Those are some big footsteps behind center out on that turf at Al Ritt Stadium.
Colin Parachek was one of the best quarterbacks to ever take a snap for the Dreadnaughts – he could run and had a cannon for an arm. Last year, Cal Bavineau moved from wideout to quarterback and turned the position into a video game – his speed and ability to make plays was electrifying.
When Reeves Taylor arrived from a small school on the other side of the state he didn’t realize what Dexter fans and coaches and players had been used to from the quarterback position over the past few years. Taylor has not only stepped up but he’s stepped into those big shoes and seems to be just hitting his stride for the undefeated Dreadnaughts.
Taylor, who is from Holland, Mich., played his high school football at Holland Christian, a small Division 4 school. He started at quarterback last year for the Maroons but the team struggled, finishing just 2-7. They were 0-6 his sophomore season and Taylor didn’t play as a freshman because of a knee injury.
“The biggest difference between the games with Holland Christian and Dexter is the speed,” he says. “In Division 4 you will have a few guys who are really big or fast and good but here in Division 1 and Division 2, everyone on the field is a really good player.”
Taylor arrived at Dexter after his father got a job in Ann Arbor and the “team” – which includes his brother, Davis – moved east. “We heard Dexter was a great school,” he said. “We really like it here. The players were really welcoming and nice to me and it was a good experience.”
And that good experience is only getting better as the offense continues to light up the scoreboard. The Dreads have scored 172 points in four games.
“It’s good to know we can attack defenses in different ways, either with the run or through the air,” Taylor said of Dexter’s multifaceted offense. “We have a lot of talented athletes on the offensive side of the ball – and defense, too.”
Taylor has been solid every week for the Dreadnaughts and seems to be getting better and more confident every time he steps on the field. He had his best game of the season last week against Lincoln when he completed 17 of 27 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns – all in the first half.
“That was a really good game against Lincoln,” he said. “It showed that we can score in different ways and that it’s going to be very hard for defenses to game plan against us. We have some really good receivers, a great tight end, a great running game and our offensive line is really good. I feel like we have everything we need on offense.”
Taylor says he looks over what the defense is giving them and then goes through his progressions to best attack it. And that can be giving the ball to RB Cole Cabana, throwing it over the middle to TE Brennan Parachek or going deep to WR Joey Tessmer – yeah, it’s nice to have options.
“I’ve gained a lot more confidence since the first game (a 41-21 win over Grosse Pointe South),” he said. “It felt good to get a few games under my belt and get comfortable and build some confidence. I feel like I’m really in the groove now and learned a lot over those first couple games.”
Taylor transferred to Dexter in January, which gave him some time to meet and get to know his new classmates, teammates and make plenty of new friends before ever stepping on the football field.
“All I knew about the quarterback position here was that they had a starting senior graduate so there was an opening there and I would be able to compete for that spot,” he said. “I had to work really hard to earn the starting job and just glad they had confidence in me to earn that spot.”
Taylor noticed early on that the Dexter football program was not only unique, but special. “The dedication level is incredible,” he says. “At my old school, which was much smaller, we would only get five or six guys show up in the weight room. But here we get like 40 to 50 guys. Everyone wants to work hard, put in the time and get better.”
He also noticed a special bond and camaraderie among the players. “Everyone gets along really well and support each other,” he says. “All the seniors are nice to everyone on the team and it’s just a great atmosphere to be around.”
Having his brother Davis, a junior starting linebacker, on the team is another bonus. “Yeah, playing with my brother is awesome,” he said. “I get to talk to him about football at any time. It’s been a really cool experience.”
Taylor hopes to play in college – he already has an offer from Arkansas State – but for now wants to win football games in Dexter and build up his confidence and resume. “I just want to find a school and a program that feels right and is a good fit,” he says.
Just like he did with Dexter.
