PROCTORVILLE — The Fairland quick-strike offense proved to be the difference as the Dragons pulled off a key OVC win in a 40-35 shootout over the Gallia Academy Blue Devils on Friday night.

Fairland (5-1, 2-1 OVC) crossed the goal line six times — four of which being 50-plus yards — and the Dragons piled up 500 total yards for the game.

Quarterback Peyton Jackson would lead the Dragons offensive onslaught completing 14 of 21 passes for 350 yards and five touchdowns.

Quentin Cremeans would get the Dragons on the board first, as he would split a pair of would-be tacklers in the secondary for a 52-yard touchdown run to give Fairland an early 6-0 lead.

Gallia Academy (5-1, 2-1) struck back on the second play of the second quarter, as quarterback Braylon Rathburn hit Hunter Shamblin — who snuck past the defense — and raced 77 yards for the score. Caleb Stout kicked the extra point and the Blue Devils had a 7-6 lead.

But Jackson and the Dragons would go to work and drive 66-yards to answer with a score of their own. Brycen Hunt would catch a 10-yard pass from Jackson to cap off the nine-play drive. Hayden would haul in the two-point conversion pass and the Dragons had a 14-7 lead with 9:21 left before halftime.

Hunt would pick off his second interception of the game to halt the Blue Devils ensuing drive, and give the Dragons the ball back at their own 10.

Two plays later, Jackson would dump a check down pass to Hayden, who cut through the defense for an 85-yard touchdown scamper to extend Fairland’s lead to 21-14 at the break.

But the Blue Devils would rally with two scores to begin the second half. The first would come when Hudson Shamblin picked off a screen pass and took it 10-yards for the score. Then after a Fairland three-and-out, Cole Hines took a direct snap, on the first play from scrimmage, and broke out for a 52-yard touchdown run to cut the Fairland lead to 21-20 with 4:22 left in the third.

In need of a momentum swing, Dragons would get it from their special teams, as Fairland would strip Gallia Academy’s punt returner and recover the ball at the Blue Devil 23.

Fairland would convert the turnover into points as Jackson tossed a 12-yard score to Hunt and give the Dragons a 28-20 lead as the teams headed to the fourth quarter.

The Blue Devils would tie things up when Kenyon Franklin scored on a 45-run and Rathburn hit Hines for the conversion play.

But again, the quick-strike ability of the Dragons would prove too much as Jackson would throw touchdown passes of 51 and 82 to Collins and Smith to push Fairland’s lead out to 40-28 with 4:08 left in the game.

Franklin would get the Blue Devils into the end zone one last time on a 7-yard touchdown catch from Rathburn to cut it to 40-35. But Fairland recovered the onside kick and run the final 2:03 off the clock.

Smith caught three passes and have a game-high 135 yards receiving.

Rathburn finished the game with 252 yards through the air. Franklin had a game-high eight catches for 85 yards and Hunter Shamblin caught three balls for 89 yards.

Next Friday, Fairland will be at South Point and Gallia Academy hosts Coal Grove.

Gallipolis 0 7 13 15 = 35

Fairland 6 15 7 12 = 40

First Quarter

Fa — Quentin Cremeans 52 run (kick failed), 6:55.

Second Quarter

GA — Hunter Shamblin 77 pass from Braylon Rathburn (Caleb Stout kick), 11:37.

Fa — Brycen Hunt 10 pass from Peyton Jackson (Peyton Jackson pass to Jack Hayden), 9:21.

Fa — Christian Collins 85 pass from Peyton Jackson (Aiden Miller kick), 4:18.

Third Quarter

GA — Hudson Shamblin 10 interception return (Caleb Stout kick) 5:49

GA — Cole Hines 48 run (kick failed), 4:22.

Fa — Brycen Hunt 12 pass from Peyton Jackson (Aiden Miller kick), 1:41.

Fourth Quarter

GA — Kenyon Franklin 45 run (Braylon Rathburn pass to Cole Hines), 8:08.

Fa — Christian Collins 51 pass from Peyton Jackson (kick blocked), 7:06.

Fa — Keegan Smith 82 pass from Peyton Jackson (pass failed), 4:08.

GA — Kenyon Franklin 7 pass from Braylon Rathburn (Caleb Stout kick), 2:03.

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GA Fa

First downs 18 16

Rushes-yards 30-165 40-150

Passing yards 252 350

Total yards 417 500

Cmp-Att-Int 23-33-3 14-21-1

Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 7-61 5-40

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Gallia Academy: Hudson Shamblin 10-45, Braylon Rathburn 10-9, Kenyon Franklin 4-49, Cole Hines 5-57 TD, Hunter Shamblin 1-5; Fairland: Kam Kitts 14-58, Peyton Jackson 10-minus 1, Quentin Cremeans 9-72 TD, Jack Hayden 6-27, Team 1-minus 6.

PASSING–Gallia Academy: Braylon Rathburn 23-33-3 252 2TD; Fairland: Peyton Jackson 14-21-1 350 5TD.

RECEIVING–Cole Hines 7-45, Hudson Shamblin 1-7, Brock Shelton 1-8, Hunter Shamblin 3-89 TD, Kenyon Franklin 8-85 TD, Joey Darnbrough 3-16; Fairland: Keegan Smith 4-135 TD, Jack Hayden 2-minus 1, Kam Kitts 2-3, Brycen Hunt 4-87 2TD, Christian Collins 2-136 2TD.