Football Recap: Marcell Dixon's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Gary West Side over River Forest

After flying high against Hammond Central last Friday, Gary West Side came back down to earth. The Cougars received a blow on Friday as they fell 37-20 to the River Forest Ingots. If the Cougars were looking for revenge after losing 35-0 to the Ingots when the teams met back in September of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Gary West Side lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Marcell Dixon, who threw for 334 yards and one TD, and also rushed for 33 yards and one score. Aizayah Sanders was Dixon's top target, picking up 124 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Even if they lost, Gary West Side's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Dante Heard, Camren Wright, and Leviticus Spencer, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in River Forest's side was Heard, who picked up a sack and made eight total tackles (2.0 for loss).

Having lost for the first time this season, Gary West Side fell to 2-1. As for River Forest, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.

Coming up, Gary West Side will challenge Stratford at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for River Forest, they will take on Griffith at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.