Northwestern quarterback returns, leads Bulls to statement victory and district title
The game had been over for about 10 minutes.
The outcome had been decided for even longer than that.
But it didn’t matter to Northwestern quarterback Taron “Tyger” Dickens.
As he knelt on the field to listen to Bulls coach Max Edwards’ postgame speech to the team, Dickens was still moving to the beat of the Northwestern marching band.
Dickens started his first game in three weeks on Saturday night and his presence was felt immediately as the senior ignited the Bulls on their way to a critical 26-7 victory over Miami Booker T. Washington at Traz Powell Stadium.
“I was already in rhythm this week in practice, just working it and working it,” said Dickens, the Miami Herald’s Classes 8A-6A Offensive Player of the Year last season. “I told my coaches to just get me back my groove and that’s what we did.”
The win was a turning point for Northwestern, which was coming off back-to-back losses to Miami Columbus and Miami Central, and facing the potential of missing the postseason altogether if their slide continued.
Instead, the Bulls (4-3, 3-0) secured the District 14-2M championship and are guaranteed a top-4 seed in the region, likely to be as high as second should they win their remaining three games. Booker T. (6-2, 3-1), which is guaranteed to finish runner-up in the district, figures to earn one of the four at-large playoff berths in the region, but can’t be seeded any higher than fifth following the loss.
“This was big for us and we really needed this,” Northwestern coach Max Edwards said. “To get Tyger back was a blessing, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
Dickens completed 13 of 21 passes for 160 yards and threw two touchdown passes in his first action since spraining the AC joint in his right shoulder against Columbus. The Bulls leaned on freshman backup Calvin Russell, but scored only 14 points in the six quarters since Dickens was hurt.
On Saturday, the change was noticeable with Dickens behind center and starting running back Jamari Ford also back for the first time since Sept. 16 when he suffered a shoulder injury against Chaminade.
Dickens didn’t shy away from contact either, taking his first snap and running into the teeth of Booker T.’s defense for a first down. Dickens also ran for 51 yards on five carries.
“We knew this was like a playoff game,” Dickens said. “We were locked in all week.”
Northwestern didn’t crack the scoreboard until late in the first half when Dickens found Rashad Davis from four yards out for the first of two touchdown passes that Davis caught. The second came on a 28-yard catch in the corner of the end zone, which put the Bulls ahead 13-0.
Ford was ejected from the game in the second quarter after an unsportsmanlike penalty, but senior Marlin Cochran and sophomore King Davis each scored rushing touchdowns in the second half and ran for 79 and 78 yards respectively to lead the Bulls on the ground.
Northwestern’s defense did the rest, containing Booker T.’s potent rushing attack and limiting the Tornadoes to just one touchdown on Antwan Smith’s 3-yard run early in the fourth.
MORE SCORES
No. 6 Cardinal Gibbons 49, Hallandale 6; Ferguson 41, Southwest 0; Pembroke Pines Charter 28, Everglades 7; Westminster Christian 30, Palmer Trinity 21.
This story was originally published October 15, 2022 at 11:59 PM.
