Eagles Hold Off Lions for district opening win 50-43

The Fairfield Eagles scored on a pass play late in the fourth quarter to get the lead and hold off the Teague Lions 50-43 Friday night at Eagle Field in the District 9-3A Division I opener.

The Battle of Freestone County met the anticipated attention for the first week of district play. The teams had plenty of offense and timely defense in the fourth quarter to keep the game close. The running of Zak Leija and the passing of Kohl Collins proved to be the expected high totals they have had all season.

Leija rushed for 184 yards on 16 carries and had a long touchdown run and Collins completed 18 of 25 passes for 359 yards and five touchdowns, giving him eleven touchdowns in the last two weeks.

Teague took the ball first and quickly and efficiently moved down the field for the games first touchdown. Leija had a 26-yard run to move across the 50 and Korey Silar had an eleven-yard run to the Fairfield five. Ny’land Coaster finished off the drive with the touchdown and the Lions led 8-0 on the Leija conversion run.

Fairfield needed only two plays to match the score. Collins dropped to pass and found Cal Wilson for the 63-yard touchdown. The pass for two was incomplete and the Lions held onto an 8-6 lead.

Two punts and a Collins interception sent the game to the second quarter. Fairfield took the lead on a nine-play drive, five of them runs by Jaylon Shed and put themselves in scoring position. Collins scored on the eight-yard touchdown and took the lead. Collins passed to Dylan McGowan for the conversion and the Eagles were ahead 14-8.

The Lions got the score and the lead back on the next possession. Teague needed only four plays, all on the ground, to go 72 yards and the final 52 were on a quarterback keeper by Leija as the ripped up the middle to run past the Eagle defense. The point after was good and the Lions held a slim 15-14 lead into the half.

The Eagles scored on the first snap of the second half on the second touchdown pass from the arm of Collins. Finn Smith broke open and Collins hit him in stride for the 65-yard touchdown. Collins added the conversion run and Fairfield led 22-15.

Teague answered again when they took possession at midfield. The eight-play drive was again all running plays through the Eagle defense and Coaster finished with a three-yard run for the touchdown. The conversion run was no good and the Eagles held the 22 -21 lead.

Fairfield stretched the lead back to eight on their next possession. Collins went over the Lion defense with a completion to Hicks for 26 and Smith for 20, the final to Shed for a seven-yard touchdown run. The point after was good and the Eagles put the lead at 29-21.

After a Teague punt, the Eagles built the first double digit lead of the game. Smith caught his second touchdown of the night on a 12-yard score and the Eagles led 36-21 following the extra point early in the fourth quarter.

The Lions special teams put them back in the game with big play capability. On the ensuing kickoff, the dangerous Jy’Kybryan Harris took the kick and raced to his right and back to the center for a 90-yard kickoff return. Leija hit Bryce Bates for the conversion pass and the lead was cut to 36-29.

The Eagles reached double digits again on a seven-play drive covering 64 yards. Shed broke away for 35 of his 122 rushing yards and the touchdown built the lead to 43-29.

Teague lost a fumble of the first play of their next drive and the Eagles were a score away from putting the game out of reach. The drive stalled at the Lion ten and Kieran King lined up for a 27-yard field goal. Harris wedged his way in and blocked the kick and Leija scooped it up and raced 85 yards for the touchdown. Alex Lopez added the point after, and the Lions trailed 43-36.

Coaster recovered the kickoff after it bounced around in the Eagles return team and took over in Eagle territory. Jaden Cole scored on a seven-yard touchdown and the Lopez pointer after tied the game with three minutes remaining in regulation.

Fairfield returned to the field and Collins continued his pinpoint passing. He used his legs to convert a third down to midfield and on the next third down, he hit Smith across the middle and he would take it the distance for the 48-yard touchdown, Collins’ fifth of the night. The King point after was good and the Eagles had a 50-43 with just over a minute remaining.

The Fairfield defense swarmed the passing game, and four incompletions would seal a Fairfield Eagle victory.

Fairfield joins Palestine Westwood and Diboll on top of the district standings after the opening weekend. Fairfield takes to the road and will take the long trip to Huntington to battle the Red Devils, and the Teague Lions return home for their homecoming game against the Crockett Bulldogs.