Fairfield heads to Centerville for final district test

Two rounds are down and just one remains as Fairfield prepares for its Week 8 matchup against Class 3A District 7 opponent Centerville.

A win against the Big Reds will all but secure the Trojans (2-5, 2-3 District 7) a spot in the playoffs for the fourth straight season. If the Trojans do win Friday, Mount Pleasant (2-5, 2-2) would only edge them for a spot if it defeats both Keokuk (3-4) and Williamsburg (6-1) in the final two weeks.

?We?re telling them it?s one game at a time if we want to make the playoffs,? Schenck said. ?I think the kids are getting a little more confident. They?ve continued to work hard and they?ve continued to have an outstanding attitude.?

And although Centerville (0-7, 0-5) has yet to earn a win, Schenck isn?t about to take the Big Reds lightly. The 23-year head coach expects everything but the kitchen sink out of the opposition this week.

?They?ve got nothing to lose, it?s their last home game and obviously they?re hungry for a win,? said Schenck. ?I?m sure they think they?ve got a legitimate shot at beating us, so I expect anything out of them ? reverses, trick plays, fake punts.?

Centerville?s record doesn?t indicate its three close, seven-point losses, either. One of the teams that beat Centerville by a touchdown, Albia, also topped Fairfield by seven. Another narrow defeat came against Fort Madison, which lost to the Trojans by one point last week.

Centerville runs a multiple-set offense fueled by its passing game and junior quarterback Michael Starcevich. Although junior tailback Grant Walker has gained just 354 yards on 3.1 carries in 2012, Schenck said he could be dangerous with a good block in front of him.

?They have a quarterback who throws the ball well and a tailback who?s pretty quick,? Fairfield?s coach noted.

Starcevich exhibited growing pains in last year?s game against Fairfield ? he was picked off three times in the Trojans? 42-7 win ? but has made some strides in his junior year. The quarterback has thrown for 850 yards and four touchdowns to five picks, with 239 yards and two touchdowns going to senior wideout Levi Sebolt.

Starcevich will be going up against a Fairfield defense that has done everything expected of it in the past two weeks ? and quite possibly more.

Fairfield?s starting 11 has allowed just one touchdown and a field goal in the last two games. The front seven, from linemen Jake Mineart and Gabe Jaquez to linebackers Seth Davisson and Aaron Gevock, held Mount Pleasant to a measly 22 rushing yards. The secondary ? seniors Justin Hammes, Mason Carnahan, Josh Dimmitt and Jonny Swanson ? helped hold Fort Madison to just 92 yards through the air.

?I think they?ve had a good week of practice,? Schenck said of his defense. ?They seem to be improvement right now when we need them to make improvement, so I would expect for them to have a good game.

?Eliminating the big plays and forcing them into passing situations will be key for us this week.?

The key offensively, on the other hand, will no doubt lie in limiting the turnovers. The Trojans turned the ball over six times last week, and Schenck doesn?t expect his team to continue its winning ways if it coughs up the ball at a similar rate Friday.

?We?re trying to make them aware that we have to put a little more value on the football, and we cannot afford to continue to kill drives and give the opponent?s offense extra opportunities to score,? Schenck said.

Additionally, the Trojans were hit with their share of injuries last week and will be missing some of those same players come Friday. Brett Scott, a two-way starting lineman, is out nursing a high ankle sprain after suffering the injury during last week?s game. Backup running back Nick Jackson has missed practices all week with his own ankle injury, though starting running back Mason Carnahan is back after missing most of the second half last Friday. Junior cornerback Jordan Whitney, who came through with a crucial pass breakup in last week?s closing moments, is also out after exhibiting symptoms of a mild concussion, while Austin Gridley has missed practices as well.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Paul Johnson Field in Centerville.

Offense

QB Dillon Fry Sr

RB Mason Carnahan Sr

WR Spencer Peterman Sr

WR Justin Hammes Sr

WR Alex Shier Jr

TE Vince Horras Jr

LT Jake Mineart Sr

LG Mason Ellis Jr

C Cody Craff So

RG Austin Deao Sr

RT Daniel Schwarz Sr

Defense

DE Jake Mineart Sr

DT Gabe Jaquez Sr

NG Kooper Dahlstrom Jr

DT Justin Leonard Jr

DE Cody Cohen Jr

OLB Aaron Gevock Sr

ILB Seth Davisson Sr

CB Justin Hammes Sr

CB Mason Carnahan Sr

SS Josh Dimmitt Sr

FS Jonny Swanson Sr

Special Teams

K Matt Carr Jr

P Daniel Schwarz Sr