BREATHING POSTSEASON FIRE

After getting a week off to heal and prepare, Class 1A, DII state-ranked Iredell Dragons appear poised to make deep run in six-man playoffs; battle Bynum in Waco Friday

After advancing to the Class 1A, Division II regional finals for only the third time in school history last season, the Class 1A, Division II ‘s seventh-ranked Iredell Dragons enter the Texas high school six-man football playoffs hungry and wanting more.

By earning their third consecutive trip to the playoffs with its second straight District 11-1A, DII title, the Dragons (4-0 in district, 8-2 overall) advancing to the 2024 Class 1A, DII Bi-District playoff game to face the District 12-1A, DII Bynum Bulldogs (2-1 in district, 2-8 overall) at 7 p.m. Friday at Waco Methodist Children’s Home.

“It’s been an exciting two years,” Iredell football head coach Luis Guereca said. “And hopefully, we can bring some more excitement this round of the playoffs.

“Bynum is well-coached, and they play with good effort. They have played some solid teams and their record doesn’t really indicate how good they can be. We look forward to the challenge they will bring.”

After the Dragons wrapped up the district title two weeks ago in classic head-to-head battle against the previously undefeated Three Way Braves (3-1 in district, 9-1 overall), Iredell drew a open week in the schedule to heal up and prepare for a deep postseason run.

“During the bye week, our main goal was to get some rest,” Guereca said. “But we also started working on getting prepared for the playoffs. We look forward to the playoffs and the excitement it’s going to bring.”

After opening the season with seven consecutive losses, Bynum edged Mount Calm in a winner-take-all showdown, 58-55, last Friday night to surge into the playoffs. Leaning heavily on the running game, the Bulldogs will be powered on the ground by senior Brandon Collins and junior Jackson Allen. Collins leads Bynum with 1,022 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Allen has gained 806 yards while scoring 17 touchdowns.

Engineering the passing game, senior Josh Allen has tossed eight scoring strikes while completing 22 of 42 passes for 383 yards, while Collins leads the receiving corps with five catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns, followed by Allen with seven receptions for 135 yards and three scores.

In the district title game against Three Way, Iredell jumped out to an early lead and never looking back on its way to a resounding 61-23 victory on the road. Iredell junior Cole Heutzenroeder ran for four touchdowns, junior Jordan Gutierrez sprinted for two more scores while leading the Dragons with 178 yards on 14 carries.

Heutzenroeder finished with 107 rushing yards while junior Caleb Garland powered his way to 53 more yards on the ground along with a 20-yard reception. Through the air, freshman Corter Sweat completed three of five passes for 56 yards, connecting with his brother junior Caden Sweat on a 20-yard scoring strike.

“Going into the game, we understood that if we play our game and just limit the mistakes, we would be able to come out on top,” Guereca said. “Three Way played hard and gave us everything they had. Coach (Shane) Gallagher and I are super proud of the team.”

Defensively, Gutierrez led Iredell with 14 tackles, followed by Garland with 13, Heutzenroeder with 11, Caden Sweat with seven, as well as senior Zach Mithcell with four takedowns and an interception.

“I think both sides of the ball complimented each other tonight,” Guereca said. ” Both sides were playing fast and physical. It was great to see.”