Pictured is Cedarville Quarterback, Cody Dickens
There’s no such thing as a suppresser or silencer to put on a cannon. Everyone can hear the BANG and see the flash of fire as it hurls a destructive ball of steel into enemy territory. Imagine if you will though if somehow engineers found a way to develop one and there was minimum noise on the first test fire. The enemy would look at each other in shock and likely say something like “What in the Dickens”?
In 2020, the big guns in Cedarville’s offense belonged to their highly talented and ever-powerful running backs. Defenses in the 3A-1 prepared their entire game plan around stopping the enormous BANG of the Pirates run game. But if you look at the game film, you’ll notice something that wasn’t heard as loudly but can be seen very clearly. At the helm of the Pirate’s potent 2020 offense was Cody Dickens. While opponents stacked the box, Dickens quietly and meticulously destroyed them by completing 50 passes for 946 total yards with an average of 18 yards per pass and 7 touchdowns on the season. You read that right, Dickens nearly hit a thousand-yard season with just 50 completions. “Cody leads by example,” explained Head Coach, Max Washausen. “He had perfect attendance this summer during workouts. He’s very smart and extremely important to our offense and he knows the offense very well. But he’s also just as important on defense at the cornerback position. He has a strong arm and I expect him to have a huge season!”
That was last season though. Dickens earned a plethora of experience and had an entire off-season to perfect the art of his quarterback position, form a better understanding of his opponents, and become a premier player in the monstrous 3A-1 conference. “The personal goal I have set for myself is to get over 1,000 passing yards. The main goal though is to do my part to help bring the Conference Championship in football to Cedarville for the first time ever,” explained the senior. The Pirates may have one of their best teams in decades to suit up going into 2021 and their motivation for this season? Last year’s 2020 season. Cedarville lost two of their games against Charleston and Greenland by a combined total of four points and the Pirates are determined not to let that happen again.
“We’re mentally and physically ready this season,” said Dickens. “Last year’s results help drive me every day. We lost a couple of close games last year that we should’ve won. One strength this team brings to the table this year is the huge amount of Sr leadership. We’ve all had experience and are hungry to win. This team is also very dependable. Everyone shows up to practice and loves to play football. The game that I myself and the whole program have circled on the calendar for this year is definitely Charleston. I think we all still have a bitter taste in our mouths from the past and are ready to change that.”
Cody Dickens will be a staple of this season’s success, not because he’s the biggest cannon on the field but because of his love for the game of football. Dickens started off in the 1st-grade playing football and hasn’t looked back since. Cody’s influence in the game was none other than his father. “My dad definitely started my passion for football. He coached our little league team and every year we’ve been playing catch in the backyard since I could talk.” With a family backing at home and a family backing on the field, it’s no wonder that Dickens is ready to fire at will this season. So for anyone who may ask “what in the Dickens”, the answer is simple. Go buy a ticket at Pirates Bay in Cedarville and watch some Pirates football. You’ll get your answer to that question there.
