KETTERING, Ohio – Fairmont leaned on a punishing rushing attack and delivered when it mattered most Friday night, knocking off No. 11 La Salle, 24-21, in a back-and-forth battle.
The Firebirds rushed for 317 yards on 62 carries and possessed the football for more than 33 minutes, but still needed one final answer after La Salle grabbed its first lead of the night in the fourth quarter.
Fairmont struck first on a 42-yard field goal by Carson Newald, but La Salle responded in dramatic fashion when Izak Campbell returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown late in the opening quarter.
The Firebirds regained the lead on a 5-yard touchdown run by Liam Harkenrider in the second quarter. La Salle answered just before halftime as quarterback Garrett Frayley connected with Naseer Salaam for a 37-yard touchdown, sending the Lancers to the locker room with a 14-9 advantage.
Fairmont’s ground game continued to wear on the La Salle defense after the break. Harkenrider scored his second touchdown on a 3-yard run late in the third quarter, and a successful two-point conversion put the Firebirds back in front, 17-14.
La Salle had another response.
Frayley found Jack McLaughlin for a 15-yard touchdown with 8:52 remaining, giving the Lancers a 21-17 advantage and setting up a dramatic finish.
Fairmont then put together the drive of the night. The Firebirds reclaimed the lead when Theo VonHandorf scored on a 1-yard run with 2:04 remaining, completing the scoring and giving Fairmont the 24-21 victory.
The Firebirds’ commitment to the run proved decisive. Damien Pattin carried 27 times for 127 yards, while Harkenrider rushed nine times for 37 yards and two touchdowns. Davion Porter added 74 yards on only four attempts, including a 68-yard run.
Fairmont finished with 356 total yards, including 317 on the ground, compared with 174 yards for La Salle. The Firebirds converted 11-of-16 third downs and ran 67 offensive plays while controlling possession for 33:16.
La Salle’s offense struggled to establish its running game, managing only 56 yards on 19 attempts. Frayley completed 10-of-20 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns with one interception while adding 38 yards on the ground.
The Lancers’ defense spent much of the night on the field but kept them within striking distance. Javion Presswood recorded 17 tackles, Haden Neff added 15 and Nikari Isaacs finished with 12. Matthew Thaler contributed nine tackles and a sack.
In the end, however, Fairmont’s relentless ground attack and final fourth-quarter response were enough to hand No. 11 La Salle its first loss of the season.
SCORING BY QUARTERS
La Salle: 7-7-0-7-21
Fairmont: 3-6-8-7-24
SCORING PLAYS
F – Carson Newald 42-yard field goal
L – Izak Campbell 60-yard fumble recovery return (Grayson Bedacht kick)
F – Liam Harkenrider 5-yard run (kick failed)
L – Naseer Salaam 37-yard pass from Garrett Frayley (Grayson Bedacht kick)
F – Liam Harkenrider 3-yard run (Damien Pattin conversion)
L – Jack McLaughlin 15-yard pass from Garrett Frayley (Grayson Bedacht kick)
F – Theo VonHandorf 1-yard run (Demaris Shafeek kick)
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