With the Fairland Dragons defense geared to stop the outside game of Chesapeake, the Panthers merely went inside and through the air en route to a 57-14 romp Friday night in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Saturday, October 16, 1999

With the Fairland Dragons defense geared to stop the outside game of Chesapeake, the Panthers merely went inside and through the air en route to a 57-14 romp Friday night in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Quarterback Andy Clark led three backs with more than 100 yards as he ran seven times for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Waugh had 125 yards on five carries and Jeremy Estep 103 on 10 attempts. Chesapeake rolled up 564 total yards including 495 on the ground.

"They were wide trying to stop our wide stuff," Panthers coach Phil Davis said. "We haven’t run much option this year, but Clark did a good job on the option. I thought Andy had a great game. But all our kids played hard and Fairland’s kids played hard."

Fairland coach Jack Harris had nothing but praise for the Panthers.

"They’re just way too good. You have to admit it when you get beat by a better team. They’re the best team on our schedule. They couldn’t do a lot wrong and we couldn’t do a lot right. They were too quick and too talented," said Harris.

Chesapeake is now 8-0 on the season and 2-0 in the OVC. Fairland drops to 2-5 and 0-2.

A 25-yard punt return by Robby Isaacs brought the ball back to the Dragons 30. Four plays later Clark kept the ball and ran 8 yards for the score. Isaacs split the uprights on the conversion and it was 7-0.

Chesapeake’s next possession didn’t start well as two plays lost 6 yards. But Clark ran an option and scooted 72 yards for the touchdown and it was 14-0.

Fairland got on the scoreboard when Jeremy Louden picked up a fumble and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown. Darin Thomas booted the point after and the Dragons trailed 14-7 with 4:40 left in the quarter.

But the Panthers answered with a 76-yard, eight-play drive capped by Chris Dillon’s 9-yard touchdown run and it was 21-7.

A 40-yard run by Estep covered half the yardage of Chesapeake’s next drive. Estep did the scoring honors with a 9-yard run and it was 28-7.

It was another long run – a 49-yarder by Waugh – that triggered a 52-yard march in just four plays. Clark passed 6 yards to Matt White for the score and a 35-7 halftime lead.

Chesapeake put the game on ice with a 62-yard, three-play drive to begin the second half. Waugh’s 25-yard touchdown run put the finishing touches on the series and it was 42-7

Waugh keyed the next touchdown with a 26-yard return of an interception, one of five by the secondary. Dillon scored from 23 yards out on the next play and it was 49-7.

"I told the kids all week that the defensive line and linebackers had to step up and not let (Fairland) keep the ball, and we did that. And our secondary did a good job," said Davis. "I thought we were very physical. We had some big hits."

Another interception set up a short 21-yard drive by the Panthers as backup running back Michael Hunt scored from 5 yards out. Hunt also ran for the conversion.

Fairland refused to quit as Matt Murphy teamed up with Brandon Spence on a 73-yard touchdown pass play with 4:40 left in the third quarter.

Next Friday, Chesapeake hosts South Point and Fairland visits Coal Grove.