By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — Maybe the running game was M.I.A. for most of the game, the passing game was front and center.

Quarterback Peyton Jackson was 20-of-26 for 329 yards and 4 touchdowns and both Brycen Hunt and Keegan Smith had more than 100 yards receiving as the Fairland Dragons used a big second half to beat the Portsmouth Trojans 43-27 on Friday.

Hunt caught 8 passes for 122 yards and 2 TDs with Smith catching 3 passes for 113 yards and a score to help the Dragons rally from a 19-14 halftime deficit.

Fairland (7-1, 4-1) finished with 395 total yards with 66 coming on the ground.

Portsmouth (4-4, 3-2) was led by Chase Heiland with 167 yards rushing on 31 carries and a touchdown. Quarterback Camron Williams ran 14 times for 37 yards and was 5-of-9 passing for 37 yards but was intercepted 3 times.

The Dragons turned 2 interceptions and a blocked punt in the fourth quarter to score 21 points and break open a 22-19 game.

Trailing 19-14 at the half, Jackson and Smith connected on a 68-yard scoring pass on the Dragons third play of the second half as they took a 22-19 lead.

Fairland blocked a punt on the first play of the fourth quarter and took over at the Trojans’ 28. A 17-yard pass to Jack Hayden put the ball at the 11-yard line and Quentin Cremeans scored on the next play. Aeden Miller kicked the conversion and it was 29-19 with 11:37 to play.

Three plays later, Christian Collins came up with an interception and the Dragons had the ball at their own 46.

A 38-yard pass to Smith set up an 11-yard pass to Hunt for the score and it was 36-19 with 8:31 left.

On the Trojans very next play, Will Callicoat picked off a pass and Fairland had the ball at the Trojans 24. Two plays later, Hayden ran 8 yards for the score and it was 43-19 with 7:26 to play.

Portsmouth answered by going 52 yards in 6 plays with Heiland’s 31-yard scoring run and his conversion run to make it 43-27 with 4:19 to go.

But the spread was too much for Portsmouth to overcome as Fairland ran out the clock.

Fairland took a 7-0 lead on a 28-yard TD pass to Collins with 2:59 left in the first quarter.

Portsmouth got an 87-yard kickoff return by J.T. Williams to the Fairland 3-yard line and Heiland scored from a yard out on second down. Zach Roth kicked extra point and it was 7-7 with 2 minutes on the clock.

Fairland regained the lead on a 56-yard catch and run to Hunt and the lead was 14-7 with 10:47 to go in the half.

Portsmouth came back with a 68-yard, 6-play drive with Heiland getting a pair of 26-yard runs and Camron Williams going the final 8 yards for the TD. The conversion kick was blocked and Fairland’s lead was 14-13.

Portsmouth then took the lead after recovering a Fairland fumble and then going 48 yards in 12 plays with Camron Williams and Heiland hooking up on a 23-yard screen pass with 16 seconds left in the half.

Next Friday, Fairland visits Coal Grove and Portsmouth will host South Point.

Portsmouth 7 12 0 8 = 27

Fairland   7 7 8 21 = 43

First Quarter

Fa — Christian Collins 28 pass from Peyton Jackson (Aeden Miller kick) 2:59

Prt — Chase Heiland 1 run (Zach Roth kick) 2:00

Second Quarter

Fa — Brycen Hunt 56 pass from Peyton Jackson (Aeden Miller kick) 10:47

Prt — Camron Williams 8 run (kick blocked) 7:26

Prt — Chase Heiland 23 pas from Camron Williams (run failed) 0:16

Third Quarter

Fa — Keegan Smith 68 pass from Peyton Jackson (Brycen Hunt pass from Peyton Jackson) 5:44

Fourth Quarter

Fa — Quentin Cremeans 11 run (Aeden Miller kick) 11:37

Fa — Brycen Hunt 11 pass from Peyton Jackson (Aeden Miller kick) 8:31

Fa — Jack Hayden 8 run (Aeden Miller kick) 7:26

Prt — Chase Heiland 31 run (Chase Heiland run) 4:19

———

PrtFa

First downs 15 17

Rushes-yards 52-220 20-66

Passing yards 37 329

Total yards 257 395

Cmp-Att-Int 5-9-3 20-26-0

Fumbles-lost 2-1 3-1

Penalties-yards 3-25 9-100

Punts-average 2-17.5 4-30.5

———

Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Portsmouth: Chase Heiland 31-167 TD, Levaughn Cobb 4-11, Nick Copley 2-4, J.T. Williams 1-1, Camron Williams 14-37 TD; Fairland: Quentin Cremeans 7-37 TD, Jack Hayden 4-26, Kam Kitts 1-4, Peyton Jackson 6-11, Team 2-minus 12

PASSING–Portsmouth: Camron Williams 5-9-3 37 TD; Fairland: Peyton Jackson 20-26-0 329 4-TD.

RECEIVING–Portsmouth: Chase Heiland 5-37 TD; Fairland: Brycen Hunt 8-122 2-TD, Christian Collins 2-34 TD, Keegan Smith 3-113 TD, Jack Hayden 3-37, C.J. Graham 2-10, Kam Kitts 1-7, Quentin Cremeans 1-6

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.