Once again, the 8-2A district championship game was on the line between the Dunham Tigers and the Episcopal Knights.
Not only are both teams fighting for a district title, but both teams are trying to secure a Top 4 seed in the Division III (Select) Playoffs and perhaps a potential number one seed with a victory.
Despite both teams having offensive stars in Reid Chauvin for Episcopal and Elijah Haven for Dunham, it was evident that points were going to be tough to come by with harsh weather and field conditions against two physical, well-disciplined defenses.
“I am extremely proud of this team. We came into this game knowing it was going to be muddy, wet, and that they run the Wing T. We knew it was going to be a long night, but we talked about it this week that we were going to emphasize and fight for that inch. Football is a game of inches and especially on a night like this, those inches matter so we really emphasize all week and I thought we did extremely well with that.”
Dunham 2025 DE Harrison Malik
With both teams dealing with similar sloppy conditions, it was the Dunham Tigers that were able to handle those conditions better led by three rushing touchdowns by Haven in an 18-0 victory over the Episcopal Knights.
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The number one quarterback in the 2027 class was limited through the air, but he used his legs to gain 87 yards and the team’s only touchdowns on the ground.
“The offensive line played absolutely amazing. We stuck with it. It was gritty. With conditions like this, throwing the ball wasn’t the most ideal thing for us, but we stuck with it. The offensive line did great and I was able to find some holes and make some plays for us.”
Dunham 2027 QB Elijah Haven
What was more impressive was Dunham’s defense that gave the Episcopal Knights their first shutout of the season. Neil Weiner’s veteran defense had 10 tackles for loss, forced three turnovers, and only one time, the Knights were in Tigers’ territory past the 50 yard line.
“We try to be a great program and take things seriously, but at the end of the day, it is about our kids having fun and that’s what this was. It was like being in the backyard and playing in the slop with your friends growing up. Our kids got really fired up about it. As the rain poured more and more, the kids got more and more excited. We were able to do some stuff and bring some defensive linemen in. Bringing in two tight ends, two fullbacks, I am super proud and our defense. was just amazing. Obviously, the conditions had something to deal with it. They have a great offense, but we just kept pushing them back and moving them backwards. It’s a fantastic job because they ran a lot of different schemes instead of their traditional wing. They ran a lot of different stuff so for our coaches and for our kids to handle it, I was really proud of our effort.”
Dunham Head Coach Neil Weiner
After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers struck first when Haven had a 15 yard touchdown run that was set up by a nice return by Jarone Harris to make it 6-0.
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That ended up being the halftime score in the first 24 minutes of play and was the only difference in a pretty even first half.
Both offenses could not muster anything in the third quarter, but Dunham pulled away in the fourth stanza as Rives Johnson recovered an Episcopal fumble at the 1 yard line where Haven pounded it in to make it 12-0.
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Finally, it was Haven that sealed the deal with a 24 yard touchdown keeper to make it 18-0.
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The Knights were shutout offensively with only 13 yards of offense in the second half. Gridiron Football All-American running back Reid Chauvin was held to 85 yards on 29 carries.
The Episcopal defense did its very best to keep the team in this game by continuing to force punts, a turnover on downs, and even an interception by Will Ribes, but could only hold a dangerous Tigers offense out of the end zone for so long.
For the third straight year in a row, the Dunham Tigers are on top of District 8-2A and are one game away from potentially snagging the number one seed in the playoffs, but for head coach Neil Weiner, his team is focused on the task at hand.
“It’s a very mature group of guys. We talk about the old Nick Saban rat poison. Don’t look at the record. We are not worried about power rankings and that kind of stuff. We are focused on getting better everyday. They believe it and they practice it. That’s our focus. We are going to enjoy tonight and then when we get back together on Sunday and watch the film, we will focus on the next game.”
Dunham HC Neil Weiner
Meanwhile, for the Episcopal Knights, they will look to bounce back by closing the regular season against the Capitol Lions before approaching the playoffs.
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