Dillard’s season of massive expectations begins with rout in National Showcase game
There are a different level of expectations at Dillard this year — massive, justifiable championship aspirations in Class 3M — and so it made sense for the Panthers to start their season in the spotlight of the inaugural Broward County High School Football National Showcase on Friday in Fort Lauderdale.
Ultimately, it turned into a showcase for Dillard with a 35-0 rout of Rock Creek Christian Academy from Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
“We came in here with a dominate mentality,” star wide receiver Tastean Reddicks said. “At the beginning of the game, they came out and disrespected us, and we don’t take no disrespect from nobody.”
The Panthers (1-0) scored twice in the first 1:45 — two touchdowns on the first three plays from scrimmage — and took a 28-0 lead into halftime, then went up by 35 in the third quarter to trigger a running clock at Dillard High School.
To start of their most hyped season in perhaps 20 years, the Panthers obliterated one of Maryland’s top teams in a National Showcase game at Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium.
“We’ve been falling short for a long time,” said senior Christopher Johnson, who’s a four-star running back in the 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2023, with interest from the Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels. “We don’t expect to come out here and play with nobody. We’re giving everybody hell.”
Reddicks, who’s orally committed to the Oregon State Beavers, scored three touchdowns, including two in the first quarter as Dillard built a quick 21-0 lead and the final one in the third to initiate the running clock and let the Panthers wrap up their blowout win.
It was his Dillard debut and his performance helped justify the hype swirling around the school this year.
Last season, Reddicks was a budding star at Deerfield Beach, but he decided to transfer in the winter after the Bucks made a coaching change and became, on paper, the Panthers’ No. 1 receiver.
After this weekend, it’s reality on the field, too.
Johnson opened the game with back-to-back carries for 39 yards and a touchdown and then Dillard recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and let Armani Norcius go to work. On his first pass attempt of his senior season, the quarterback threw to Reddicks, who made a diving catch at the goal line for a 33-yard touchdown and 14-0 lead.
Norcius found Reddicks again for a 4-yard touchdown at the end of the Panthers’ next drive and then once more for a 12-yard score in the second half.
Norcius finished 10 of 12 for 187 yards and three touchdowns, and Reddicks accounted four of those caches, 72 yards and all three touchdowns.
“Me and Armani have been working, in and out, every week, at least 100 catches every day to try to get our chemistry there and it shows on the field,” Reddicks said.
With the lopsided score, Dillard was also able to keep Johnson to just six carries — he ran for 47 yards and the early touchdown — and let Jorge Tabora lead several drives. The backup quarterback even threw a touchdown to star wide receiver Arthur Jenkins, who’s orally committed to the FAU Owls.
The Panthers also racked up nine sacks and held Rock Creek Christian (0-1) to just 70 yards in the first half before they mostly emptied the bench in the second.
It was just one test for Dillard, though, and the schedule won’t let up at any point this year. The Panthers also have games against Miami Central, St. Thomas Aquinas and, up next, Chaminade-Madonna next Friday in Hollywood.
“I just wanted to get out to a fast start and be clean,” coach Tyler Tate said, “get ready for next week.”