Daryus Dixon scores four, intercepts three in Township rout
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Jason Guarente — LNP/Lancasteronline
NEFFSVILLE — At some point in the first half it became apparent this was the Daryus Dixon game. The ball kept finding him and he knew where to take it.
| Final | |
| Manheim Twp. | 49 |
| Hempfield | 7 |
The final tally for Manheim Township’s senior looked like two players rolled into one: four touchdowns, three interceptions.
“He’s just a genetic freak,” teammate Malakai Minguez said. “The team kind of rallies around him because he’s such a great athlete. There’s something special about him.”
Third-seeded Township stopped No. 6 Hempfield 49-7 in the District 3 Class 6A football quarterfinals at Kruis Field in Neffsville Friday night.
When the third quarter ended, four TDs were scored. Dixon had all four of them.
“I think he’s seriously the best athlete Manheim Township has ever seen,” quarterback Jack Kenneff said. “He’s doing stuff like this in practice. He’s doing stuff like this every week. I trust him completely. I give it to him and let him do it all.”
Dixon wore a ski mask under his lightning bolt helmet. The 5-11, 185-pound receiver isn’t a fan of the cold or the rain. There was no chance he could go incognito after this performance.
Four was on Dixon’s mind long before it matched his touchdown total. Both he and Hempfield’s Orion Abrams happen to wear that number. They ranked first and second in the Lancaster-Lebanon League receiving yards entering this game.
The pregame hype about the two highly-skilled receivers lit a fire under Dixon.
“There were a lot of people saying both No. 4s were very good on each team,” Dixon said. “I felt like I had to come out here and prove my point. Show who was better.”
Dixon opened the scoring with a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown on the fifth play from scrimmage. The defensive TD earned him a steak dinner with coach Mark Evans, which is a Township tradition. The Pick-6, it turned out, was only an appetizer.
The first receiving touchdown went 43 yards on a bubble screen. The second traveled 34 yards on a Kenneff scramble and bomb. The third was good for 61 yards on another screen.
Prior to one of those Kenneff-to-Dixon connections the quarterback made a prediction to his teammates.
“I walked into the huddle and was like, ‘All right, guys, this is a touchdown,’” Kenneff said. “Go out there and block for him.”
The chemistry between Kenneff and Dixon has grown through 11 games, including a Section 1 championship clinched at Wilson two weeks ago and this playoff victory over a heated rival.
Hempfield (6-5) scored its only TD when Abrams caught a 6-yard pass from Landon Charles, who was still in the lineup for injured starter Derek Katch. It was 28-7 at that point.
Township’s defense was dominant. Luke Wagner had a sack. Zach Bomberger had an interception. Dehvyn Lauano put a vicious hit on Cam Rice that knocked him out of the game. Riley Rontal was all over the field.
Dixon finished with five receptions for 154 yards and surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for the season. The only other Lancaster-Lebanon League receiver to reach that plateau? Abrams.
Township (10-1) earned its ninth consecutive win and will take on either Harrisburg or Central Dauphin next week. Those teams play Saturday.
There was one bit of bad news for the Blue Streaks. Running back Marcos Fernandez left with an injury in the second quarter. Backup PJ Myers rushed for 110 yards and two scores.
Township is in the semifinals for the fourth consecutive season. This group of seniors, which calls themselves “unbreakable,” has continued the Streaks’ impressive run of success.
“This is what you think about in the offseason,” Kenneff said. “This is what you go to sleep dreaming about. Playing in the playoffs. Playing into November.”
No one really thinks about what Dixon pulled off Friday. Four touchdowns and three interceptions? That’s beyond most players’ wildest dreams.
