Dragons ‘sting’ Cave Springs to begin postseason journey

For the seventh- straight season, the Dewar Dragon varsity football program began postseason play with a decisive openinground victory.

The latest first-round victim was the Cave Springs Hornets, who entered the Class B playoff opener at Dr. Ted Lewis Stadium in Dewar with a 5-5 season record.

The host Dragons used a 46-point offensive output in the first 12 minutes of action to secure their seventh- straight open- ing-round win, 68-8, over the visiting Hornets.

The mercy-rule win improved the Dewar season record to 11-0 and put the Dragons into this Friday’s second- round battle with the Regent Prep Rams, who advanced with a 51-6 win last Friday at home against Depew.

Friday’s second-round meeting with Regent Prep is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. at historic Dr. Ted Lewis Stadium in Dewar with the winner advancing to next week’s quarterfinal round against the winner of Friday’s second-round showdown between Oklahoma Bible Academy and Southwest Covenant.

The last time the Dragons did not open postseason play with a victory was 2017 with a 28-18 loss to Maysville.

In last Friday’s opening-round battle, the Dewar squad got the scoring started at the 10:08 mark of the opening frame on a 46-yard scamper by Nevin Corbin. The senior tailback raced into the end zone for the conversion attempt to give the host Dragons the early 8-0 advantage.

Thirty-one seconds later, Peyton Kilhoffer put the Dewar squad up by double digits (14-0) with a 22-yard TD run. Nevin Corbin crossed the goal line on the conversion attempt for a 16-0 margin.

Kilhoffer also scored on runs of 9 and 36 yards, respectively, in a one-minute, 23-second span to push the Dewar lead to 28-0. The Dragons were kept out of the end zone on the first conversion attempt, while Keelan Berry raced into the end zone on the second attempt for a 30-0 advantage with 4:27 left in the first stanza.

Wesley Sanford’s 26-yard scamper and JoJo Waters’ successful conversion run at 2:55 in the first extended the Dragons’ lead to 38-0, while Nevin Corbin’s 48-yard gallop and Tradyn Doty’s successful conversion run attempt on the final play of the opening frame capped off Dewar’s 46-point offensive output in the first 12 minutes of action.

The next Dewar score in the opening- round rout came on a 47-yard run by Christian Cargola at the 9:05 mark of the second stanza. Remy Martin scampered into the end zone on the conversion run for a 54-0 Dragon advantage, then the final two Dewar scores in the contest came on a 3-yard run by Doty at 4:53 and 53-yard gallop by Sanford at 2:55. Waters’ succcessful conversion run following Sanford’s long-distance score completed the Dragons’ 68-point outburst.

The visitors broke up the shutout bid at the 1:16 mark of the second quarter on a 60-yard TD pass from Isaiah Sam to quarterback Arik Duncan on a halfback pass play. Isidro Castillo’s successful conversion run made the final outcome, 68-8, in favor of the host Dewar Dragons.

— Dewar 68, Cave Springs 8

Cave Springs: 0 – 8 – xx – xx (8) Dewar: 46 – 22 – xx – xx (68) — First Quarter

Dewar – Nevin Corbin, 46-yard run (Nevin Corbin run); 10:08 Dewar – Peyton Kilhoffer, 22-yard run (Nevin Corbin run); 9:37 Dewar – Kilhoffer, 9-yard run (Run Failed); 5:50 Dewar – Kilhoffer, 36-yard run (Keelan Berry run); 4:27 Dewar – Wesley Sanford, 26-yard run (JoJo Waters run); 2:55 Dewar – Nevin Corbin, 48-yard run (Tradyn Doty run); 0:00 — Second Quarter

Dewar – Christian Cargola, 47-yard run (Remy Martin run); 9:05 Dewar – Doty, 3-yard run (Pass Failed); 4:53 Dewar – Sanford, 53-yard run (Waters run); 2:55 Cave Springs – Arik Duncan, 60-yard pass from Isaiah Sam (Isidro Castillo run); 1:16