DHS Football: Rams Honor Finney By Upsetting GEL Leaders Mesa Verde 17-0

On a night that it dedicated its football field to one of the greatest coaches in school history, the Dixon High football team turned in performance that would have made him proud.

The Rams shutout Golden Empire League leader Mesa Verde 17-0 Friday night, scoring all of its points in the second half after a halftime ceremony dedicated the Dixon High football field to long-time Rams' football coach Ira Finney.

“It’s a great night for our kids and our community,” current Rams' football coach Wes Besseghini said. “Mr. Finney did so much for our school.”

Four generations of Finney’s family were present during the official dedication, where the school unveiled an illuminated “Finney Field” sign on the lower part of the scoreboard minutes before the start of the third quarter.

Both teams headed into the locker room at the half in a scoreless tie, but the energy fed into the new sign also seemed to also find its way into a stagnant Rams’ offense after the break. 

After getting inside the 20-yard line twice in the first half but failing to score both times, the Rams (3-6, 3-1 GEL) used up almost half of the third quarter to drive 55 yards to the Mesa Verde 10. The 12-play drive was capped with a Geraldo De La Cruz 27-yard field goal that put the Rams up 3-0.

Dixon then forced the Mavericks (4-5, 3-1) to go three-and-out on its next drive. The Rams then used running backs Korey Hall and Marcos Pangelinan as a two-headed rushing attack to reach the end zone on the ensuing drive.

Hall bruised his way to 36 of his 217 rushing yards on the Rams’ second drive of the third quarter and Pangelinan capped it with five-yard touchdown run to put the Rams up 10-0.

"The kid (Hall) ran like hell," Besseghini said. "He ran like a beast."

Mesa Verde was held to just eight yards of total offense in the second half, and would turn the ball over on downs with less than a minute to go in the fourth. Dixon forced Mavericks’ quarterback Kyle Worthington to throw eight of his nine incompletions in the second half, including four-straight with less than three minutes to go in regulation. 

Korey Hall would put the game out of reach with a 16-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left in regulation.

The victory placed Dixon in a three-way tie for first place in the GEL standings with Captial Christian and Mesa Verde. Capital Christian defeated Lindhurst 26-0 Friday night. The Rams current three-game win streak is a far cry from it's six-game losing streak to start the season.

"I'm so proud of these guys," Besseghini said. "I knew from the start of the year that they were young but that they're talented. They're finally coming together, playing for each other, and good things happens when that happens."

As for those who may have wondered whether he was right for the job when the Rams were having their early season troubles, Besseghini said credit for the turnaround rests with the kids who play on the field.

"They worked their butt off and they earned it," he said.

Here are the Rams' GEL title and playoff scenarios:

- If the Rams defeat Capital Christian and Mesa Verde beats Marysville, Dixon will win the GEL title as it would own head-to-head victories over Mesa Verde and Capital Christian.

- If the Rams lose to Capital Christian and Mesa Verde defeats Marysville, Dixon will finish below both teams in the GEL standings as the two teams will be 4-1 and the Rams 3-2. They Rams would need an “at-large” bid to reach the playoffs if this happened and the chances of that happening with a 3-7 overall record are low. Mesa Verde would take the GEL title with a head-to-head tiebreaker over Capital Christian.

- If Marysville defeats Mesa Verde and the Rams lose to Capital Christian, the Rams would be in a three-way tie for second place in the GEL at 3-2 and Capital Christian would be the GEL champion. The Rams woud own head-to-head tiebreakers over Mesa Verde and Marysville and there for would finish second in the GEL.

A second-place finish in any athletic league earns a playoff berth.

(These are not predicitons from the CIF. These are predicitons manufactured by Dixon Patch.)

Besseghini though has been telling his athletes a win next week over the rival Cougars will get them in and cap an improbable comeback in a season that started with six-straight losses.

“That what I’m preaching to our kids the last two weeks,” he said. “It’s there for the taking.”

Dixon 17, Mesa Verde 0

Mesa Verde 0 0 0 0 — 0
Dixon 0 0 10 7 — 17

Scoring summary
6:20, 3rd: D — De La Cruz 27 field goal

1:04, 3rd: D — Pangelinan 5 run (De La Cruz kick)

0:25, 4th: D — Hall 26 run (De La Cruz kick)

Individual Statistics

Rushing (car-yards): MV —O’Neal 13-44, Belonwu 2-3, Jones 1-36,, Kimbrough 1-1, Worthington 1-(-9). D — Hall 30-213, Pangelinan 14-91, Miller 3-(-16), Bonovich 7-45, Bell 2-17. Passing (comp-att-yards-ints): M —Worthington 5-14-25-0. D —Miller 2-7-10-0, Pangelinan 1-2-14-0. Receiving (rec-yards): MV — O’Neal 2-5, Jones 1-10, Fratcher 2-10. D —Pangelinan 1-8, Miller 1-2, Salaber 1-14.

Team offense (rush-pass-total)

Mesa Verde — 75-25-100

Dixon — 349-24-373

Fumbles/lost: D 1/0; L — 1/0.

Records: Mesa Verde 4-5 (3-1), Dixon 3-6 (3-1 GEL)

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