The Groesbeck Goats scored on a long touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter and the Fairfield Eagles could not match it and dropped the district opener at home 29-22.
Stretching out to reach the endzone is Fairfield Eagle #22, Braiden Barrett, who scored several touchdowns in Friday night’s game against the Groesbeck Goats.
The Goats came in as big favorites at 4-1 and the 1-4 Eagles gave them a run up until the final seconds.
The teams battled to a scoreless tie in the first quarter and a half. Fairfield drove inside the Goat five-yard line taking advantage of a Daryan Harris interception. The Eagles missed a field goal that was blocked and the Goats marched 80 yards in nine plays and Allen Lewis scored on a one yard run midway through the second quarter. Juan Palomo added the point after for the 7-0 lead.
The Eagles took the next possession and matched the score. Travelling 81 yards, all with the run game, Braiden Barrett scored on a four-yard run. Jonathon Garcia added the extra point to knot the score at 7-7.
Groesbeck got their offense in gear and made quick work of their final possession of the half. Lewis found Brendon Morrow with a middle screen and he used superb downfield blocking and raced up the middle for the 43-yard score and the Palomo point after gave the Goats a 14-7 halftime lead.
Fairfield had perhaps their best drive of the season in the opening drive of the second half. Beginning at their 22-yard line, the Eagles needed 14 plays and converted two third downs to put them in scoring position. Barrett scored his second touchdown of the game with a two-yard plunge ending a drive that consumed over six minutes on the clock. Barrett would go over 100 yards on the night and the Garcia extra point tied the game at 14-14.
The Goats added a four-minute drive to regain the lead. Lewis scored on a one-yard run and the led 21-14.
The Eagles next possession ended with a miss on fourth down at the Goat 32 and the Eagles defense was called on for a stop for the offense to get the ball back. They did one better when Lewis dropped to pass and he was flushed out of the pocket. Rowdy Hand made the hit and the ball came loose and Carson Shipley scooped in up and returned it 35 yards for the touchdown. The coaching staff put the offense back on the field and Barrett scored the conversion run to give the Eagles their first lead of the contest at 22-21 with 3:42 remaining.
Pint-sized cheerleaders from Summer Camp assisted the Fairfield Eagle Varsity Squad.
The pandemonium was silenced on the first play of the next possession. Lewis hit Morrow with the same screen pass up the middle and it produced the same result with a 54-yard catch and run touchdown with 3:21 remaining. Lewis ran the conversion in for two and the Goats led 29-22.
The Eagles had a great kickoff return by JaCorey Daniels to the Groesbeck 35 yards. Barrett converted a third down and the Eagles moved inside the 25-yard line. On four down and long, the Eagles offense came up short and the ball game went to the Goats 29-22.
Fairfield (0-1) will travel to Kemp to battle the Yellowjackets who were shut out by the Teague Lions 30-0 on Friday. Groesbeck travels to Eustace to battle the Bulldogs.
(Photos by Rachel Lewis, FHS Yearbook Staff)
