Dexter Cruises to Dominating Win Over Pioneer

By Mike Williamson – The Sun Times News

The Dexter football team wasted no time taking control Friday night, rolling to a 69–19 rout of Ann Arbor Pioneer in SEC Red action.

The win capped a strong conference campaign for the Dreadnaughts, who finished 5–1 in the SEC Red and improved to 7–1 overall with one regular season game remaining. Dexter will close out the regular season at home Friday against Flushing (4–4), with MHSAA playoff pairings to be announced Sunday evening.

Dexter exploded for 28 points in the opening quarter, highlighted by a long touchdown pass from quarterback Cooper Arnedt to Cole Novara and a breakaway scoring run from Brady Arbaugh. The Dreadnaughts continued to pour it on in the second, building a commanding 55–13 halftime lead.

Novara, who has rewritten the Dexter record book this season, continued his remarkable run with another historic night. The senior wideout hauled in eight catches for a school-record 224 yards and three touchdowns, moving into the top 20 in MHSAA history in career receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

Arnedt, meanwhile, was nearly flawless under center, completing 13 of 17 passes for 326 yards and five touchdowns—much of it before halftime. Despite Dexter’s lopsided wins, both Arnedt and Novara have put up record-setting numbers, often without playing full games.

On the ground, Arbaugh was dominant with 160 yards and three scores on just 10 carries, while Jack Votaw added 57 yards and two touchdowns.

Holden Niemi caught four passes for 93 yards and two scores, with Arbaugh adding one catch for nine yards and Paul Cipolla one for six.

It was another complete effort for the Dreadnaughts, who have proven to be one of the most explosive and balanced teams in the state heading into the postseason.