Dillon proves doubters wrong during run to title game

The Dillon Wildcats aren’t supposed to be here.

Losses to Myrtle Beach, Marlboro County and Cheraw in the regular season all but silenced any talks of a deep playoff run.

And then postseason games at Silver Bluff, against Manning and at unbeaten Timberland? Forget it. No way was Dillon going to earn a trip to Clemson.

But that’s exactly where the Wildcats will be when they play Central for the Class 2A state championship Saturday at noon.

Dillon, which knocked off two No. 1 seeds and won its final three playoff games by a combined six points to get here, will be making its fourth trip to a state title game under coach Jackie Hayes.

In 1994, the Wildcats lost 28-12 to Berkeley.

In 1999, they lost 28-25 to Union. And in 2004, they lost 34-7 to Belton-Honea Path.

“Everyone had kind of written us off,” Hayes said. “But we had a saying on that first day of practice that if we were playing at Clemson on the last day of the season, we’ll say we’ve had a great year.

“Our kids have overachieved and played hard and they believed. We feel very fortunate to be playing on Saturday.”

While the losses might not have sat very well with Dillon’s fan base, they did provide some big-game experience for the players.

“A lot of people didn’t think we could play with those kinds of teams, but we did,” Dillon quarterback Travis Murphy said. “We might have lost those games, but it prepared us for the playoffs and the kind of teams we were going to face.”

The one constant throughout the season and the playoffs has been the Wildcats’ defense. Dillon has held opponents to 148 points (10.6 ppg) in 14 games and 50 (12.4 ppg) in the postseason.

“We like to hit,” Dillon linebacker L’Twane Thompson said. “We like to knock people around and go up against physical teams.

“Central likes to run the ball right at you. Should be a good game for us.”

The Wildcats defense will be put to the test against Central’s power running game.

The Eagles have used the wishbone formation, a stable of running backs and a shut-down defense to post a 14-0 mark in their first year in the upper state.

“I think they have all but one or two returning starters on offense and defense from a team that made the lower state championship last year,” Hayes said.

“They’re a good team. They’re big and physical and probably outweigh us 100 to 120 pounds on either line.”

Central has scored 510 points (36.4 ppg) and has allowed just 101 (7.2 ppg). Cheraw, Chesterfield and Woodruff are the only teams to score 13 or more points against the Eagles.

Until last week’s upper state final, Woodruff had averaged 38.4 points a game.

“They’re big and strong, but we just have to use our quickness like we have all season,” Murphy said. “Hopefully, we can use a balanced attack, move the ball and put some points on the board because I know our defense is going to hold them down.”

Murphy has helped turn the Wildcats into more of a passing team, completing 110 of 214 passes for 1,388 yards and 18 touchdowns. But Dillon has achieved good balance this season with Roderick Jackson rushing for 1,335 yards and 12 touchdowns.

And, as always, the offense has been set up by the defense. The Wildcats have forced 45 turnovers.

“A lot of these kids have 48 minutes left in their high school careers,” Hayes said. “We just ask that they leave it all out on the field Saturday.”