[10/26/02]The normally run-friendly Dexter Bulldogs aired it out against St. Aloysius Friday and flew into a tie for first place in Region 4-1A.

Torry Crumedy passed for a season-high 207 yards on 9 of 15 passing and two touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to a 21-7 win on a rainy night at Farrell Stadium.

“They are very capable of throwing the ball,” St. Al coach Jim Taylor said. “It was just that we couldn’t convert on any big plays offensively or defensively.

“We gave up big plays defensively and as a team on offense, we didn’t block anyone all night long.”

It also forces the Flashes, who could have virtually wrapped up a playoff spot, back into the scrum for one of the final two spots for the playoffs. Dexter and Mize each have one region loss, with Mize having beaten the Bulldogs. St. Al (7-2, 5-2) is in a tie for third with Natchez Cathedral.

“This win is very big,” Crumedy said. “We needed this win very bad. Very bad.”

Crumedy connected with Keon Ratcliff twice on TD passes of 61 and 27 yards the second one with less than a minute to play in the half as Dexter grabbed a 21-7 halftime lead.

“That one before half was real big,” Crumedy said. “It got their heads down and gave us confidence.”

St. Al fumbled six times, although Dexter only recovered two of them, and quarterback Chad Cox was intercepted once. Greg Smith led the Flashes with 105 yards on 19 carries and Michael Engle scored a first-quarter touchdown on a 21-yard reverse, but the Bulldogs’ defense kept the potent Flashes’ run game at bay all night.

“We studied their films and they basically ran what we thought they were going to,” Dexter coach Randy Sumrall said. “We just happened to be in the right spot. Things went our way tonight.”

Dexter took the lead early in the first quarter after a bad snap led to St. Al punter Adam Beaugh getting tackled at his own 24-yard line. Six plays later, Tawan Weary scored on a 4-yard run. Smith intercepted the 2-point conversion pass to keep it at 6-0.

The Flashes countered on their next possession with a 9-play, 62-yard drive capped by Engle’s run and a 7-6 lead with 3:15 left in the first quarter.

Crumedy connected with Ratcliff three minutes later on a 62-yard touchdown pass, then threw a two-point conversion pass to James Carter for a 14-7 lead at the end of the quarter.

“They were letting me stand in the pocket and let me pick out a receiver,” Crumedy said. “They weren’t putting any pressure on me. My line blocked good for me.”

The game was held up nearly 30 minutes early in the second quarter when Dexter senior defensive lineman Rondell Crumedy went down with a neck injury. He was taken off the field on a stretcher, but Sumrall said he had all of his bodily movements.

“We dedicated this win for him,” Sumrall said. “We were all praying for him.”

The Flashes will next travel to West Lincoln on Friday night before returning home for their annual grudge match against Cathedral on Nov. 8.

“I don’t think we played up to our ability tonight and what the problem was, I don’t know,” Taylor said. “Hopefully we can correct it, win two division games and get ourselves in the playoffs.”