North Vermilion opens season with win over Hanson

LEROY – The North Vermilion Patriots vowed to get a fast start this season, and they accomplished the first step of that plan on Thursday with a 28-0 win over Hanson Memorial.
The victory, led by senior quarterback Dade Dieterich and a stout defense, kicked off the campaign in style for coach Richard Prejean.
“It took a little while for us to settle in, for the kids to relax,” said Prejean, whose team got in gear after a scoreless first quarter. “We still made a lot of mistakes, but I was proud of the effort.”
Dieterich was the catalyst, with 106 yards and a touchdown on the ground (all in the first half) to go with 89 yards and another score through the air. He sparked a trio of second-quarter scoring drives to produce a 21-0 halftime lead.
That was more than enough as the NVHS defense held coach Brett Blakey’s Tigers to 130 total yards. The closest the visitors came to the end zone was the Patriots’ 31 in the fourth period.
“Our defense was pretty good tonight,” Prejean said. “We had a good week of preparation. It surprised a little with Hanson going empty (backfield) to start the game, but the kids adjusted well and did a real good job.”
North Vermilion got rolling in the second period with a 6-play, 50-yard drive for a 6-0 edge. Dylan Dent gained 12 yards to the Hanson 38, Dieterich found Tyler Galley up the left sidelines for a 35-yard pass and Dent plowed over from the 1-yard line on third down.
One possession later, the Patriots went 76 yards in 7 snaps. The big play was a 41-yard ramble by Dieterich that reached the Tigers’ 12, capitalizing one play after Hanson had jumped offsides on a fourth down near midfield.
That set up Ryan Broussard’s scoring run on the next play. Dieterich then scrambled to overcome a snap mishap on the extra point, hitting Connor Dupuy for a 2-pointer and a 14-0 lead.
Dupuy had a hand in the third score, returning a punt 19 yards to the visitors’ 27. On third down from the 26, Dieterich ran into the secondary and was untouched for a 21-0 advantage.
“I give all the credit to my offensive line,” Dieterich said. “They’ve improved so much over the last two weeks, and I just had to thank them. We got off to kind of a slow start, but I talked to them and everything was positive.
“Everything picked up and we started rolling.”
That performance by the line, which produced 250 yards on the ground, also drew Prejean’s attention.
“One of the best things we’ve done in the last couple of weeks is to solidify our starting five up front,” he said. “They’re carrying out their blocking assignments and working with more confidence. I credit coach (Destin) Dieterich for doing a good job with them.
“We’re also doing a good job of taking care of the football, which is good to see. We wanted to get more option into our offensive scheme, and I thought Dade did a good job with his reads.”
The Patriots struck again in the third quarter with a 7-play, 54-yard advance. Key plays included Dieterich’s 11-yard pass to Galley and a 20-yard run by Broussard that reached the 10.
Dieterich and Galley teamed up again for the touchdown from the 8.
Dent, who had a 34-yard run early in the game, netted 77 yards on 17 carries, while Broussard totaled 32 on 3 attempts in support of Dieterich. Galley’s 4 catches for 72 yards paced the aerial attack.
Hanson’s Britt Young struggled to find a rhythm against the Patriots, hitting just 4-of-18 passes for 35 yards. Brant Broussard was the workhorse on the ground with 28 carries for 70 yards.
It was a solid victory over an outmanned opponent for the Patriots, who overcame a shaky start for a playoff berth a year ago. This year, they’re hoping a faster start can point to an even better finish.
The next step is a road test at Episcopal, a game sure to challenge early-season strides.
“Episcopal has a good football team,” Prejean said. “We’ll have to be ready.”