Andy Close
The Warren Dragons are ready for the second season.
The Dragons enter the District 10 Class 4A playoffs as the No. 3 seed, and will battle No. 2 seed General McLane at 7 p.m. Saturday at Titusville’s Carter Field with a trip to the D10 championship game on the line.
The Dragons are seeking their first appearance in the D10 title game since 2002…when they lost to McLane for the championship.
This season’s version of the Dragons has had a very respectable 5-4 season, and will battle a General McLane team that is coming in with a record of 5-3.
The two teams met back on Oct. 1, a 34-31 win for General McLane in a wild game that featured multiple lead changes in the fourth quarter.
Warren owns wins this season over Conneaut (Pa.), Harbor Creek, Franklin, Oil City and most recently Corry.
In addition to its win over Warren, the Lancers have also beat Oil City, Conneaut, Franklin and Lakeview.
Both teams lost to Region 5 champion Meadville, which squares off with Harbor Creek in the other semifinal (Edinboro University, 7 p.m.).
In the game on Oct. 1, John Amon rushed for over 200 yards for the Lancers, while Eric Dippold threw a pair of scores for the Dragons. Amon has rushed for 1,057 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, while Magnus Lloyd, Owen Martin and Eric Salamonsen all have multiple touchdown receptions.
Eric Dippold has stepped in and had a nice season at quarterback for Warren, throwing for 1,168 yards and 14 touchdowns. Ben White is another one of D10’s top receivers, averaging 27.2 yards per reception with nine scores. He also had a kickoff return for score in the GM game. Tommy Nyquist (717 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Ethan Senz (331 yards, 5 touchdowns) lead the ground game. Nick Pennucci, Gage Shaffer and Kody Vega lead the Dragons in tackles.
The Dragons’ last playoff appearance came in 2019, when they lost to Meadville in the D10 semifinals.
