The Fairfield Eagles built a 27-3 lead in the first half and withstood a second half comeback attempt to defeat the Robinson Rockets 30-16 in the home opener at Eagle Stadium Friday night.
The Eagles had been on the road for the first three weeks of the season and did not fare as well as they had expected with three road losses. Fairfield returned to a large homecoming crowd and the defense rose to the occasion and did not disappoint.
The night did not start like the game plan might suggest, however. Fairfield took the ball on their first possession and marched into Rocket territory. On fourth down, the Eagles fumble and the ball was scooped up by Dan Perrin and returned for an apparent touchdown. A penalty took the touchdown off the board and Robinson started at the Fairfield 20. The drive stalled and the Rockets kicked a 33-yard field goal for their first and only lead of the game.
The special teams unit would have a mishap on the ensuing kickoff and the Rockets recovered and took over for the second time in Eagle territory in the first quarter. Again, the drive would stall and Fairfield would regain possession.
Fairfield wasted little time to get the lead for good with a four-play drive to move from midfield. Junior running back Eli Martin took the corner and raced up the sideline on a 47-yard run to the Robinson 11-yard line. Martin would finish the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run and Jonathon Garcia tacked on the extra point and the Eagles led 7-3.
Robinson picked up a couple of first downs on their next possession but could never get the big play to move them down the field. The worked down to the Fairfield 27-yard line and then lost big yardage when running back Christian Lujan lost ten yards on a combination tackle by Samuel Marsters and Julio Roque. The Rocket offense line up for a 43-yard field goal but Daryan Harris broke through and blocked the kick. JaCorey Daniels scooped up the ball and scored a touchdown for the Eagles to complete the ten-point turnaround and lead 14-3.
The second quarter began with the Eagles holding Robinson to a three and out and the Eagles took over at the Rocket 40 following a 16-yard punt. The Eagle offensive line took control and anchored a ten play, forty-yard drive that took almost five minutes off the clock. Martin ran in the final ten yards for his second touchdown of the night. The extra point was no good and the Eagles held a 20-3 lead with seven minutes remaining in the half.
Rafael Munoz made the big play for the Eagle defense when he recovered a Rocket fumble at the Robinson 26-yard line. The Eagle offense went back to work and covered those 26 yards in seven plays. Senior quarterback Kaden Crawford tossed the fade to Harris who grabbed the touchdown catch with a defender hanging on him. The point after was good and the Eagles led 27-3 at the half.
The Fairfield front line and linebackers, Hayden Braswell, Carson Gallegos, Karson Shipley, along with Roque, Munoz and Marsters made one big play after another, holding Lujan to 45 yards on 25 carries on the night.
Robinson continued to have trouble moving the ball and one drive was stopped on a Marsters sack, but the Rockets took advantage of a 12-yard punt by the Eagle special teams unit and made quick work to get back in the game. Aiden Stanford hit Grayson Martin for the 41-yard touchdown up the middle and the Rockets cut the lead to 27-10 after the extra point.
Garcia would add a 22-yard field goal and Robinson had a touchdown on one of the final plays of the game to set the final score, which is the first win of the season for the Fairfield Eagles. Eli Martin had 124 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns.
The Fairfield Eagles enter the bye week for this Friday and will host the Mexia Blackcats on October 1 in the final non-district game before the district games begin on October 8.
(Photos by Jennifer Lansford)
