Defense keys Dragons past Blue Devils for 4th-straight win

GALLIPOLIS — The defense took a stand.

The Fairland Dragons’ defense held the Gallia Academy Blue Devils under 100 yards of total offense in a 26-8 Ohio Valley Conference win on Friday.

Fairland (4-1, 2-0) racked up 288 total yards with 150 on the ground and quarterback Kinyon Smith was 9 of 18 passing for 138 yards with an interception.

Xander Collins ran 13 times for 79 yards and a touchdown to lead the ground game. Christian Bompus was right behind with 78 yards on 18 carries. Wide receiver Kylan Blake had 101 yards on 4 receptions.

Fairland’s first two touchdowns were scored by the defense.

The Dragons scored first when Ford Rickard recovered a Gallia Academy fumble in the end zone. Smith kicked the conversion and it was 7-0.

The second score came later in the first quarter when Conner Kazee returned and interceptions 36 yards for a touchdown and it was 13-0.

Neither team scored in the second quarter but the Dragons had a scoring drive in the third quarter capped by Blake’s one-yard scoring run. Smith’s conversion kick made it 20-0.

Collins had a one-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter to build the lead to 26-0.

Gallia Academy (0-5, 0-2) avoided the shutout when Travon Wilson hit Brock Shelton with a 65-yard touchdown pass play with 5:45 left in the game.

This Friday, Fairland entertains South Point Gallia visits Coal Grove in league games.

Fairland 13    0    7    6   =   26

Gallia Acad. 0    0    0    8   =   8

First Quarter

Fa — Ford Rickard recovered fumble in end zone (Kinyon Smith kick)

Fa — Conner Kazee 36 interception return (kick failed)

Third Quarter

Fa — Kylan Blake 1 run (Kinyon Smith kick)

Fourth Quarter

Fa — Xander Collins 1 run (run failed)

Ga — Brock Shelton 65 pass from Travon Wilson (pass complete)

———————

            Fa    GA

First downs     14   2

Rushes-yards 44-150 21-5

Passing yards  138  92

Total yards      288   97

Cmp-Att-Int    9-18-1 8-14-1

Fumbles-lost   1-1  2-2

Penalties-yards 6-40  9-133

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING — Fairland: Xander Collins 13-79 TD, Christian Bompus 18-78, Kylan Blake 5-14 TD, Kinyon Smith 6-4, Team 2-minus 25; Gallia Academy: Tarik Vanmeter 13-22, Brock Shelton 1-9, Easton Wolford 1-minus 6, Travon Wilson 4-minus 9, Grant Owens 2-minus 11.

PASSING — Fairland: Kinyon Smith 9-18-1 138; Gallia Academy: Travon Wilson 8-13-1 92 TD.

RECEIVING — Fairland: Kylan Blake 4-101, Ford Rickard 2-19, Max VonVille 2-12, Xander Collins 1-6; Gallia Academy: Brock Shelton 3-68 TD, Grant Owens 2-19, Casey Blair 1-5, Easton Wolford 1-0.