Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — There’s something about the Coal Grove Hornets that seems to bring the best out in the Fairland Dragons.
While the Dragons were winless last season, they nearly upset the Hornets before losing 20-13.
This time Coal Grove was looking to make the playoffs and was a big favorite to win Friday’s Ohio Valley Conference game.
But the Dragons played the spoiler role behind the running of Keedrick Cunningham as they upset the Hornets 34-22.
Coal Grove fell to 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the OVC. Fairland improved to 3-6 and 3-3 in the league.
Although missing running back Daniel “Rudy” Rutherford and defensive lineman Josh Waulk with injuries, the Hornets still had enough firepower to win. But the running game was held to 171 yards while quarterback Matty Cordle was 5-of-13 for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Cunningham was a one-man wrecking crew with 266 yards rushing on 15 carries and three touchdowns. He also caught a 20-yard touchdown pass with 2:43 to play on a fourth-and-8 play that sealed the outcome.
Fairland opened the game with a 55-yard, four-play drive capped by Cunningham’s 40-yard run.

After a Coal Grove punt, Fairland went just 36 yards in four plays as Chase Fisher ran 3 yards for the score. Joel Lambiotte passed to Jordan Michael for the conversion and a 14-0 lead at the 7:31 mark of the first quarter.
After stopping Fairland on downs, Coal Grove put together an 83-yard, nine-play march that culminated with a 9-yard run by Kimo Baldwin who also added the conversion run to make it 14-8 with 9:57 left in the half.
Fairland’s first drive of the second half consisted of one play: a 69-yard touchdown run by Cunningham for a 20-8 lead.
Coal Grove answered with a 10-play, 81-yard drive that ended on a 1-yard run by Baldwin. Cordle passed to Nathan Harrison for the conversion and it was 20-16.
The Dragons got some breathing room when Cunningham raced 47 yards with seven minutes to play and Lambiotte passed to Seth Clay for the conversion and a 28-16 lead.
But Coal Grove kept the pressure on with a quick 52-yard, three-play drive as Cordle clicked on a 47-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Malone and it was 28-22 with 6:09 left.
Fairland then put the game away with a 48-yard, five-play drive that resulted in Cunningham’s touchdown catch.
Jacob Clark had 60 yards on 15 carries, Baldwin 59 yards on 13 tries and Tanner Henry 51 yards on 10 attempts in a balanced Coal Grove running game.
Coal Grove    0    8    8    6    =    22
Fairland    14    0    6    14    =    34
First Quarter
Fa — Keedrick Cunningham 40 run (pass failed) 10:25
Fa — Chase Fisher 4 run (Jordan Michael pass from Joel Lambiotte) 7:31
Second Quarter
CG — Kimo Baldwin 9 run (Baldwin run) 9:57
Third Quarter
Fa — Keedrick Cunningham 69 run (pass failed) 8:49
CG — Kimo Baldwin 1 run (Nathan Harrison pass from Matty Cordle) 3:25
Fourth Quarter
Fa — Keedrick Cunniham 47 run (Seth Clay pass from Joel Lambiotte) 7:00
CG — Dylan Malone 47 pass from Matty Cordle (pass failed) 6:09
Fa — Keedrick Cunningham 20 pass from Joel Lambiotte (pass failed) 2:43
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CG    Fa
First downs    11    15
Rushes-yards    42-171    48-294
Passing yards    91    67
Total yards    262    361
Cmp-Att-Int    5-13-0    3-6-0
Fumbles-lost    1-0    1-0
Penalties-yards    3-33    7-50
Punts-average    3-32.8    3-27.5
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Individual Leaders
RUSHING—Coal Grove: Jacob Clark 15-60, Kimo Baldwin 13-59 2-TD, Tanner Henry 10-51, Dylan Malone 2-5, Matty Cordle 2-minus 4; Fairland: Keedrick Cunningham 15-266 3-TD, Chase Fisher 11-40 TD, Seth Clark 9-13, Joel Lambiotte 9-minus 25.
PASSING—Coal Grove: Matty Cordle 5-13-0 91 TD; Fairland: Joel Lambiotte 3-6-0 69 TD.
RECEIVING—Coal Grove: Dylan Malone 2-58 TD, Jeb Jones 2-22, Nathan Harrison 1-11; Fairland: Jordan Michael 1-17, Keedrick Cunningham 2-50 TD.