Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

OAK HILL – Simply put, the Fairland Dragons slayed the Oak Hill Oaks with their athleticism and ability to make big plays.
The Dragons scored on a “Pick Six”, a flea-flicker and a kickoff return – and only allowed 59 first-half total yards – en route to doubling up the Oaks 42-21 on Friday night in a non-league football game at Oak Hill’s Davis Stadium.
Fairland raised its record to 2-0, while the Oaks – after a 35-13 season-opening loss at Chesapeake – fell to 0-2.
The Dragons did on Friday night what they do best – burn opponents for big plays in open space and with speed.
“We preach this stat all the time, but 83-percent of the games are won by the teams that are at least plus-two in the big-play department,” said Fairland coach Melvin Cunningham. “We focus on making big plays, and tonight we were capable of doing so. They lined up the way we thought they would, and we took advantage. Our receivers did a good job attacking some things we thought we could.”
The backs didn’t do bad, either.
While Michael Stitt rushed for 83 yards on 10 carries, he made his most meaningful impact with a 15-yard interception return for score, making it 14-0 with Emma Marshall’s second of six successful extra-point attempts.
That was with two minutes and 32 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, and immediately answered an Oak Hill interception of Fairland junior quarterback Max Ward at the Oaks’ 8-yard line.
Stitt later capped the Dragons’ scoring with a 68-yard kickoff return with 6:46 remaining, as the Oaks were forced to kick off from their own 20-yard line following an offsides and personal-foul penalty.
Ward was in command of Fairland’s offense, completing 11-of-18 passes for 163 yards, with five completions and 151 yards going to Gavin Hunt.
On the Dragons’ opening possession, Ward went deep to Hunt on a post pattern on 3rd-and-12, picking up 43 yards on the play from midfield.
Zander Schmidt then took the direct snap at QB, and ran around the left end for a four-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead at the 7:07 mark.
The Dragons drove 65 yards in nine plays, consuming two minutes and 55 seconds off the first-quarter clock.
Schmidt and Hunt then hooked up on a flea-flicker play with a minute left in the second quarter, as Schmidt completed a 23-yard strike to Hunt for a 21-7 Fairland advantage.
That answered a short Oak Hill scoring drive – a nine-play, 36-yard march that ended with a nine-yard touchdown toss from Isaac Morgan to Alec Morgan.
Brock Harden hit the extra-point kick, slicing the Oaks’ deficit in half to 14-7.
It was as close as Oak Hill would get, though, as the Dragons then scored the next 21 points to stake their largest advantage at 35-7 with nine minutes to play.
Following Fairland’s late first-half score, the Dragons then forced a turnover on downs – when Schmidt sacked Morgan for a nine-yard loss to the Oaks’ 41 with four-and-a-half minutes left in the third.
A Ward pass to Hunt picked up 13 yards and converted 4th-and-12 from the Oaks’ 42, as Stitt scored his rushing touchdown from 20 yards away, making it 28-7 at the 1:55 mark with Marshall’s fourth extra-point.
The Oaks then failed on a fake punt attempt at midfield, as Ward went deep to Hunt for 55 yards to the seven on the second play following that.
Hunt then helped his cause by taking the direct snap and scoring, making it 35-7, as Oak Hill had two late rushing touchdowns sandwiched around Stitt’s kickoff return.
Stitt also made four receptions for 28 yards, as Schmidt was 2-of-4 passing when Ward wasn’t under center.
The Dragons rushed for just 103 yards on 20 attempts, but threw for 179 and outgained the Oaks by 50 total yards (282-232).
Triston Diltz, the senior fullback and leading rusher for the Oaks, paced the hosts with 69 yards and a 10-yard scoring run on 16 attempts.
The Dragons return to the road, and open Ohio Valley Conference action, next Friday night at Ironton.
The Fighting Tigers are also undefeated, having blanked Russell 10-0.
Oak Hill hosts Rock Hill, which is also 0-2, on Friday night in another non-league bout.
Fairland 14 7 7 14 = 42
Oak Hill 0 7 0 14 = 21
First Quarter
Fa — Zander Schmidt 4 run (Emma Marshall kick) 7:07
Fa — Michael Stitt 15 interception return (Emma Marshall kick) 2:32
Second Quarter
OH — Alec Morgan 9 pass from Isaac Morgan (Brock Harden kick) 3:45
Fa — Gavin Hunt 23 pass from Zander Schmidt (Emma Marshall kick) 1:00
Third Quarter
Fa — Michael Stitt 20 run (Emma Marshall kick) 1:55
Fourth Quarter
Fa — Gavin Hunt 13 run (Emma Marshall kick) 9:09
OH — Triston Diltz 10 run (Brock Harden kick) 6:57
Fa — Michael Stitt 68 kickoff return (Emma Marshall kick) 6:46
——
Fa OH
First downs 13 17
Rushes-yards 20-103 50-195
Passing yards 179 37
Total yards 282 232
Cmp-Att-Int 13-22-1 3-7-1
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-0
Penalties-yards 5-20 9-74
Punts-average 2-27.5 2-40.0
——
Individual Leaders
RUSHING —Fairland: Michael Stitt 10-83 TD, J.D. Brumfield 5-13, Gavin Hunt 1-13 TD, Zander Schmidt 1-4 TD, Max Ward 1-minus 4, Brennan West 1-minus 6; Oak Hill: Triston Diltz 16-69 TD, Keaton Potter 10-46, Noah Donley 10-34, Nate Clutters 5-43, Jacob Turner 3-16 TD, Cameron Kerns 2-13, Isaac Morgan 2-minus 3, team 2-minus 23.
PASSING — Fairland: Max Ward 11-18-1 163; Oak Hill: Darrig Boggs 1-1-0 24, Isaac Morgan 1-4-1 9 TD, Brock Harden 1-1-0 4, Keaton Potter 0-1-0.
RECEIVING — Fairland: Gavin Hunt 5-151 TD, Michael Stitt 4-28, Brennan West 1-9, J.D. Brumfield 2-minus 8, Jordan Williams 1-minus 1; Oak Hill: Keaton Potters 1-24, Alec Morgan 1-9 TD, Braylon Howell 1-4.