Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PROCTORVILLE —Not much changed for the Fairland Dragons on Friday.

The Dragons’ offense rolled up the points and yardage again as they beat the River Valley Raiders 58-32 to clinch the Ohio Valley Conference title outright.

Fairland is now 7-3 and finishes 5-0 in the OVC.

The Dragons will now advance to the Region 17 Division V playoffs next Saturday in a rematch with Wheelersburg. The official pairings will be announced Sunday.

Martins Ferry beat rival Bellaire 22-17 Saturday and jumped to second in the region and knocking Wheelersburg to third.

The Saturday playoff games kick off at 7 p.m.

The rest of the region should have Zane Trace at Bishop Hartley, Westfall at Martins and Liberty Union at St. Clairsville.

Earlier this season in week four at Wheelersburg, the Pirates outscored the Dragons 49-32.

In the win over River Valley, Fairland quarterback Chance Short triggered the offense that racked up 522 total yards. He completed 15-of-22 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted twice.

The Dragons ran for 159 yards led by Evan Maddox who carried 15 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

Kyle Sowards was Short’s favorite receiver. Sowards had six receptions for 176 yards and all three scores. Nathan Campbell caught six passes for 81 yards.

Derrick Willis had 6.5 tackles and Clayton Edmonds 6 stops to lead the defense. Dionte Braye had four tackles including a sack. Maddox had two interceptions and Dylan Murphy another pick.

River Valley (1-9, 0-5) took a 6-0 lead on a 33-yard pass from Dayton Hardway to Mark Wray.

But Fairland answered less than a minute later on a 68-yard pass from Short to Sowards. Isiah Vidal kicked the first of seven conversions and it was 7-6.

Maddox ran 12-yards for a touchdown and then picked off a pass and returned it 34 yards for another score as Fairland went up 21-6.

Hardway and Wray then hooked up on a 65-yard scoring pass and the Raiders trailed 21-12.

River Valley got within 21-18 on a 21-yard scoring pass to Austin Bradley on the first play of the second quarter.

Once again Fairland responded, this time on a 57-yard pass from Short to Sowards and it was 27-18 with 9:27 left in the half.

Maddox got loose on a 40-yard scoring run a few minutes later and the Dragons led 34-18 going to the locker room.

The Dragons put the game out of reach in the third quarter on a 5-yard run by Campbell and a 41-yard interception return by Dylan Murphy at the 5:44 mark.

The Raiders returned the favor on an 88-yard interception return by Dustin Bickers to make it 48-25.

A 14-yard scoring pass from Short to Sowards just before the end of the quarter extended the lead to 55-25.

Josh Campbell recovered a Fairland fumble in the end zone to start the fourth quarter and the Raiders trailed 55-32.

Vidal kicked a 27-yard field goal with 3:53 to play that capped the scoring.

River Valley 7 11 7 7 = 32

Fairland 21 13 21 10 = 58

First Quarter

RV — Mark Wray 33 pass from Dayton Hardway (kick failed) 9:17

Fa — Kyle Sowards 68 pass from Chance Short (Isiah Vidal kick) 8:08

Fa — Evan Maddox 12 run (Isiah Vidal kick) 5:24

Fa — Evan Maddox 34 interception return (Isiah Vidal kick) 4:14

RV — Mark Wray 65 pass from Dayton Hardway (kick failed) 0:52

Second Quarter

RV — Austin Bradley 21 pass from Dayton Hardway (pass failed) 11:52

Fa — Kyle Sowards 57 pass from Chance Short (kick failed) 9:27

Fa — Evan Maddox 40 run (Isiah Vidal kick) 6:02

Third Quarter

Fa — Nathan Campbell 5 run (Isiah Vidal kick) 10:04

Fa — Dylan Murphy 41 interception return (Isiah Vidal kick) 5:44

RV — Dustin Bickers 88 interception return (Devin McDonald kick) 2:57

Fa — Kyle Sowards 14 pass from Chance Short (Isiah Vidal kick) 0:54

Fourth Quarter

RV — Josh Campbell fumble recovery in end zone (Devin McDonald kick) 10:58

Fa — Isiah Vidal 27 field goal 3:53

——

RV Fa

First downs 12 24

Rushes-yards 34 159

Passing yards 232 363

Total yards 266 522

Cmp-Att-Int 16-41-4 15-22-2

Fumbles-lost 2-0 2-1

Penalties-yards 8-90 11-105

Punts-average 6-18.0 3-7.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING—River Valley: Justin Arrowood 8-16, Tre Craycraft 5-14, Jordan Gilliland 1-8, Colton Provens 1-2, Mark Wray 1-4, Austin Bradley 2-1, Josh Campbell 1-minus 1, Dayton Hardway 1-minus 10; Fairland: Evan Maddox 15-109 2TD, Nathan Campbell 12-44 TD, Kobe Woodall 2-12, Will Rankin 2-5, Chance Short 2-minus 11.

PASSING—River Valley: NA; Fairland: Chance Short 15-22-2 363 3TD.

RECEIVING—River Valley: Tyler Twyman 6-24, Mark Wray 5-132, Austin Bradley 4-63, Dustin Bickers 1-13; Fairland: Kyle Sowards 6-176 3TD, Nathan Campbell 6-81, Jacob Warner 1-46, Dylan Murphy 1-35, Derrick Willis 1-25.