The Fairfield Eagles needed a win heading into the bye week. As the regular season winds down, the Eagles clamped down and dominated the Kemp Yellowjackets 47-3 on senior night at Eagle Field.
The Eagle defense turned in a smothering performance, holding the Yellowjackets to -21 yards of total offense. The Fairfield defenders were in the backfield recording sacks and tackles for loss in all four quarters. Eli Castillo, Brayden Thornburg, Collin Glass, Dylon McGowan, and Evan Chavers registered big plays for the Eagles in allowing negative yardage and only surrendering a solitary field goal.
The Eagles had 118 yards in the first quarter and nothing to show for their efforts. On the first possession, two passes from Cockerell reached the one-yard line. The pass to Dionicio Azuara was short of the goal line and the ball was knocked loose and recovered by Carter Sullivan.
Kemp moved their offense out to the 27-yard line with the help of four Eagles penalties for 30 yards.
The Eagles received the Yellowjacket punt and marched down the field. Cockerell hit all four of his passes and on a first down from the Yellowjacket five, Jaylon Shed had the ball knock off his shoulder pad and it was again recovered by the Kemp defense. The quarter would end with both teams scoreless.
Kemp was forced to pun early in the second quarter and Shed carried the ball for most of the drive, including the last three ending with a two-yard touchdown run up the middle. The Eagle lead would hold at 6-0 when the extra point hit the upright and was no good.
The Eagle defense held and forced a punt and Cockerell completed three of four passes on the drive and Shed broke through on a 14-yard touchdown run extending the lead to 12-0 and the extra point failed.
Cockerell was 13-15 passing for 210 yards in the first half and he would connect on all three passes before the half and the Eagles scored again. Darion Weatherall got the call and his four-yard touchdown run increased the score to 18-0 when the conversion run came up short.
Fairfield got the ball for one last try before the half, but Cockerell was picked off by Jayden Freeman and he returned the ball to the Fairfield 14-yard line. The drive stalled after three plays and Cesar Lopez came on and hit a 34-yard field goal to cut the halftime lead to 18-3.
The Eagle offense would take a little while to get on the field for the second half, but they would extend the lead. Kemp was forced to punt, and the kick came down to Cal Wilson at midfield. He broke up the middle and picked up blockers and eluded a tackle and raced 49 yards for the kick return touchdown. The conversion pass was good, and the lead was 26-3.
Another three and out put the Eagles offense in good field position. Weatherall scored on a 37-yard touchdown run and the lead swelled to 33-3 after Castillo added the extra point.
The Yellowjackets had the ball sail away from the quarterback and Jonathon Allen fell on it at the Kemp 14-yard line. Two plays later, Cockerell connected on his only touchdown pass of the night, the three-yard strike to Rowdy Hand.
Weatherall added his third touchdown run of the game in the early moments of the fourth quarter and the game would end 47-3.
The Fairfield Eagles are 2-2 in district play behind the Malakoff Tigers and Groesbeck Goats. They are tied with the Mexia Blackcats, but the Eagles hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. Fairfield is idle next Friday night and will travel to Teague to take on the Lion in a battle of Freestone County with huge playoff implications.
(Photos by Shae Garcia)
