What made Battle RB Rickie Dunn's night against Hickman special: 'I just invite contact'
It wasn't the perfect night for Battle's Rickie Dunn.
The senior running back rumbled for 207 yards and pounded the Hickman defense for three touchdowns in a blowout win over the crosstown rival Kewpies. There wasn't a better player on the field.
But the night was still missing something — or rather, someone. A perfect night would have included his father, Rickie Sr., watching his son dominate so profusely.
Dunn's father was murdered in 2014, stolen from Rickie Jr. at just 10 years old.
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It wasn't the perfect night, but it was the right night for Dunn to be spectacular, tantalizing and bruising. It was the right night to play just like his father did and captivate the crowds at Hickman High School.
"My dad was always my coach," Dunn said. "The one thing he always told me was never shy away from contact. And nowadays, I just invite contact."
When Battle and Hickman took the field prior to kickoff, both teams gathered at midfield. Hickman head coach Cedric Alvis helped present a framed No. 21 jersey to Dunn.
No. 21 was Rickie Sr.’s number at Hickman. It was part of the celebration of his life on Friday, which was also Rickie Sr.'s birthday. He would've been 48 years old.
Members of the Dunn family were present to celebrate his birthday, including Julius Dunn, Rickie Sr.'s brother and Rickie Jr.'s uncle. Julius said the Dunn family gathered to honor Rickie Sr.'s life before Rickie Jr.'s game.
"There was some sad moments," Julius said. "Rick would want us to always smile. Rick would want us to smile as big as his smile was. He'd want us to have a good time, and that's what we did."
Remembering Rickie Sr.
Rickie Sr. was murdered Nov. 30, 2014. He was shot in Columbia near Illinois Avearound 2:30 a.m.
Columbia police responded to reports of shots fired in the 1400 block of Illinois Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they found two gunshot victims, the police said.
Rickie Sr. died from his wounds. He was 40.
To this day, the family is still searching for justice. They want the person who took Rickie Sr. from his family to be held accountable.
"God works in his ways," Julius said. "Justice will be served. ... And if they're not held accountable in the court of justice, hopefully they'll be asking for forgiveness."
That desire for justice burns. So does the family's love for Rickie Sr.
That love flowed into Rickie Jr., who honored his dad with every snap that he played against his father's alma mater. The boy who stood in his dad's shadow has emerged into his own man who's running with his dad's legacy while creating his own.
"It's kind of eerie how he reminds you of his dad," Julius said of Rickie Jr. "I know he may get tired of hearing that, but his dad was a special kid, a special man."
When Dunn was given his dad's jersey at the pregame ceremony, it was clear how much that jersey meant to him.
On his dad's birthday, he was given the chance to honor him in the best way.
It meant the world to Rickie Jr.
"I don't cry," Dunn said. "That moment, I had to. I tried to fight (the tears), tried to hold them back, but I just couldn't."
Rickie Jr.'s senior year
Heading into Week 4, Battle head coach Jonah Dubinski needed some help on offense.
The Spartans were thin at running back, and Dubinski turned to Rickie Jr. with the plan: Battle was getting back to the run game.
"They're not really respecting the run, and it's not that we didn't have the ability to run the ball," Dubinski said. "It's like, you know what? Let's get back on the ground."
With Tyler Mays hurt, Dubinski inserted Dunn, who is also a standout linebacker, into a fullback position. Dunn complements Garrett Murray's shifty running style well with a bruising approach that wants to go through defenders more than anything.
Dunn goes out of his way to seek that contact.
Rickie Sr. was memorialized as one of the hardest-hitting players in Columbia during his playing days. Rickie Jr. took a page directly out of his dad's book.
Dunn's last run Friday night was a 20-yard touchdown that leveled a Hickman defender in the end zone. He didn't need to run over that player; he was already in the end zone with a touchdown.
He just had to.
"I had to, that's a body bag," Dunn said. "I try to get as many bodies as possible."
All night, Dunn was applying physicality to his runs. He ran through countless defenders. He rumbled for a 57-yard gain where he stiff-armed two defenders as he outran others.
"He's a special, special football player," Dubinski said. "The ability it gives you is amazing. His juice, his energy is just awesome."
That energy was the best player in Boone County on Friday, on his dad's birthday, on the day his dad was memorialized at Hickman.
Julius was seeing his nephew play for the first time.
Even he knew Rickie Jr. could not be stopped.
"I knew he was going to have a big night," Julius said. "They meant the world to each other."
Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What made Battle RB Rickie Dunn's night against Hickman special
