Both Dexter and Salem will run the ball as their first, second and third option Friday. While Dexter will want to give their workhorse Caleb Hoggard as much as he can carry, Salem will likely opt for disguise and mix it up in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 quarterfinal.
"One thing is for sure, they are run heavy," Dexter coach Kevin Goltra said. "It is going to be one of those games where we are both going to pound the ball and we'll see who wins."
The Tigers averaging nearly four yards rushing for every one yard passing.
Chandler Gray leads the Tigers in rushing and has 499 yards on 76 carries (6.6 avg.) while Salem has six players with a least 20 carries on the season.
Quarterback Cameron Camden leads the team in carries with 94 and has 387 yards (4.1 avg.)
Salem (6-3) also has five players with at least two rushing touchdowns.
"We have to be really physical and aggressive up front. That is kind of what we are pushing for this week," Goltra said.
While Camden has more than twice as many carries as passing attempts, he is completing 60 percent of his passes and is good for 18 yards per completion. For the season he has thrown for 472 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions while averaging around five passing attempts per game.
His two favorite targets are Lawson Toman and Dawson Wynn. Wynn has 245 yards on nine catches for a whopping 30.6 avg.
Toman isn't too far behind him with 178 yards on 12 catches for a 14.8 avg.
"They are efficient," Goltra said. "When they do throw it, they throw it deep. They try to get your safeties and corners to bite on the run."
Defensively, nobody has more than one sack for the season and the team has five while the Tigers have also picked off 10 passes and recovered 10 fumbles.
"They play a 5-2 box no matter what formation you have," Goltra said. "So for use, going spread is of absolutely no benefit to us."
Salem has won four in a row and has scored at least 30 points in four of its six wins. In each of its three losses, Salem scored six points or less and was shutout by both Thayer and Ava.
Dexter (4-5) is coming off its fourth straight loss after starting the season 4-1 and in the process fell from third to sixth in the district standings.
Hoggard crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season last week against Malden after rushing for 94 yards on 27 carries. Dexter finished with 171 rushing yards on 38 carries and 109 passing yards.
It was the Bearcats most passing yards in a game this season. Quarterback Ben Sindle and wide receiver Nick Trout took advantage of a height mismatch on the outside and Sindle found him deep for three catches and 85 yards.
The winner will play the winner of Kennett and Fredericktown.