Washington and Fairfield set for showdown

Washington football fell in its first game of Class 3A District 4 play to rivals Mount Pleasant last Friday. The Panthers 44-20 win was their first victory in the series since 2008.

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The Demons (2-3, 0-1 3A-4) will hope to bounce back in a homecoming clash against traditional Southeast Conference foe Fairfield. They’ll also try to maintain another historical pattern of dominance against the Trojans, who have just one win over the Demons since 2012.

Miscues in the second quarter negated a shutout in the first 20 minutes for Washington against Mount Pleasant. A kickoff returned for a touchdown and an interception flipped the momentum after a strong start, and the Panthers never looked back.

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Still Washington’s rushing attack, led by mobile quarterback Kael Williams, clicked in the loss. Williams ran for 89 yards and three touchdowns. Caden Greiner chipped in 48 yards on eight carries.

Williams is tied for second in Class 3A with 10 rushing touchdowns. Defensively, Blaine Rees continues to produce, ranking second in 3A with 52 total tackles. Brady Krantz ranks fifth in the class with 10.5 tackles for loss.

The Trojans (1-4, 0-1) have themselves something to prove Friday night. Fairfield was battered 77-0 by No. 2 Solon in its last game. A collection of injuries, including starting quarterback Voss Richardson, put Fairfield behind the eight ball against one of the top teams in all of Class 3A. The Trojans have also suffered a few narrow high-scoring defeats in non-district play.

Fairfield at full strength also brings a talented rushing attack that will challenge the Washington defense. Ethan Bisgard leads the way with 471 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. His 8.4 yards per carry ranks No. 5 in Class 3A and signifies his ability to break open games out of Fairfield’s three-man backfield. Bisgard also has an 80 yard touchdown run this season.

Zandrik Allison, who also missed time against Solon due to an injury, is the second major component of the Trojans T-formation offense. Allison has 421 yards and four touchdowns this season. Richardson is no slouch himself in the run game with 185 yards and two scores and Spencer McCready has enjoyed a breakout senior season with 170 yards and three TDs.

Fairfield can compete in high scoring back-and-forth games and ranks third in Class 3A with 1,339 rushing yards. But the Trojans have also given up an average of 41.6 points per game, which has allowed opposing teams to sneak away with narrow wins.

Washington showed in 16-14 and 45-7 wins over Burlington and Oskaloosa, respectively, that it can grind opposing offenses to a halt with spirited defensive line play. The Demons have 263.5 tackles this season, tied for the sixth-most in Class 3A, along with 42 tackles for loss, which is the third most in the class.

However, the Demons have also thrown seven interceptions this season, the second most in 3A. Washington can ill-afford to turn the ball over multiple times and give extra possessions to a Fairfield side that will make teams pay with its complex ground game.

The amount of rushing talent on both squads could make for a tantalizing showdown offensively. The Washington defense will look to have another strong performance on its home turf, while Fairfield’s deep backfield will aim to play spoiler on the Demons homecoming night.

Washington and Fairfield will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Friday on Case Field. The game will be streamed on the Southeast Iowa Live YouTube and Facebook pages.

After the game, a moment of silence will be held for Washington senior Carson Ryan, who died in a hunting accident last weekend. Players from both Washington and Fairfield will meet at the center of the field.