Blake's trio of scores helps Dragons to key OVC win over Redmen

PEDRO — There are a lot of ways to score in a football game. Fairland Dragons’ Kylan Blake can tell you about three of them.

Blake scored a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown, and a kick return touchdown to lead the Dragons to a 39-17 win over the Rock Hill Redmen on Friday in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams.

Quarterback Kinyon Smith was 7 of 13 for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. Christian Bompus rushed 18 times for 94 yards. Wide receiver Ford Rickard caught 4 passes for 70 yards including 2 touchdowns.

Fairland (3-1, 1-0) scored first when Xander Collins ran straight up the chute from 5 yards out. A bad snap on the extra point left the score 6-0.

The Redmen (1-3, 0-1) answered on a 51-yard scoring strike from Jarrod Bridges to Braylon McClellan who got behind the secondary. Cameron Howard kicked the conversion and Rock Hill led 7-6.

Fairland came back early in the second quarter to regain the lead for good as Smith hit Blake in the end zone as he beat his defender. The conversion pass failed and it was 12-7.

McClellan returned the kickoff to midfield and a penalty moved the ball 15 yards closer toward the Fairland goal line.

The Redmen got inside the red zone only to have the drive stall. But Howard came on and drilled a 33-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 12-10.

The teams traded punts and on the Rock Hill kick, Blake returned the punt 52 yards for a touchdown. Smith threw to Rickard for the conversion and a 20-10 halftime lead.

Fairland had the ball at its own 44-yard line early in the third quarter when Blake took a handoff and bolted up the middle and raced 56 yards for the touchdown. The conversion kick failed and the lead was 26-10.

The Dragons moved into Rock Hill territory on their next possession and Smith threw up a pass to the goal line where Rickard went up between two defenders and made the catch for the score.

Yardley Gorby kicked the extra point and the lead was 33-10.

The Redmen came back to score when Bridges scrambled to his right and found Kelan Davidson alone in the end zone for a 46-yard scoring strike.

Davidson slipped out of the backfield going left and ran uncovered as the defense rolled toward the scrambling Bridges.

Howard’s conversion kick left the Dragons’ lead at 33-17.

But Fairland put the game out of reach when Smith threw up another pass at the goal line and Rickard again went up between two defenders to make the catch and it was 39-17.

Next Friday, Rock Hill will host South Point while Fairland travels to Gallia Academy for OVC games.

Fairland 6   14   13   6  =  39

Rock Hill 7     3     7   0  =  17

First Quarter

Fa — Xander Collins 5 run (run failed) bad snap

RH — Braylon McClellan 51 pass from Jarrod Bridges (Cameron Howard kick)

Second Quarter

Fa — Kylan Blake 26 pass from Kinyon Smith (pass failed) 8:47

RH — Cameron Howard 33 field goal

Fa — Kylan Blake 52 punt return (Ford Rickard pass from Kinyon Smith)

Third Quarter

Fa — Kylan Blake 56 run (kick failed)

Fa — Ford Rickard 36 pass from Kinyon Smith (Yardley Gorby kick)

RH — Kelan Davidson 46 pass from Jarrod Bridges (Cameron Howard kick)

Fourth Quarter

Fa — Ford Rickard 29 pass from Kinyon Smith (kick blocked)

——————

Fa RH

First downs 18 11

Rush yards 248 46

Passing yards 123 206

Total yards 371 252

Penalties-yards 6-30 7-34