Lake Clifton OLB is most feared pass rusher in Baltimore

Ernest Dixon smelled blood. He always smelled blood in situations like this. His coach, James Monroe, had just called "53 blitz," one of Dixon's favorite plays.

Dixon, a weak-side linebacker for Lake Clifton, would feint dropping into coverage before charging forward and unleashing his pent-up fury on the DuBois quarterback. At the snap, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Dixon found himself one-on-one with a tight end.

Too easy. He faked inside, spun around the blocker and saw nothing but the quarterback's backside.

"When I saw what was happening, I actually said to myself, 'Oh God, [the quarterback] has his back turned, please don't hit him that hard,'" Monroe recalled. "But Ernest only knows one way to play - all-out."

Dixon's eyes grew wide. He took one giant stride forward, lowered his shoulder and delivered a Lawrence Taylor-like thump, practically crippling the DuBois signal caller.

Dixon stood triumphantly over his vanquished foe.

But after a minute, the quarterback was still on the turf, unable to get up. The referees and his DuBois teammates looked on anxiously. Finally, the quarterback rose slowly, hobbled to the sideline, ripped his helmet off, removed his jersey and plopped down on the bench.

"I guess he didn't want to play anymore," Dixon said, laughing. "When I saw that, I was pumped."

"He literally quit," Monroe added. "When you make a player quit, it doesn't get much better that that."

That was just one of Dixon's Baltimore City-leading 22 sacks last year. He specialized in giving offenses nightmares.

"I'm like Terrell Suggs out there," Dixon said. "I'm aggressive, physical, strong, explosive and when I come off the ball I can't be stopped."

Granted, Lake Clifton's defensive scheme is designed to -- to put it bluntly -- kill quarterbacks. Monroe isolates Dixon, his best pass rusher and defensive MVP, on the weak side. That way he's usually going against an opponent's tight end or running back.

Then, instead of firing straight into the backfield, Dixon will come on a delayed blitz. By the time Dixon commits to rushing the passer, the running back or tight end has usually eased up or flared out for a pass.

And once that happens…

"He comes at you," Monroe said, "hard."

But Dixon didn't become Lake Clifton's leading tackler and best defensive player just by sacking quarterbacks. He's a track star (10.9 seconds in the 100-meter) who's fast enough to cover sideline-to-sideline and drop back in pass coverage. In fact, during summer 7-on-7s when blitzing isn't allowed, Monroe often lets Dixon play cornerback.

"I think I could probably play safety at the next level," Dixon said. "I'm a hitter, but I can cover pretty well."

He can run the ball a little bit, too. Defense may be his forte, but Dixon is a bruising fullback and a solid change-of-pace runner.

Unfortunately for him, the play he's most remembered for in Baltimore City wasn't that big sack against DuBois. Rather, it was his fumble in the Division II city championship game against Forest Park.

The Lakers were down 6-0 with less than a minute to go, but they were driving inside the Forest Park 10-yard line. Dixon took the hand-off, broke one tackle and tried to muscle forward. But a Forest Park defender stripped the ball loose, ending Lake Clifton's comeback hopes.

"It was disappointing, but in a way that fumble has made him into a better player," Monroe said. "Ever since that fumble he's been on a mission to get bigger, stronger and faster. He never wants that to happen again."

Dixon admits the lost fumble has been his motivation this offseason. He's in the weight room three hours at a time, three days a week. When he's not lifting, he's running indoor and outdoor track. On Sundays, when everyone else rests, Dixon takes a jog around the park and does sets of push-ups and sit-ups. This spring he's even playing lacrosse.

"I'm doing everything possible to become an unstoppable force," Dixon said. "I lift so I'm stronger. I run track to help with my speed and agility. I play lacrosse so I'm even more physical and tough then I already am."

Monroe doubles as the school's lacrosse coach. He believes stick skills translate directly to the football field. Thus, he made sure his star linebacker played midfield for him this spring.

"When you're guarding people in lacrosse, checking guys and running for 110 yards back and forth, it really builds you up," Monroe said. "It's like playing linebacker in football."

All this extra work is already paying dividends. Dixon has started to receive college interest from a number of Division II schools and a few lower-end I-AA programs. By the time he releases his highlight tape and shows off his skills at combines, the interest should pick up even more.

"I want to play college football so bad," Dixon said. "And with my work ethic, I know I can get there."

Just keep knocking out quarterbacks . . . and lay off those fumbles.