Trojans can’t capitalize on big plays

KNOXVILLE — It may not have ended in a favorable outcome, but the Fairfield Trojans football team had Knoxville High School on the ropes in Friday's 16-9 loss at Ken Locke Stadium.

The Trojans trailed 10-9 when the Panthers scored a touchdown with just 2 minutes, 1 second remaining in the game for a 16-9 lead. An extra point would ensure at least a tie for the Panthers, but Trojans Payton Cline and Drew Martin broke through the line and Martin went airborne to block the kick.

The kickoff went out of bounds so the Trojans started on their own 35-yard line. A completion from Carter Ferrel to Leone Gichure went for 12 yards after Ferrel ran for six. An interference call gave Fairfield the ball on the Knoxville 38. A sack and two incompletions meant a timeout for Fairfield facing fourth-and-14.

Landen Schafer went up and grabbed a Ferrel pass for a first down at the 14.

'We gave ourselves an opportunity,' Fairfield head coach Nate Weaton said. 'That is the kind of thing we can build off of.'

The next play was an interception, ending the threat.

A big play followed by an inability to capitalize was a recurring theme for the Trojans.

In the first quarter, a 36-yard completion to Martin gave the Trojans the ball on the Knoxville 17, but a fumble ended the threat.

An interception by Ferrel on the last play of the first quarter gave the Trojans the ball at the Knoxville 44, but a run for no gain and two incompletions resulted in a punt.

Halfway through the second quarter, a 20-yard completion to Max Weaton gave the Trojans the ball on the Knoxville 47, but a punt followed four plays later.

'We would shoot ourselves in the foot,' Weaton said. 'We would get momentum with a big play but we were unable to sustain that momentum.'

The first possession of the second half saw a third-and-22 become a first-and-10 with a Elan Ledger 29-yard catch, but three penalties ended the drive.

Midway through the third quarter, Gichure caught a 16-yard pass on third-and-8, but an interception followed two plays later.

'You have to follow a big play with rhythm and consistency,' Coach Weaton said. 'We were never able to sustain a rythym.'

A fumble on the Trojans second play of the game led to the Panthers' five-play drive for a 7-0 lead with 8:36 to go in the first quarter.

A minute before the first quarter ended, the Trojans got on the board with a 40-yard field goal by Schafer. Ferrel returned a punt 25 yards to set up that score.

One big play the Trojans did take advantage of was a pass reception and run by Martin. On their own 32 with the first play after a Panthers' punt, Martin caught a pass just past midfield and rumbled another 25 yards to the Knoxville 20. Ferrel ran four yards. On second-and-6, Landon Kooiker snatched a pass and scored. The three-play drive gave the Trojans a 9-7 lead just 1:48 before the half.

'At halftime I told them they could hang their heads or step up and our senior leaders stepped up,' Knoxville coach Eric Kellar said. 'I thought it was really physical on both sides of the ball.'

Knoxville brought back nine starters from last year.

'Experience makes a difference,' Coach Weaton said. 'We made too many mental mistakes. We told the kids to let it sting. But then we will have to flush it, erase it and move onto next week. We saw some encouraging things. Leo and Carter are definitely a couple threats in our backfield. We just need to get a better push upfront. We just could not put it all together.'

It was the first game of a new system and a new regime.

'We left the field with the tank empty,' Fairfield's coach said. 'That's what we want from the kids.'

Friday the Trojans host Class 3A No. 10-ranked Clear Creek-Amana, which lost to Mt. Pleasant 42-20.