DIXON, CA (MPG) – The Dixon varsity football team moved one step closer to a repeat atop the Golden Empire League Thursday night with a valiant victory against Pioneer on Senior Night.

The Rams (7-1, 3-0 GEL) defeated the Patriots (6-2, 2-1 GEL) by a score of 21-18. If Dixon takes care of business in its next game on the road at Mesa Verde, the Rams will be playing for a league title in the final week of the season on October 28 at Casa Roble in Orangevale.

Dixon celebrated 18 players from the Class of 2023 on Senior Night, exactly half of the team’s roster. Among those honored were quarterback Jett Harris, the versatile Luis Torres, wide receiver Brent Green and Thursday’s star of the game, Braden Baumbach.

The senior running back scored twice on the ground and once through the air to account for all three of the Rams’ touchdowns.

“Braden is a heck of a running back! He runs with passion,” Dixon coach Wes Besseghini told the Independent Voice after the victory.

Baumbach was proud of how the Rams played as a unit.

“We played really well as a team,” Baumbach said to the Independent Voice. “I trusted everybody on our team tonight.”

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Dixon scored first in the opening quarter on a short dash into the end zone by Baumbach about five minutes in. Torres successfully converted the extra point kick.

Pioneer chipped into their deficit with a field goal nearly five minutes later. The remainder of the half was a stalemate as the game went into halftime with Dixon leading 7-3.

The Rams took a two-possession lead with seconds to go in the third period when Harris found Baumbach for six. The Patriots would outscore Dixon 15-7 in the fourth quarter, but the final rushing score from Baumbach in the fourth quarter was enough to seal the deal for the three-point win.

“The word of the week was trust and you guys trusted your teammates tonight,” Besseghini told his team after the victory. “You fought and fought and fought and I am so proud of you.”

In his final regular season home game, Harris completed 14-of-25 pass attempts for 227 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The senior speedster added seven carries for 40 yards on the ground as well.

Baumbach finished with 11 carries for a team-high 48 yards and two touchdowns rushing. Through the air, he had two catches for 56 yards and a score. Baumbach also contributed seven tackles, four being solo, defensively.

Torres contributed to all three facets of the game Friday. The senior had two rushes for 17 yards and four receptions for 78 yards on offense. He had four tackles on defense and nailed all three extra-point kicks on special teams. Torres’ contribution with his leg ultimately was the difference in the game.

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Senior defensive tackle Seyyid Smith made an impact in what could have been his last home game, recording a team-high eight tackles with four of them on his own. Seniors, defensive tackle Cole Hensley and defensive end Elijah Hairston, tallied the Rams’ only sacks, with one each. Senior middle linebacker Matthew Whitaker had Dixon’s one and only interception.

"Because of the other team and who they were, it was going to take everyone to do their job. We don't need heroes, we need teammates,” Besseghini explained. “What makes this team is that they care about each other.

“Our guys are full of heart. They're gamers. They love to play the game."

The Rams will now travel for their final two games, beginning on Thursday night at 7 p.m. with a game against the reeling Mesa Verde Mavericks (5-3, 0-3 GEL), who have lost three games in a row, all in league play. The game will be played at San Juan High School as Mesa Verde’s new sports complex is currently under construction.

Additional reporting by Debra Dingman