Just like his team, Wright City senior lineman Ayden Dile was thrust into a tough spot on Nov. 7.

In the Wildcats’ 45-14 loss at St. Francis Borgia in the team’s Class 3, District 3 semifinal, the 6-foot, 270-pound Dile shifted spots to take the mantle as the team’s starting center due to the unavailability of the team’s regular starter.

“I definitely had to lock in, I was in my head the whole game,” Dile said. “I was very stressed out because I’d never played center before. The whole snap and then (block) thing is just a lot. I’m willing to play whatever position they need; it’s whatever they want.”

After adjusting to snapping the ball and then fending off a varsity football pass rush, Dile did a commendable job helping the team score twice and move the ball downfield at the end of the first half, where the team came up just short of points.

Senior linemate Karsten Uhl said that the work put in by his teammate showed just how much Dile has been willing to work to help those around him find success.

“It’s beautiful to see him be able to adapt and overcome,” Uhl said. “He came in his sophomore year and was kind of quiet. The amount of personal growth I’ve witnessed in the past couple of years is huge. Him as a lineman, him as a person is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Wright City coach Tyler Rickard also offered praise for Dile’s work, especially coming with limited practice reps at the position. The coach said that his on-field intelligence was a key factor in his and the team’s successes.

“Thankfully, we got him some snaps yesterday as we moved guys around,” Rickard said. “It wasn’t completely foreign to him, but in terms of a game, that was completely foreign to him. We know it was a big ask for him to go from playing left tackle to center. We were fully confident because of the type of young man that he is and he has shown over the past three years that he can handle whatever you put in front of him.”

On the team’s first score, a 72-yard strike from senior Dayton Humphreys to sophomore Kaveon Schulte, Dile, Uhl and company held up against an intense Knight’s pass rush to help the team find the end zone with 54 seconds left in the first quarter to cut into a three-score deficit.

Seeing everyone pull together was a highlight, Schulte said.

“I felt like the touchdown brought our team up,” Schulte said. “We were (psychologically) down at that point, so it really helped bring us up. I’m glad I caught that to raise our spirits.”

After a further offensive onslaught from Borgia (6-4), it would be the Wildcats (7-4) who found the end zone last, though, as senior Ben Gomez caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Humphreys with 59 seconds to play in the game.

“It felt good to keep putting up effort, no matter the score,” Gomez said. “That’s the thing, when we’re united as a family, the score doesn’t matter.”

In total, Dile and the line held up to allow Humphreys to amass 222 passing yards and the two scores. Schulte led the way with 146 receiving yards and a score, while senior Nate Turner added 62.

Dile said that while Friday marked the end of his high school playing days, it did nothing to put an end to the bonds he’s made with his teammates and coaches.

“I came here my sophomore year and found the biggest family I’ve ever found through some ups and downs,” Dile said. “We lost some players today, so I had to play a position I’ve never played before. We may not have (won), but we know we came in here and put up a good fight.”