Dragons bounce back with win over Blue Devils

(Photo by Josh Wilson)

(Photo by Josh Wilson)

(Photo by Josh Wilson)

(Photo by Josh Wilson)

PROCTORVILLE — For the Fairland Dragons, it was a hump and a Bump to bounce back

After a tough, narrow 33-32 loss last week to Rock Hill, Dragons head coach Mike Jackson was lamenting about how his team has been coming close to winning games only to fall short.

This time, it took a play with a Bump — Christian Bompus — to get his team over the hump as Fairland held off the Gallipolis Blue Devils 28-26 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.

On the first series of the game, Fairland was drying in Gallipolis’ territory when Bompus appeared stopped for a short gain only to have the line start pushing the pile for what became a 7-yard gain and a first down.

“On film, we thought we could run the ball up the middle on them and for most of the game we could. My favorite play is early in the game when the whole team was pushing Bump. I thought that set the mood for the whole game,” said Jackson.

“We got the ball at the 15, two different games, chances to win the game but we just can’t finish. I’m going to keep coaching hard. I’m going to figure out how to get us in position to win, you all keep playing hard, we’ll get over that hump. I thought tonight, they figured out how to get over that hump.”

The Dragons got over that early hump and scored on a 12-yard pass from Owen Burcham to Ford Rickard with 5:01 left in the quarter for a 6-0 lead.

Gallipolis (2-3, 1-1) answered behind the running g of quarterback Max Canaday who gained 57 of the 65 yards in the 7-play drive including the final 2 yards for the score and it was 6-all at the 2:20 mark.

The Dragons (2-3, 1-1) answered the Blue Devils’ score with another one of their own as they drove 78 yards in 4 plays to score. A 17-yard pass from Conner Black got the ball to the Gallipolis’ 24 and then Burcham hit Davin Murray with a swing pass and Murry went the distance for the touchdown.

Murray also ran for the conversion and it was 14-6 with 11:09 left in the half.

After a series of punts, Fairland had the ball at the 49 and got a big 28-yard pass to Rickard to the 16 and Bompus ran 8 yards to pay dirt 3 plays later.

Yardley Gorby — kicking in her first high school game — connected on the extra point and the lead was 21-6 with 4:23 left in the quarter.

Jackson said Gorby asked to kick back in the summer and he told her to keep practicing. He told her the days in the summer when the team worked out and she would come to those sessions.

“She made two extra points and we won by two points,” said Jackson. “She was doing good but then she hurt her foot in soccer. She said she wasn’t going to kick because she wanted to get ready for soccer.

“Now that she’s healed up, she’s back. J.C (Auxier). is hurt, so she came back out and I thought she did great.”

The Blue Devils got a 31-yard kickoff return from Enoch Patterson to the Fairland 39 and scored 5 plays later as Canaday ran 5 yards for the touchdown. Nathan Shockey kicked the point after and Gallipolis trailed 21-13 with 1:48 left in the quarter.

Not to be outdone, Aiden Trimble ran the kickoff back 58 yards to the Gallipolis 32.

The return set up a Fairland score as Burcham hit Black with a 22-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone. Gorby’s kick made it 28-13 with 11:03 to play.

But Gallipolis used a 15-yard pass to Brock Shelton and a 14-yard pass to Parker Burris to set up a 35-yard scoring run by Canaday and it was 28-19 with 9:03 left.

The Blue Devils recovered the onside kickoff and Jaxon Angel went 35 yards for the touchdown with 6:27 to go.

Gallipolis got the ball back but their drive stalled at the Fairland 32.

The Dragons then ran the block down to under a minute and the Blue Devils were unable to move the ball and turned it over on downs with just 24 seconds left to play.

The Dragons had 255 total yards with a balanced offense as they ran for 136 and threw for 119. Bompus had 57 yards on 9 carries, Burcham 48 on 11 tries and Murray 35 on 15 attempts. Burcham was 6-of-10 passing for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Canaday rushed for 161 yards on 20 carries with 3 touchdowns. He was 5-of-14 passing for 44 yards. Angel finished with 61 yards rushing on 6 carries.

Fairland visits South Point next Friday.

Gallipolis 6 0 7 13 = 26

Fairland 6 8 7 7 = 28

First Quarter

Fa — Ford Rickard 12 pass from Owen Burcham (kick failed) 5:01

Ga — Max Canaday 2 run (run failed) 2:20

Second Quarter

Fa — Davin Murray 24 pass from Owen Burcham (Davin Murray run) 11:09

Third Quarter

Fa — Christian Bompus 8 run (Yardley Gorby kick) 4:23

Ga — Max Canaday 5 run (Nathan Shockey kick) 1:48

Fourth Quarter

Fa — Conner Black 22 pass from Owen Burcham (Yardley Gorby kick) 11:03

Ga — Max Canaday 19 run (run failed) 9:03

Ga — Jaxon Angel 35 run (Nathan Shockley kick) 6:27

———

Ga Fa

First downs

Rushes-yards 36-237 36-136

Passing yards 44 119

Total yards 281 255

Cmp-Att-Int 5-14-1 6-10-0

Fumbles-lost 2-0 2-2

Penalties-yards 8-52 6-45

Punts-average 3-29.3 2-35.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Gallipolis: Max Canaday 20-161 3-TD, Gunnar Peterson 8-21, Jaxon Angel 6-61, Brock Shelton 1-3, Parker Burris 1-minus 9; Fairland: Davin Murray 15-35, Christian Bompus 9-57 TD, Owen Burcham 11-48, Team 1-minus 4.

PASSING–Gallipolis: Max Canaday 5-14-1 44; Fairland: Owen Burcham 6–10-0 119 2-TD.

RECEIVING–Gallipolis: Brock Shelton 2-21, Parker Burris 2-20, Enoch Patterson 1-3; Fairland: Conner Black 2-52, Davin Murray 2-27 TD, Ford Rickard 2-40 TD.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.