Dierks eliminates Hackett in first round

HACKETT — The game plan for Dierks was to run the ball early and often Friday night. It worked out well for the Outlaws on the road at Mills Field.

The Outlaws scored on the ground on their initial three possessions of the game. Dierks didn’t look back after that in a 34-6 victory against Hackett in a first-round matchup of the Class 2A state tournament.

“This was a great win,” Dierks coach Jarrod Fannin said. “We have struggled on the road this year with just one road win. Playing this well against a team in this environment was big for us. You want to be playing your best this time of the year.”

Dierks (7-4) was led by sophomore running back Konnor Shelton, who finished with 18 carries for 150 yards with 2 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Chandler Lowrey added 85 yards and 3 touchdowns on 11 carries. Junior running back Andrew Kirby had 14 carries for 78 yards in the first half before leaving with an injury.

“We wanted to come in here and establish the run,” Fannin said. “It’s 90 percent of our offense. The offensive line made holes and the running backs found them. We wanted to limit their possessions. Keeping the ball and getting first downs helped us with that.”

Dierks, which picked up its first playoff win since 2013, was able to take a 20-0 lead heading into the break behind the strong rushing attack.

The Outlaws opened the game’s first possession with a 16-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to set the tone of the game. Lowrey capped the drive with a 2-yard run for a 6-0 lead with about five minutes left in the first quarter.

The Dierks defense forced a turnover on downs at its own 11 on Hackett’s first drive of the game. The Outlaws then marched 88 yards needing just seven plays to take a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

Shelton ended the drive with a 50-yard touchdown run and Lowrey added the twopoint conversion on a rush to extend the advantage.

After forcing a Hackett punt, Dierks made the most of its third drive of the game. The Outlaws made it a 20-0 lead with a 5-yard score from Lowrey with about two minutes before the break.

Dierks finished the first half with 247 yards of offense on 45 plays. Hackett, playing without quarterback Avery Hester because of injury, was limited to just 29 yards on 15 plays at the half.

The Outlaws got an interception to stop the Hornets’ first drive in the second half. Seven plays later, Dierks extend its lead out to 26-0 with another long run this time by Lowrey. He capped the drive with a 40-yard score on the ground.

Hackett (8-3) was able to put together a scoring drive in the third quarter. Peyton Hester hauled in a 66-yard touchdown pass from Fischer Shipman. That cut Dierks’ lead to 26-6 after a failed twopoint rush attempt.

Shelton helped put game well out of reach with a fourth-quarter touchdown for the Outlaws. He scored on a 15-yard run for his second touchdown of the night with about 11 minutes left in the game. That made it a 34-6 edge.

Hackett was limited without starting quarterback Avery Hester, who had accounted for 29 touchdowns this season for the Hornets. The unit finished the game with 110 yards of offense on 38 plays and just one scoring drive.

“I was really proud of the way our defense played,” Fannin said.