Fairfield preps to face Ft. Madison

Fairfield couldn’t muster enough second half offense in its 42-30 loss to Washington in Week 6. The Trojans took advantage of one Demons mistake in the third quarter when it turned a Kael Williams interception into an Ethan Bisgard 62-yard touchdown, but otherwise didn’t reach the end zone final 24 minutes after it scored three times in the first half.

The Trojans (1-5, 0-2 Class 3A-4) have the opportunity to correct their course in another road district game against Fort Madison on Friday. The Bloodhounds (0-6, 0-2) come into the game off of a 61-0 blowout defeat to Mount Pleasant.

Fairfield racked up 299 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in the loss to Washington. Along with Bisgard, Brady Wigle and Tucker Robertson both found the end zone against the Demons.

The Trojans are now up to 1,638 rushing yards, the third most in Class 3A, and 20 touchdowns, tied for the third most this season. Despite the rocky start, the Trojans have maintained a clear identity with best rushing offense in the district.

They have, however, been limited in the passing game. Quarterback Voss Richardson has completed 18 of 41 passes for just 287 yards and four touchdowns to two interceptions. Both came in the defeat to Washington.

Fairfield’s record is also, in part, the result of a few games against strong competition this season. The Trojans fell to No. 12 Benton in its season opener. They competed with Class 2A No. 5 Centerville for all four quarters in a one-score loss and were battered by injuries against No. 3 Solon in their opening district game.

After a second straight loss, Fairfield is looking for a get-right game against a Fort Madison side it beat 55-15 in a non-district game last season. The Trojans racked up 472 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in the win. Bisgard scored three times and Zandrik Allison had 120 yards and a touchdown.

Fort Madison’s primary scoring method this season comes on the ground. Sophomore Moses Thacher leads the team with 306 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Eric Cornelis has 216 yards and two TDs on 43 carries.

Sophomore Stefan Berlett has taken the majority of the snaps at quarterback. Berlett has completed 57 of 215 passes for 414 yards, three touchdowns and three picks in his first season as the Bloodhounds’ starter.

Defensively, Fort Madison has 189 tackles, including eight for loss and two sacks, which all rank last among Class 3A-4 teams. Freshman Aurelio Jaciunde has been Fort Madison’s standout defender. He leads the team with 24.5 tackles and two interceptions, and quickly proved he’ll be an impact player in seasons to come.

Kickoff between Fairfield and Fort Madison is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Fort Madison High School Track and Football Field. Fairfield leads the series 11-5 in games since 2008.