DULUTH – Missing its brightest offensive star for the season’s first two games, the Duluth East Greyhounds rolled out an offense that lacked punch – and in a season-opening 7-0 loss to Cloquet, lacked a pulse.
Enter Andre Dee, a slippery playmaker who has helped amp up the ’Hounds’ versatility. Dee was forced to sit out the first two games after transferring to East from Rochester Mayo. His arrival allowed the Greyhounds to open up their offense, and the result has been a more balanced attack as East streaks toward the postseason.
Coming off last week's 49-22 win over rival Duluth Denfeld a week ago, in which Dee’s presence loosened up the Hunter defense for junior quarterback Zach Farmer, East maintained its resurgent offense Thursday night at Public Schools Stadium in a 28-0 drubbing of Crookston.
Dee led the way.
He rushed, received and returned punts, a constant threat to go the distance.
“I like the ball in my hands,” the senior running back said. “Anything, man – catch it, run it, pass it, whatever. Whatever it is to help the team.”
East coach Joe Hietala loves the added dimension that comes with sticking the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Dee in his backfield. If defenses focus on Dee, Farmer is capable of instigating an aerial attack, as he did last week against the Hunters to the tune of 300-plus passing yards and four touchdowns.
“The difference is huge,” Hietala said of having Dee after a 1-1 start. “He’s a spark, and I think he has the ability … he can score from anywhere on the field, and we definitely didn’t have that early on in the year. At the same time, he adds a dimension to our offense where teams really have to beware of where he’s at, what he’s doing. And that opens up other things.
“With him kind of coming into his own, our offense and Zach Farmer has started to find open receivers and our guys have been catching the ball, too,” Hietala continued. “When we’re able to spread defenses out, then Andre’s more effective running the ball. And when teams are keying on him, then we’re more effective throwing the ball. It’s a nice combination for us.”
Indeed, it is. The Greyhounds (4-3) have reeled off three consecutive wins, none bigger than last week’s blowout of Denfeld, which all but assured East of a North Country Conference title.
Thursday against the Pirates (2-5), Dee was everywhere. He consistently eluded white jerseys while amassing close to 300 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns – the second a 39-yarder that made it 21-0 at the break. He finished with 120 rushing yards, more than 100 return yards and 35 receiving.
Dee’s life was made easier by an East offensive line that dominated the Pirates. Despite his busy night, Dee’s uniform was improbably void of stains. That’s because he often merely had to dance through ridiculously huge holes, as the Pirate defense was shredded by East's bulldozers up front. On both of Dee’s TD scampers, the only time he was touched was when he returned to the sideline and received a bevy of high-fives.
“That’s the whole part of it: If my line’s blocking, then I’m making plays – simple as that,” Dee said.
How does a running back respond when the line of scrimmage parts like the Red Sea?
Dee’s eyes must bulge open, right?
“They get wide,” he quipped. “I see all green, see which way I should go, think about it for a split-second, take it and try to go as hard as I can. Every play.”
Dee did just that Thursday, and the Greyhounds continued their second-half surge. They’re looking at a top-two seed for the Section 7-4A Playoffs, which begin in two weeks.
And if the Greyhounds continue to diversify their offense – which features sturdy runners Evan Rollo and Henry Roningen, along with pass-catchers Andrew Florestano, Zach Visina and Nick Carlson – there’s no telling how deep they can go into the postseason.
No doubt, Dee will play a big part in whatever success East experiences.
“Andre Dee is a very athletic individual,” Hietala concluded. “He’s got skills. We didn’t have him earlier in the season and his skills were definitely lacking. He’s got vision, he can find seams and he has that ability to kind of have the eyes in the back of his head, where he can make those nice cutbacks. It’s hard to defend, and it’s one of those kind of intangible things that you hope you can develop in somebody, but Andree seems to have it and it’s definitely helping us out now.”
Louie St. George III: lstgeorge@coachesaid.com
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