New Outlaw Head Coach Vince Perrin cleared his first hurdle of the season Friday night with a 27-20 over the Horatio Lions, who are now coached by former Outlaw coach David Bennett.
The Outlaws will host the Gurdon Go-Devils Friday night. Kick-off is at 7:30.
Friday night’s game at Horatio started as anticipated with neither team giving an inch to the other. The game was deadlocked at 0-0 after the first quarter of play and locked up again, 14-14, at the half. It was the Outlaws’ 13 points in the third quarter which pushed Perrin and his team over the Lions.
Dierks racked up a total of 317 yards on offense with 109 from the passing game and 208 yards on the ground. Junior Brayden Kirby led the rushing with 11 carries for 86 yards followed by senior Peyton Frachiseur with 12 carries for 73 yards. Senior quarterback Caleb Adams also rushed seven times for 47 yards and had the Outlaws’ only rushing touchdown.
Adams hit seven of 11 passes for 109 yards and three TDs. Senior Lane Woodruff led the Dierks receivers with three catches for 54 yards and one TD. Senior Jacob Sharp pulled in four passes for 23 yards and one TD and junior Jarret Fox had two catches for 12 yards and one TD. Adding to the reception total was Frachiseur with one catch for 11 yards and senior Cale Adams with one catch for nine yards.
Cale Adams led the Outlaw defense with 13 tackles. Other Outlaw defenders making the tackle chart included juniors Fox and Kirby, sophomores Cameron Pugh and Sam Maxey and seniors Woodruff, Frachiseur, Colton Strode, Sharp, Jed Morrow, Andrew Hilton and Gabe Humphreys.
After a scoreless first quarter, it was Horatio who found the end zone first when quarterback Zach Izzo rushed in from four yards out with 11:30 left in the half. Kicker Pedro Ruvalcaba kicked the Lions up 7-0.
The Outlaws responded in the second quarter when Caleb Adams hit Woodruff for a 48-yard TD pass. The point-after failed and left the Lions up 7-6.
The Outlaw defense turned the Lions back in the second quarter and with 4:29 left in the half Caleb Adams hit Fox for a 12-yard TD. The Dierks QB then hit Sharp for the two-point conversion for a 14-7 Outlaw lead.
Horatio responded with 1:49 left in the half when Izzo rushed in from 21 yards out and the Lion kicker tied the score at 14-14.
The third quarter belonged to Dierks with their defense denying the Lions the end zone and their offense putting up 13 points.
With 6:40 left in the third, Caleb Adams punched in from seven yards out and Woodruff kicked the Outlaws ahead, 21-14. Dierks’ second score of the quarter came with 2:43 left when Adams hit Sharp for a four-yard TD. The point-after play failed to leave the score at 27-14 headed into the final quarter.
Horatio’s last grab at the end zone came with 9:33 left in the game. Izzo capped a Lion drive from two yards out but it was too late and Bennett and the Lions came up short, 27-20.
