Prep football: Dixon tops rival Woodland, improves to 6-1 in tight Golden Empire League
Dixon football coach Wes Besseghini knew Thursday night against rival Woodland wouldn’t be easy — even as his Rams took a 5-1 record on the road against the 2-4 Wolves on a warm night just after the calendar turned to fall.
“Woodland, they are always tough. They were our one league loss last year, and they just always come to play. They don’t quit, they don’t stop,” Besseghini told the Bee.
Dixon outlasted Woodland 28-20 to improve to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the competitive Golden Empire League, which had four teams enter the weekend with impressive 5-1 records. The game wasn’t quite as close as the score indicated as Woodland scored a touchdown to cut the deficit from 14 to eight as time expired.
“It’s one more step in the journey we’re trying to take right now, starting with league and then we’ll see where we go from there,” Beeseghini said. “We have a quick turnaround from Pioneer next week that’s a really good football team too.”
Besseghini’s team last season made it to the second round of the Div. V playoffs on the strength of a 4-1 league record. Their only blemish was a 34-28 loss to Woodland on the Rams’ home field. It just so happened his team was able to avenge that loss in a rivalry game by beating Wolves Thursday as the school celebrated homecoming weekend.
Dixon quarterback Jett Harris, one of the best throwers in the area, had a hand in all four of his team’s touchdowns. He tossed a pair of touchdown passes to standout receiver Luis Torres, and scored the final touchdown of the night with his legs to seal it in the fourth quarter. Leo Iglesias caught a long touchdown in the second quarter up the right seam.
Besseghini said the effort of his quarterback and top pass catcher came after missing practice during the week with minor illnesses.
“They both had great games, they played really well,” said Besseghini. “Both were sick for two days of practice and so they found a way to battle through and step up when their team needed them. I’m proud of those seniors. This whole group is special.”
For Woodland, quarterback Carter Imbach weaved for a 37-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter to tie the game at seven. Running back James Thompson made it a 21-14 game with just under six minutes remaining — but then Harris orchestrated a quality drive for the Rams that included hitting Torres on a key fourth-down conversion before putting the game away with his rushing score.
Thursday’s win for Dixon was pivotal heading into perhaps the biggest stretch of their season. They’ll host Pioneer (5-1, 1-0) before road tilts against Mesa Verde (5-1, 0-1) and Casa Roble (5-1, 1-0) to finish off their league schedule.
Beesghini believes his team can survive that gauntlet.
“The heart they have,” he said. “They just don’t stop. They keep going.”
This story was originally published October 7, 2022 at 10:57 AM.
