front, led by Easton Hultberg, Alan McAllister, Justice Green and Tristan Dolan controlled the line of scrimmage.
They will need to do so once again against a Harbor Creek team that had a big game on the ground in its season-opening 42-7 win over Franklin.
The Huskies, who are coming off an appearance in the D10 Class 4A title game last season, got 255 yards and three touchdowns on the ground from Cam Williamson and 178 yards and two scores from Matt Cassidy. All total, they accumulated 540 yards on the ground.
Quarterback Toby Charlton attempted just five passes for the Huskies.
Conversely, Warren got a standout effort from sophomore Eric Dippold. Replacing injured starter Landon Douvlos, Dippold threw for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns to speedster Ben White.
Warren showed tremendous balance in the opener, getting 100 yards and a touchdown from Tommy Nyquist and 89 more and a score from Ethan Senz. Dippold also added a rushing touchdown behind a strong performance from the offensive line.
The game is one of three Saturday contests across District 10, with Fort LeBoeuf hosting Grove City and Slippery Rock traveling to Sharpsville.
Fans will want to be in their seats early, as there will be a tribute to legendary Warren coach Toby Shea, who passed away this summer, at 6:45 p.m.
