Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PROCTORVILLE — It was quite a battle in more ways than one.

Not only did the Fairland Dragons and Meigs Marauders battle at the line of scrimmage, they battled after the play as the Dragons won a fight-marred game 33-20 Friday.

Meigs took the opening kickoff and drove to the Dragons’ 12-yard line, but Kyle Sowards intercepted a Kalieb Sheets’ pass to end the threat.

Fairland (2-0) took advantage of the play and kept the momentum rolling two plays later as Chance Short and Sowards hooked up on a 90-yard pass play. Nathan Campbell ran for the conversion and an 8-0 lead.

The Marauders answered with a scoring drive capped by Sheets’ 24-yard run. He threw to Damon Jones for the conversion and the game was tied.

Fairland took a 14-8 led with 4:57 left in the half when Campbell returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown.

The conversion was no good but a fight broke out on the field and the 15-minute scuffle led to a player from each team being ejected.

The Dragons stretched the lead to 20-8 with 2:39 on the clock as Sowards slipped behind the defense on a 22-yard pass play from Short.

Meigs used an onside kickoff to begin the second half and Jack Unbanks recovered at the Fairland 41. Six plays later Michael Davis scored on an 11-yard run and it was 20-14 at the 10:32 mark.

The Marauders’s Devon Cundiff recovered a fumble at the Meigs’ 46 and they tied the game four minutes later on a 5-yard run by Andrew Burt.

But Fairland took the lead for good with 11:12 to play as Short ran 1-yard for the touchdown. Isiah Vidal kicked the conversion point.

Evan Maddox gave the Dragons an insurance score when he ran 60 yards for a touchdown with 8:29 to go.

Both teams had more than 300 yards of total offense.

Fairland had 306 yards as Short hit 11 of 23 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Sowards had four receptions for 156 yards and both TDs.

Maddox finished with 119 yards rushing on 21 carries as Fairland finished with 112 net yards on the ground.

Meigs (1-1) ran for 230 yards led by Jordan Hutton with 72 yards on 20 carries. Sheets ran 25 times for 70 yards and hit 13 of 23 passes for 88 yards and two interceptions. Ty Phelps had seven catches for 66 yards.

The Dragons visit Gallipolis next Friday in a non-league game.

Meigs 8 0 12 0 = 20

Fairland 8 12 0 13 = 33

First Quarter

Fa — Kyle Sowards 90 pass from Chance Short (Nathan Campbell run) 6:05

Me — Kalieb Sheets 24 run (Damon Jones pass from Sheets) 5:20

Second Quarter

Fa — Nathan Campbell 80 punt return (kick failed) 4:57

Fa — Kyle Sowards 22 pass from Chance Short (kick blocked) 2:39

Third Quarter

Me — Michael Davis 11 run (kick fail) 10:32

Me — Andrew Burt 5 run (kick failed) 6:18

Fourth Quarter

Fa — Chance Short 1 run (Isiah Vidal kick) 11:12

Fa — Evan Maddox 60 run (pass fail) 8:29

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Me Fa

First downs 18 14

Rushes-yards 63-230 29-112

Passing yards 88 194

Total yards 313 306

Cmp-Att-Int 13-23-2 11-23-1

Fumbles-lost 1-0 3-2

Penalties-Yards 11-15 12-95

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING—Meigs: Jordan Hutton 20-72, Kalieb Sheets 25-70, Andrew Burt 9-44, Michael Davis 9-44. Fairland: Evan Maddox 21-119, Nathan Campbell 2-0, Chance Short 6-minus 7.

PASSING—Meigs: Kalieb Sheets 13-23-2 88, Ty Phelps 0-1-0. Fairland: Chance Short 11-23-1 194.

RECEIVING—Meigs: Ty Phelps 7-66, Michael Davis 6-22, Jordan Hutton 1-0. Fairland: Kyle Sowards 4-156, Nathan Campbell 4-6, Evan Maddox 1-16, Derick Willis 1-13.