Dallas Dickey doesn’t have to throw the football to be happy.
He came from a successful run-oriented system at Carrollton High School and is now the quarterback of a West Georgia offense that averages 231.9 yards rushing per game.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get us rolling as an offense,” Dickey said.
That philosophy has worked well for the Wolves (10-1), who will play host to Valdosta State (9-2) at noon Saturday in the second round of the Division II playoffs.
West Georgia shared the Gulf South Conference title with North Alabama, but earned the top seed from Super Region 2 to receive a first-round bye.
Valdosta State defeated Carson-Newman 61-59 in the first round last week.
Dickey has attempted at least 20 passes in seven games this season, including a 16-of-23, 237-yard, three-touchdown performance in West Georgia’s 49-28 victory over Valdosta State on Oct. 10.
But the Wolves feature four runners — including Dickey — with more than 400 yards rushing, led by freshman Devontae Jackson (Wheeler), who has 790 yards.
Jackson, Lamarcus Franks, Aares McCall (Grayson) and Dickey have each rushed for more than 100 yards in a game this season, and backup quarterback Wil Garrett (Carrollton) leads the Wolves with 10 rushing touchdowns.
“We like to assert our dominance in that area,” Dickey said. “We’re a balanced offense, but we’re dominant when we run the ball.”
Dickey, whose dad, Daryl, quarterbacked Tennessee to a 35-7 upset over Miami in the 1986 Sugar Bowl and is West Georgia’s athletic director, led West Georgia on a surprise run to the semifinals last year, where the Wolves lost to eventual champ Colorado State-Pueblo.
They won their first nine games this season and rose to No. 1 in the Division II poll Oct. 26, but lost to Florida Tech three weeks ago.
“We created a little bit of buzz last year,” Dallas Dickey said. “We entered this season in the second year in this system. We knew we had players who were as good, if not better this season, but we’ve stayed focused on the task at hand.
“We wanted to build chemistry and get better every week. Coach (Will) Hall told us Valdosta State is going to give us everything they’ve got. That’s the task at hand.”
Etc.: Mercer punter Matt Shiel, who is from Doncaster, Australia, and transferred from Auburn, was selected first-team All-Southern Conference by the media. The Bears finished 5-6. … Berry defensive back Kevin Grier (Berkmar) is the newcomer of the year in the Southern Athletic Association. Defensive lineman Mamadou Soumahoro (Berkmar), linebacker Preston Stewart (Riverwood) and receiver Chris Lilly were first-team selections.
About the Author
