Dryden advances after dominant semifinal
Dryden ended an 18-year wait for a playoff victory Friday night, defeating Kingston 60-16 in a regional semifinal at Dryden High School. The result involved two U.S. high school teams in Michigan, rather than Kingston, Ont., but the outcome is notable for the Kingston program that finished the season with a 5-5 record and was meeting Dryden for the second time this season.
The Cardinals entered the game after a perfect 9-0 regular season and a Big Thumb Conference Blue league title. They were also ranked No. 1 in Michigan’s 8-Player Division 1 football classification. Dryden’s senior group had made establishing a standard for future teams a stated priority, and the result against Kingston gave the program its first playoff win in nearly two decades.
“The seniors this year have been such a driving factor for this team.”
That assessment came from Dryden head coach Hunter Gall, who said the veteran players had helped bring the team together and pushed their teammates daily. Gall said the senior class had been involved in the program since sixth grade, giving the team a long-running core of players familiar with one another and with the expectations around the Cardinals.
Coscione and Perales lead the offence
Senior quarterback Gianni Coscione and senior receiver Santiago Perales supplied the main offensive spark. Coscione threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns, with all three scoring passes going to Perales. He also ran for 257 yards and added two rushing touchdowns, producing the kind of all-around performance that kept Dryden in control of the semifinal.
Perales finished as the game’s leading receiver, catching eight passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns. Their connection was a continuation of a partnership that Gall described as strong both during games and away from the field. The coach said the two players are close friends and routinely support one another when mistakes occur.
| Dryden player | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Gianni Coscione | 268 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 257 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns |
| Santiago Perales | Eight receptions, 231 receiving yards and three touchdowns |
| Brady Schneider | 25 rushing yards and two touchdowns |
| Logan Korth | 47 rushing yards and one touchdown |
Senior class sets the tone
Dryden’s production extended beyond its two leading players. Senior Brady Schneider scored twice on the ground, while senior Logan Korth added 47 rushing yards and a touchdown. Together, those contributions helped the Cardinals turn a strong regular season into a decisive postseason result.
The defensive effort was similarly important. Dryden had allowed 16 points or fewer in four consecutive games, according to the report, and held Kingston to 16 points in the semifinal. The result marked the second time this season Dryden had beaten Kingston, reinforcing the Cardinals’ control of the matchup while sending them onward in the regional playoffs.
- Dryden completed its regular season unbeaten at 9-0.
- The Cardinals won the Big Thumb Conference Blue title.
- Dryden defeated Kingston 60-16 in the regional semifinal.
- The victory was the program’s first playoff win in 18 years.
For Kingston, the loss brought its season to a close at 5-5. For Dryden, it delivered a milestone the senior class had pursued throughout the year and gave the program a playoff win to build on after nearly two decades without one.
