Dual Threat Duff Carries No. 2 DeSmet Past No. 5 MICDS

LADUE - Dillon Duff passed for 139 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 115 yards and another score to lead the No. 2-ranked Large School in the area, DeSmet Spartans to a 28-6 victory over new football rival and No. 5-ranked Small School, the MICDS Rams, Saturday afternoon at O'Hara Field.

Duff did major damage in the first half on quarterback run plays and scrambling away from pressure on pass plays. The senior, who's already committed to play college ball at Kansas State next season, ran the ball nine times for 108 yards in the first half.

Those runs included three straight dazzling plays that help produced DeSmet's second touchdown of the game.

The first score came late in the first quarter, when Duff handed off to fellow senior Jayden McCaster who then handed the ball to freshman Ridge Janes on a tight end around play that went for a touchdown -- the first of Janes' career -- that gave the Spartans a 7-0 lead.

But Duff really showed off his legs midway through the second quarter, when he scrambled for 22 yards to get a first down on a key third down play. Then on the next play, Duff raced away from pressure again and then faked out two defenders, for a 37-yard run that put the ball on the MICDS 3-yard line and fired up the entire DeSmet sideline.

Duff then finished the drive with a touchdown run on the next play that put the Spartans up 14-0.

“I’ve always had it (the run) in my back pocket. I don’t love to use it all the time, but in tight games like this, I have to,” Duff said. “I was getting a little nostalgic because that’s all I did in middle school, and I played with a bunch of those guys on MICDS. So, it was fun out there.”

DeSmet QB Dillon Duff scrambles away from trouble during the 2nd quarter of Saturday's HS football game against MICDS. (Photo: Cedric Williams -- STLBigTimeSports.com

MICDS got on the board on its next drive, when it first got a 38-yard kickoff return from senior Brian Gould, and then moved the ball to DeSmet's 36-yard line. The Spartan defense stopped the Rams on third down and forced a 53-yard field goal attempt, which MICDS kicker Malik Orsan nailed to set a new school record and make the score 14-3.

Orsan added another field goal on MICDS's first drive of the third quarter -- a 37-yarder -- to make the score 14-6. But that's as close as the Rams would get.

Duff did damage with his arm in the second half. He completed seven-of-eight passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to put the game away.

The first scored came on a 5-yard pass to Liam Russo that made the score 21-6 late in the third quarter. Then, just as the fourth quarter was beginning, Duff threw a beautiful 23-yard touchdown strike to Zayne Schellenger that made it 28-6 and put the game away.

“When he’s got to put it down and run it, he’s a great runner,” DeSmet head coach John Merritt said. “But he can also throw it with the best of them. He threw the ball with touch and trusted a lot of different guys.”

DeSmet QB DIllon Duff calls out signals before a play during Saturday's HS football game against MICDS. (Photo: Cedric Williams -- STLBigTimeSports.com)

After beginning the season with two Saturday afternoon games, DeSmet will play its first Friday night game next week. The Spartans (2-0) will also be beginning Metro Catholic Conference play, with a road game against Saint Louis University High (1-1).

Kickoff on Friday at SLUH Athletics Stadium is slated for 6 p.m.

2024 DESMET SPARTANS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 13 at SLUH -- 6 pm
Sept. 20 vs. #3 CBC -- 6 pm
Sept. 27 vs. Vianney -- 6 pm
Oct. 4 at Chaminade -- 6 pm
Oct. 11 at Festus -- 7 pm
Oct. 18 vs. #1 Cardinal Ritter -- 7 pm
Oct. 25 at #9 Edwardsville -- 7 pm