Dragons close out season with win over Panthers on Burcham's 2nd half TDs

CHESAPEAKE — Hmmm. Maybe we should try more of that running the ball thing.

After losing at Coal Grove last week when the Hornets didn’t throw a pass, the Fairland Dragons went with their running game as they beat the rival Chesapeake Panthers 34-17 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.

The Dragons (4-6, 3-3) ran the ball 48 times for 325 yards with Davin Murray carrying the mail 18 times for 119 yards and a touchdown to lead the ground game.

Christian Bompus ran 16 times for 86 yards and quarterback Owen Burcham had 6 attempts for 78 yards and 2 scores.

Burcham wasn’t just a running threat on offense. He also returned a punt for a score and got an interception that he took back into the end zone to give him 4 touchdowns on the evening.

The Panthers (1-9, 0-6) were limited to just 43 net yards rushing. Quarterback Jon-Cooper Barker was 9 of 14 passing for 120 yards with a touchdown and 3 interceptions. Logan Clay caught 2 passes for 54 yards.

Chesapeake punted on the first series of the game and Burcham returned the ball 54 yards for the score. Conner Black threw to Kinyon Smith for the conversion and it was 8-0.

Chesapeake answered on its next series with a 53-yard, 7-play drive culminated on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Barker to Andrew Isaacs.

The conversion pass failed and it was 8-6 with 5:55 left in the quarter.

Fairland then went on a 68-yard, 8-play march capped by Murray’s 3-yard run at the 7:42 mark of the second quarter. Luke Ball caught the conversion pass from Burcham and it was 16-6.

The Panthers came right back with their own scoring drive covering 51 yards in 5 plays and aided by a couple of Fairland penalties. Peyton Muncy ran 10 yards for the touchdown with 5:26 left in the half.

The Dragons drove to the Chesapeake 7-yard line only to be stopped on a fourth-and-one for no gain.

Chesapeake drove from its own 42 to the Fairland 11-yard line only to stall. But Aden Parrott kicked a 27-yard field goal at the 3:17 mark for its first lead of the game at 17-16.

Fairland had another drive that stalled at the 15-yard line. But a second down pass was intercepted by Burcham who returned it 15 yards for the touchdown and it was 22-17 with just 12 seconds left in the quarter.

The Dragons went 55 yards in 6 plays with Burcham keeping the ball and running 29 yards for the score with 4:05 to play and it was 28-17.

An interception by Smith gave Fairland the ball at the 10-yard line and 2 plays later Burcham ran 6 yards for the touchdown with 2:57 left to clinch the win.

Fairland 8 8 6 12 = 34

Chesapeake 6 8 3 0 = 17

First Quarter

Fa — Owen Burcham 54 punt return (Kinyon Smith pass from Conner Black) 9:28

Ch — Andrew Isaacs 23 pass from Jon-Cooper Barker (pass failed) 5:55

Second Quarter

Fa — Davin Murray 3 run (Luke Ball pass from Owen Burcham) 7:42

Ch — Peyton Muncy 10 run (Jon-Cooper Barker run) 5:26

Third Quarter

Ch — Aden Parrott 27 field goal 3:17

Fa — Owen Burcham 15 interception return (pass failed) 0:12

Fourth Quarter

Fa — Owen Burcham 20 run (kick blocked) 4:05

Fa — Owen Burcham 6 run (kick failed) 2:57

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            Fa Ch

First downs  16  8

Rushes-yards 48-325 27-43

Passing yards 15   120

Total yards 340   163

Cmp-Att-Int 4-7-1 9-15-3

Fumbles-lost 2-1   2-0

Penalties-yards 8-71 7-50

Punts-average 1-21.0 3-30.3

———————

Individual Leaders

RUSHING—Fairland: Davin Murray 18-119 TD, Christian Bompus 16-86, Owen Burcham 6-78 2-TD, Kinyon Smith 6-30, Tim Webb 1-1, Luke Ball 1-11; Chesapeake: Jon-Cooper Barker 17-24, Philip Thacker 4-0, Logan Clay 1-3, Peyton Muncy 4-13 TD, Andrew Isaacs 1-3.

PASSING—Fairland: Owen Burcham 4-7-1 15; Chesapeake: Jon-Cooper Barker 9-14-3 120 TD, Philip Thacker 0-1-0.

RECEIVING—Fairland: Ford Rickard -3-13, Christian Bompus 1-2; Chesapeake: Andrew Isaacs 1-23 TD, Logan Clay 2-54, Jayden Washington 3-27, Philip Thacker 3-16.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.