Golden Circle Football Game of the Week

By James Ratliff

DAWSON — The champion of District 21-1A may very well be decided Friday night, as the Dawson Bulldogs hit the road to square off against the Italy Gladiators in the Daily Sun Game of the Week. The two teams stand a top 21-1A, undefeated in district play, and the winner will need to win one more contest to take the crown uncontested.

Dawson enters the game following a 41-24 victory over Frost in which running back Alex Shaw rushed for 261 yards and all six Bulldog touchdowns. Shaw eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season. The junior has scored 22 touchdowns this season.

A week ago, the Gladiators led Wortham by just one point at half time, but put up 28 points in the final two periods for a 35-12 victory. Italy QB Jasenio Anderson was contained somewhat, but Justin Hayes took control for the Gladiators, and racked up 108 rushing yards with two scores.

Last season the Bulldogs topped the Gladiators, 34-27, at Ed Mitchell Field. The win propelled the Bulldogs into the playoffs.

Dawson was carried by the legs of its running backs in that meeting. Shaw rushed for 172 yards, while Italy gave up 118 yards on the ground to 2008 senior Kameron Warren, and another 100 to Michael Vaughn.

The Gladiators put forth an impressive effort of their own. Anderson ripped through the Dawson defense, gaining a whopping 228 rushing yards, while picking up another 130 through the air. Italy’s quarterback was responsible, whether running, passing, or kicking, for all but six of his team’s 27 points.

The Bulldogs used an interception by Nick Warren, two fourth-down stops, and a pair of kickoff recoveries to keep the high-powered Gladiator offense in check, while using their own to add a notch to the win column.

Dawson’s defense has been a force this season. Led by seniors Oscar Padron, Tyler Kimbriel, and Trevor Carr, the Bulldogs have proven to be a hard-hitting group. Junior nose guard Kirk Williams had made plenty of noise himself, causing turnovers and controlling the middle of the line. Fellow juniors Shaw and Nick Renfro, along with senior Justin Oliver, have begun to make their presence felt by opposing offenses as well.

Both squads have been on a collision course all season. With first place in district up for grabs, and two powerful offenses trading blows at Willis Field, the game may come down to which defense can corral the opponents’ play-makers, or even the “little” things, such as which team can control the clock, win the turnover battle, and avoid penalties.

Whatever the outcome, the Bulldogs and Gladiators promise to put on a crowd-pleasing show, and the atmosphere surrounding the game should be electric.

Dawson at Italy

7:30 P.M. Friday

at Willis Field

RECORDS: Class 1A Dawson is 6-1, 4-0 in District 21-1A. Class 1A Italy is 5-2, 4-0 in District 21-1A.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Dawson: RB/LB Alex Shaw, TE/LB Nick Renfro, RB/LB Justin Oliver, OL/LB Tyler Kimbriel. Italy: WR Desmond Anderson, QB/K Jasenio Anderson, WR John Isaac, OL Ivan Roldan.

Offense

Both squads feature talented offensive weapons. Dawson RB Shaw broke the 1,000-yard rushing barrier in last week’s 261 yard, six touchdown performance. Fellow Bulldog rushers Oliver and Michael Vaughn each average over seven yards per carry. Italy QB Anderson accounts for most of the Gladiators’ yardage, passing for 1,442 yards, and rushing for 759 yards according to maxpreps.com.

EDGE: Dawson

Defense

The Gladiators have allowed just 31 total points to opponents in district play, however they have yet to face to two highest scoring offenses in District 21-1A, Dawson (262 points) and Itasca (304 points).

EDGE: Italy

Intangibles

Italy has home field advantage in this matchup, but the Bulldogs have scored 153 of their 262 points this season on the road.

EDGE: Even

OVERALL EDGE: Even