Penalties, turnovers bite Trojans in Centerville

Fairfield arrived in Centerville looking for its playoff-clinching, statement win Friday.

Instead, Fairfield was met by a hungry Big Reds squad intent on playing spoiler. Nearly four hours and a lightning delay later, the Trojans left soggy Paul Johnson Field with their sixth loss of the season, a 26-23 defeat at the hands of the Big Reds.

?The Centerville kids came out and played hard, and they made big plays when they needed to make big plays,? Fairfield head coach Mike Schenck said. ?I feel for our kids, but they?ve got to do a better job of getting ready and focused when they step out on the field.?

Dillon Fry threw for 155 yards and helped Fairfield to a fourth quarter lead, but the Trojans (2-6, 2-4 District 7) couldn?t hold on late. Centerville (1-7, 1-4) scored two straight touchdowns in a span of 1 minute, 19 seconds in the final period to clinch its first victory of the season.

Once again, turnovers, giving up the big play on defense and penalties hit the Trojans hardest.

In addition to Centerville?s Michael Starcevich completing touchdown passes of 66 and 30 yards, the Trojans lost two of three fumbles and Fry was intercepted once on a tipped pass. However, the biggest Trojan mistake came on the opening kickoff of the second half, when a kickoff return for a touchdown by Justin Hammes was called back due to an illegal blocking penalty.

?We?ve got to work on some fundamental things and try to get better,? said Schenck. ?I don?t know how you necessarily practice hanging onto the football, but we?ve got to quit turning it over.?

Now finished with district games, the Trojans will have to play the waiting game in the final week to find out if, and where, they?re headed in the substate round. Fairfield?s nearest competitor in the District 7 standings, Mount Pleasant (2-6, 2-3), lost to Keokuk 63-21 on Friday and would have to beat Williamsburg (7-1) in the regular season finale to make it in over Fairfield.

Following a lightning delay of nearly one hour Friday, Centerville got on the scoreboard first in the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal by Brent Jackson. On the ensuing possession, Fairfield answered with a scoring drive of its own.

A pair of first down throws from Fry to sophomore Narendra Martin and senior Spencer Peterman, respectively, set the Trojans up at the Fort Madison 23. Senior running back Mason Carnahan carried the ball on three of the next four plays to get the ball to the 1-yard line before he punched it in to hand Fairfield its first lead of the night.

Junior kicker Matt Carr tacked on the extra point to help Fairfield go up 7-3 with 4:11 left in the second quarter.

Centerville answered with a clock-eating, 12-play drive that saw them convert on a fourth-and-three thanks to a pass interference call against Fairfield. Jackson capped the drive with his second field goal of the night from 32 yards out as the Big Reds inched within one.

In the second half, Centerville kept its momentum going with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Starcevich to Sebolt, but Fairfield answered mere seconds later with its own touchdown. Hammes? second kickoff return of the day ? an 84-yarder ? gave the Trojans the ball at the Fort Madison 1, and Fry took advantage with a short touchdown throw to Vince Horras. Fry again found Horras in the end zone on the subsequent two-point conversion as Fairfield took a three point lead with 5:25 left in the third.

The 15-12 lead would hold up the rest of the quarter, and Fairfield appeared primed to put the game away for good in the fourth. Following a 32-yard pass from Fry to Alex Shier to the Centerville 19, Fry kept the drive alive with a scramble to the 8, but that?s when it all came undone for Fairfield. A third-and-four became third-and-nine following a controversial delay of game penalty against the Trojans, and Centerville sacked Fry on fourth down for a turnover on downs.

Three plays later, Starcevich found Logan Brown down the middle for a 66-yard touchdown, and the Big Reds increased their lead to 26-15 on another Scarcevich throw with 6:14 remaining.

Fairfield scored once more with 11 seconds to go when Fry found Peterman in the end zone from six yards out, but the final touchdown proved too little, too late.

Carnahan gained 87 yards on 18 rushing attempts. Shier caught three passes for 66 yards and Peterman had five catches for 81. Martin caught one pass for seven yards.

Defensively, Jake Mineart paced the Trojans with seven tackles and one sack, while Kooper Dahlstrom and Josh Dimmitt also had seven apiece. Seniors Aaron Gevock and Jonny Swanson racked up six stops. In addition to his third interception in the past three games, Davisson added five tackles. Justin Leonard totaled five tackles and Gabe Jaquez had four and a sack. Carnahan, Cody Cohen and Hammes added three stops each.

The Trojans return home to host Chariton on Friday.

Centerville 26, Fairfield 23

FF CV

13 First Downs 18

34-113 Rushing 36-129

10-25-155 Passing 14-32-239

268 Total Yards 368

2-1 TD-INT 3-1

3-2 Fumbles-lost 1-0

8-75 Penalties-yards 10-100

Scoring Summary

1st ? 7:59 (CV) Jackson 22-field goal

2nd ? 4:11 (FF) Carnahan 1-run (Carr kick); 0:34 (CV) Jackson 32-field goal

3rd ? 6:16 (CV) Starcevich 19-pass to Sebolt (run failed); 5:25 (FF) Fry 1-pass to Horras (Fry pass to Horras)

4th ? 7:33 (CV) Starcevich 66-pass to Brown (Jackson kick); 6:14 (CV) Starcevich 30-pass to Grothe (Jackson kick); 0:11 (FF) Fry 5-pass to Peterman (Fry run)

Rushing ? (FF) Carnahan 18-87 (TD), Fry 15-19, Martin 1-7; (CV) Walker 21-71, Starcevich 7-27, Fagen 1-15, Moore 7-16

Passing ? (FF) Fry 10-25-155; (CV) Starcevich 14-32-239

Receiving ? (FF) Peterman 5-81 (TD), Shier 3-66, Martin 1-7, Horras 1-1 (TD); (CV) Sebolt 5-84 (TD), Walker 4-27, Brown 2-78 (TD), Grothe 1-30 (TD), Gonnerman 1-17, Moore 1-3

Tackles ? (FF) Dahlstrom 7, Dimmitt 7, Mineart 7 (sack), Gevock 6, Swanson 6, Leonard 5, Davisson 5 (INT), Jaquez 4 (sack), Carnahan 3, Cohen 3, Hammes 3, Carr, Deao, Hammel, Horras, Love, Martin, Nye