The Fairfield Eagles exploded for 27 points in the second half and topped the Wills Point Tigers 37-21 in a bi-district playoff game at Bruce Field in Athens. The Eagles move on to face Gilmer in the second round for the second consecutive year at Memorial Stadium in Mesquite.
The Eagles were in control most of the night, even though they fell behind a couple of times. Wills Point had big plays but the Eagles controlled the clock and were able to use the big offensive line to begin to dominate the game. The running of Justin Abram, Jar-Mychael Hudson and Eli Martin put the Eagles in front to stay in the third quarter.
Fairfield took the ball first used four minutes to drive 53 yards for the first score of the game. Hudson converted a third and long with a ten-yard run and Abram connected on a 39-yard pass to Carl Daniels inside the Tiger 20-yard line. Six plays later Hudson scored on a two-yard run on the eleven-play drive. Tyler Haynes kicked the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
Wills Point answered in a couple of minutes to tie the game at 7-7. Jacquez Thompson ran on some quarterback keepers and the final one for a first down on a 16-yard run to the Eagle eight. Justin Perez took the handoff from there and weaved his way through and scored the touchdown and the point after knotted the game midway through the first quarter.
It was not until midway through the second quarter that the tie was broken. Haynes had field goal attempt blocked late in the first quarter and he was called on to attempt another with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half. His 27-yard kick was good and the Eagles regained the lead on the impressive drive that consumed six minutes and 20 plays.
Wills Point would answer and they would get it quickly. Starting at their own 16-yard line, Thompson took the snap and ran off tackle. It was blocked there so he bounced outside and found a seam through the Eagle defense and a highlight 84-yard run for the touchdown, 22 seconds after the Fairfield score. The extra point extended the lead to 14-10.
The Eagles took off on another long drive, beginning at their 39. It took 12 plays and several minutes off the clock and reached the one-yard line before the Eagle offensive could not push in on fourth down and turned it back to the Tigers in the final seconds of the first half. Fairfield had 52 offensive plays in the first half and the Tigers had only 16 but Wills Point had the lead 14-10 at the break.
Wills Point had the first possession of the second half and reached midfield and their fourth down pass attempt fell incomplete and the Eagle offense took over.
Fairfield had the play total advantage in the first half so they were aggressive to a somewhat tired Wills Point defense. On the second play of the drive, Abram took the snap and burst up the middle, breaking three tackles through the Tiger defense on a 49-yard run and after the point after, a 17-14 lead.
In the later moments of the third quarter, Wills Point would make a final attempt to control the game. After their defense recovered a fumble at the Fairfield 42, the Tiger offense was in position to score. Thompson converted a key fourth down and Savion Kellum had an 11-yard run inside the ten. Tyler Baker lined up a quarterback for most of the second half and he kept on the three-yard touchdown run and the Tigers regained the four-point lead at 21-17 with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter.
From this point on it was all Fairfield and the game took on a different look. From their 39-yard line, Abram hit Daniels on a 48-yard pass down near the ten-yard line and Abram had two runs, the final one for an eight-yard touchdown and the lead that would remain the rest of the game at 24-21.
Wills Point had a punt and a turnover on downs and the Eagles next drive was near midfield. The six-play drive had three runs from Hudson and the final three from Abram and the 39-yard touchdown to extend the lead. The point after was no good and Fairfield led 30-21.
The Tigers kept coming at the Eagle defense in the final moments of the game. On their last drive, Baker had a nine-yard run, and later a 33-yard converting a third down. The Wills Point offense reached the 12-yard line and Baker threw a short pass to Jake Crawford. He turned to pick up more yardage and Trent Hauser knocked the ball free. Dylon Rushin scooped it up at the eight-yard line and raced up the near sideling for the 92-yard fumble return and the clinching score of the night.
The entire district (8-4A DII) fared well with the Eagles win over Wills Point. Waco Conally topped Canton, and Salado dominated the Rusk Eagles. Mexia won the thriller of the weekend with a 35-34 win over Bullard in overtime.
Scott Batts reporting.
(Photos by Shae Garcia)
