Defending champ Dillon ousted by Alumni
By JUSTIN SCHUVER
Sports Writer
Usually there's nothing all that special about a 3-yard pass to a wide receiver. Yet that pass may have been the one of the most important in the game as Alumni knocked defending champion Dillon out of the playoffs with an 8-0 victory Sunday.
The reason for the winning margin being eight instead of seven was a fake extra point the Dawgs ran to perfection after scoring the only touchdown of the game.
Holder and quarterback Chris Cottingham took the snap and stood up to a throwing position where he found wide receiver Corey Harkins open in the end zone for the two-point conversion.
"We've used [that play] quite a few times," Alumni captain Steve Keppel said. "We've always thought it's important to go for two on your first touchdown because it puts pressure on the other team."
Dillon was unable to rise to the challenge, ending the game with three turnovers and several crucial penalties. A pivotal call was a personal foul against Dillon that eventually led to Alumni's sole touchdown.
Dillon captain Patrick Esper said his team had no one to blame but itself for the final outcome.
"We put ourselves in that position," he said. "We had chances to tie up the game. I don't want to point to any one play; it's a team game and you can't lay it all on any one player."
The only scoring drive of the game started on the Alumni 42-yard line and spanned 14 plays until Chris Cottingham ran a successful 1-yard sneak on the goal line to give Alumni the lead. The two point-conversion play made the score 8-0, the only points the Dawgs would ultimately need.
Shortly before the end of the second quarter, Dillon was able to drive to the Alumni 35-yard line, but any hope of a score was extinguished when Alumni's T.J. Strachota intercepted Big Red quarterback Michael Johnson.
Dillon's best scoring opportunity came shortly into the fourth quarter, when the Big Red was able to reach the Alumni 3-yard line. A holding penalty set Dillon back, and the drive ended on the Alumni 10 when Dawg linebacker Tommy Demko picked off a Johnson pass.
Johnson was also intercepted near the end of the fourth quarter at the Alumni 34 by defensive back A.J. Remen.
Dillon knocked Alumni out of the semifinals in last year's playoffs and the Dawgs were especially happy to return the favor to their rival.
"If they would have beaten us or not, it's still a great game to play Dillon," Keppel said. "To beat them twice in one year [including a 14-0 regular season win] is a major accomplishment."
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, November 12, 2002
