High School Playbook Preview: Dixon takes on rival Winters, Downey looks to keep momentum

KCRA 3 viewers voted, and Dixon high school’s home matchup against their out-of-conference rival Winters is the High School Playbook Game of the Week for week one.

Here’s what you need to know about that game and some others in the Sac-Joaquin section this Friday.

Dixon vs Winters

After a 27-21 victory against Union Mine in week zero, the Dixon Rams will face Winters in their home opener.

One thing that Dixon head coach Wes Besseghini said he wants to see his team improve upon this week is running the football.

In their first game, they ran the ball 20 times for a total of 36 yards. Passing was their strong suit against Union Mine and Winters head coach Daniel Ward is certainly aware.

“Their ability to throw the ball is pretty special, I believe that they have one of the best quarterbacks in the area in Jett Harris,” Ward said. “Not only can he beat you through the air but he’s also a big threat on the ground.”

Harris was very steady in week zero. He completed 70% of his passes, threw two touchdowns and didn’t throw any interceptions.

While Dixon aims to run the ball better, coach Besseghini believes that Winters already has a balanced offensive attack that could be hard to stop.

“They can beat you through the air and on the ground and always seem to hit big plays when they need them, “ Besseghini said.

Dixon could be in for a different challenge than what they faced last week because of Winters’ motion offense.

“The biggest difference between the two teams is that Winters uses a lot of motion and tries to get your defense confused and out of position. Union Mine wants to line up and enforce their will on you,” Besseghini said.

Winters could be taking a more traditional approach to Friday night’s game, however.

“I am hoping that we can establish a strong run game and control the line of scrimmage,” said coach Ward. “Although we are a spread team in theory, we are very physical and love to run the ball in between the tackles. For us to be successful we have to be able to run the ball effectively.”

Both teams want to play a physical, run-heavy style this week, but if either team fails look for Dixon to rely on efficient quarterback play and for Winters to try to freeze the opposing defense with a creative offensive scheme.

Underrated X-factor players:

One player Besseghini said he won’t be taking lightly is Winters running back Justice Madsen, who averaged nearly seven yards a carry last season.

Ward is equally concerned about Dixon’s running back, naming Braden Baumbach his X-factor on Friday night.

“Although he did not have a ton of success last week running the ball, he is a big physical back and we definitely need to keep him bottled up at the line of scrimmage,” Ward said. “Once he gets loose, he is a load to bring down. If he has a big game, it could be a long night for us.”

Other games being played this week

Downey put the Sac-Joaquin section on notice in week zero when they went on the road and defeated the Lincon Trojans in a 42-35 shootout.

The victory included an electric performance from senior quarterback Conner Stoddard, who threw for a section-leading 369 passing yards and scored four total touchdowns.

Downey will be looking to stay on a roll against East Union, who also won their first game of the season comfortably against Ripon.

Oak Ridge, ranked no. 14 by Max Preps, blew out Consumnes Oaks 56-0 to start their season.

Consumnes Oaks was ranked 20th before the season, and now Vacaville has taken their place after beating Davis 49-21.

Something’s got to give on Friday night when Oak Ridge and Vacaville face off, both looking to follow up on impressive victories.

This story was originally published by KCRA. Watch our full High School Playbook coverage of week zero games Friday night on the KCRA 3 News at 11 p.m. Click here to vote in the Week 2 Game of the Week poll here.

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