Tabb football coach Matt Lawson had a one-word answer when asked how to prepare for facing a player like Warhill’s Devonte Dedmon: Pray.
“Another part of it is keeping him off the field as long as possible by running the ball,” Lawson said.
Even without their leading rusher and best offensive player, junior Brent Hinson — who suffered a concussion during practice this week — the Tigers running game didn’t miss a beat.
Led by Bailey Hicks, who carried 28 times for 153 yards, Tabb used a stable of five running backs to rush 70 — yes, 70 — times for 378 yards and dominate the offensive possession. It was just enough to hold off the explosive Dedmon, who accounted for all four of the Lions’ touchdowns, as the Tigers edged visiting Warhill 33-31 in a wild one at Bailey Field on Saturday.
“We have a lot of good backs behind Brent [Hinson], but our offensive line did a great job,” Tabb coach Matt Lawson said of linemen Matt Staul, Nick Beaton, Josh Hopingardner, Mark Youker as well as tight end Ben Burdett. “We didn’t have the breakaway runs that Brent is capable of, but we were able to grind it out.”
Four different backs carried at least four times during the first half as Tabb’s balanced rushing attack helped the Tigers (4-2, 4-1 BRD) build a 20-13 lead at the break, but Dedmon’s big-play ability kept the Lions (1-5, 1-4 BRD) in it.
After returning opening kickoff 50-plus yards to give Warhill possession on Tabb’s 37, Dedmon cashed in on a 17-yard touchdown run after breaking a tackle up the middle and breaking out to the left side where he outran two defenders to give the Lions a 6-0 lead after a missed extra-point attempt.
Tabb answered right back on its first offensive possession of the game behind the powerful running of Robert Smith and Taj Lake. The Tigers marched 76 yards downfield on 14 running plays before quarterback Nick Hunter finished off the scoring drive with a one-yard plunge into the end zone. Tabb led 7-6 following Grant Kelchner’s extra point.
Warhill would again start with excellent field position thanks to Keron Dedmon’s 40-yard kickoff return, but Tabb’s defense came up with a big stop as Casey Evans knocked the ball out of Devonte Dedmon’s hands on the Lions’ first play of the series. Tabb would recover the fumble and take over on its own 40.
This time, Hicks shouldered the offensive load and led the Tigers downfield before setting up Hunter’s second touchdown run of the game — this time from two yards out — with a powerful 16-yard run that moved Tabb inside the 10 yard line. It remained a one-possession game, though, after the Tigers missed the PAT to take a 13-6 lead with 8:59 left in the second quarter.
Warhill would turn the ball over on downs on its ensuing possession, but the Lions defense came up with a rare stop to force a Tabb punt with 1:45 to play in the first half.
Warhill’s offense would never take the field though as Dedmon hauled in the punt at the 22 and, despite being surrounded by a pack of Tigers, shed three defenders before sprinting 78 yards down the sideline to make it a 13-13 game after Allen Stanford’s made extra point.
Tabb took over with a minute-and-a-half to play in the second quarter and quickly moved downfield before scoring on a wild sequence to end the half.
After Warhill committed a costly pass interference penalty to give Tabb first and two on the eight yard line with 13 seconds remaining on the clock, Smith ran five yards to the three yard line as the clock appeared to expire. However, the crucial first down gave the Tigers one more crack at a last-second score, which Smith ran in from three yards out to give Tabb a 20-13 lead at the break.
Tabb picked up right where it left off in the third quarter, marching 55 yards on 12-straight runs ending with Hicks’ four-yard touchdown scamper as the Tigers padded their lead 27-13.
The Tigers would catch Warhill off guard on the ensuing kickoff as Ian Pearse recovered the onsides attempt, but the Lions defense would force a turnover on downs.
With 1:09 to play in the third quarter, Dedmon scored his third touchdown of the night with a beautiful run in which he ran the keeper to the left side before reversing fields and outrunning the Tigers’ defense to pay dirt to make it a one-possession game, 19-27.
But the Lions’ defense, which has struggled mightily against the run all season, couldn’t come up with a stop as Tabb scored on a 35-yard reverse by wide receiver Antwuan Hicks to take a 33-19 lead with 10:20 left in regulation.
Dedmon, though, would not let the Lions go quietly.
On the second play of Warhill’s next possession, Dedmon took the handoff to the right side and raced 51 yards down the sideline to make it a one-score game, 33-25, with a little more than nine minutes to play.
The two sides would exchange punts before Tabb took over with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter with a chance to put the game away. Instead, Warhill’s Jake Eubanks came up with a clean strip and take-away on Smith’s carry up the middle and didn’t stop until he fell across the pylon 70 yards later. Trailing 33-31, the Lions had a chance to tie the game with a two-point conversion, however Tabb came up with a huge stop by plugging the middle on Reggie Lipscomb’s attempt up the gut.
“We didn’t have a ton of defensive stops, but that one was big,” Lawson said.
With barely three minutes left in regulation, Tabb’s backs were able to make the Lions use up the rest of their timeouts and run out the remainder of the clock with seven running plays. Hicks sealed it with a one-yard first-down run with a little more than 30 seconds to play.
Hicks, who finished with career highs in carries and yards, echoed Lawson’s thoughts on the Tigers’ offensive line.
“All the glory goes to [the offensive line],” Hicks said. “I couldn’t have done anything without them.”
Tabb 33 Warhill 31
Warhill- 6 7 6
Tabb- 7 13 7
First Quarter
War- Dedmon 17 yard run (kick failed)
Tab- Hunter 1 yard run (Kelchner kick)
Second Quarter
Tab- Hunter 2 yard run (kick failed)
War- Dedmon 78 yard punt return (Stanford kick)
Tab- Smith 3 yard run (Kelchner kick)
Third Quarter
Tab- Hicks 4 yard run (Kelchner kick)
War- Dedmon 21 yard run (kick blocked)
Fourth Quarter
Tab- Hicks 35 yard run (kick failed)
War- Dedmon 51 yard run (2-PT failed)
Totals
War; Tab
First downs: 21; 14
Rushes-yards: 20-163; 70-328
Passing yards: 12; 12
Comp-att-Int: 2-8-0; 1-2-1
Penalties-yards: 4-38; 3-15
fumbles-lost: 2-1; 2-0
Individual standouts:
Warhill
Dedmon- 13 rush, 128 yards, 3 TDs; punt return TD
Tabb
Hicks- 28 rush, 153 yards, TD
Smith- 22 rush, 85 yards, TD
