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Trojans take down Panthers
Miller’s huge night leads Fairfield to rivalry road win
MT. PLEASANT — Fairfield junior Cason Miller had to miss the entirety of baseball season due to injury, which included watching the Trojans’ season end at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex in Mt. Pleasant. On Friday night, he was flipping the script just a few steps away on the Mapleleaf football field.
Miller rushed for 236 yards and three scores against the rival Panthers, a strong portion of the team’s over 300 rushing yards in a 38-14 victory.
“It feels amazing,” Miller said. “It's hard on someone who's always active to have to sit out a bunch of sports, and all that down time. I've really been working on getting back. It paid off, and it feels really good.”
Miller started grinding away early. The Trojan junior was fed early and often in the first quarter, leading to a 9-yard touchdown run with 3:33 remaining in the period.
Mt. Pleasant didn’t take long to strike back. Senior Jurha Turner scooped up the ensuing kick off and burst through the Fairfield coverage team, darting 85 yards to the end zone for a special teams score.
“He had a big night,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach John Bowlin. “He's a tough runner, and if we can get the ball in his hands, he can do some special things for us.”
The Panthers had the ball with the game tied on two separate occasions, but Fairfield forced two straight turnovers. Bode Hoskins stripped a ball carrier and fell on a fumble, and Sam Weaton recovered the ball on a botched punt attempt.
After the fumbled punt, the Trojans scored again on a Luke Konczal rushing touchdown, and then the second by Miller put Fairfield up 21-7, but Mt. Pleasant punched right back again.
Turner set up the team with another long kick return, and Cooper Coleman capitalized by finding Turner for the only touchdown pass of the game, a nine-yard strike. At the half, Fairfield’s lead was 21-14.
“I thought our guys competed,” Bowlin said. “That's kind of our motto this year, is we're going to come out and compete every day, and get better every day.”
Late in the third quarter, Miller seemingly scored on a punt return, which would have put the Trojans up two scores, but a late flag took the score away, and two unsportsmanlike penalties on the Fairfield sidelines forced out Coach Nate Weaton via ejection.
“We teach our guys all the time that they have to own their actions,” Weaton said. “We're no different. I obviously wasn't very happy with the situation, but that's no excuse.”
But Weaton’s game plan didn’t waiver despite his absence from the field. The Trojans continued to pound the rock, and Miller scored his third touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter.
“They just kept pounding,” Weaton said. “We stuck to our game and found things that worked. I just can't say enough about those guys up front, who played good, physical football.”
Fairfield kicker Carter Moore added to his perfect night with a field goal to make it 31-14. Later in the fourth, Tallon Bates took his second interception of the night to the end zone for a pick-six.
Along with his 236 yards and three scores, Miller caught the Trojans’ only completed pass on the night, a two-yard pass from Landon Nodurft.
Wyatt Johnson had 97 yards rushing for the Trojans. Konczal led the defense with six total tackles.
Coleman went 4-for-14 passing for 65 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Mt. Pleasant.
Walker rushed for 38 yards to lead the Panthers on the ground. He also caught the longest pass of the day, a 36-yard strike. Payson Coleman caught one pass for seven yards.
Walker and Carter Andreasen coled the Panthers with eight tackles each. Turner finished the night with 168 total kick return yards, along with one score.
Fairfield (1-0) will play at Fort Madison (1-0) next week. Mt. Pleasant (0-1) will travel to West Burlington (1-0).
