Fake punt TD, penalties doom Chester
Nearly 200 yards in penalties cost Chester a region championship in a loss to Fairfield Central Friday night.
The Cyclones were flagged 20 times, including a penalty that negated a third down defensive stop on Fairfield Central’s final drive. The Griffins, who have beaten Chester nine straight times, took advantage of the fresh set of downs, Tony Ruff’s 15-yard touchdown run icing a 34-24 win for the visitors.
“Everytime we get together with them it’s a rivalry. I don’t think they care a lot about us, and we don’t care a whole lot about them either,” said Fairfield Central coach Demetrius Davis. “But my hat’s off to coach Floyd, he does a great job and he has a daggum good football team here in Chester.”
Fairfield Central (6-3, 3-0 Region 4-3A) threw a 41-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt to take a 27-24 lead early in the fourth quarter, then intercepted Chester two times in the fourth quarter to clinch the win. The Cyclones (8-2, 3-1) had only thrown three interceptions all season but picked the worst game of the year in which to throw four. A first win over Fairfield Central since 2008 would have clinched the region title for Victor Floyd’s team.
“We just couldn’t get anything going in the second half,” said Floyd. “We just kind of self-destructed. Every time we got some movement we got a penalty, backed us up, take ourselves out of position.”
Chester scored in two first half spurts to take a 24-19 lead into the intermission. John Erby’s 2-yard TD run and 25-yard field goal gave the home team a 10-0 cushion inside the first 6 minutes that was promptly erased by Fairfield Central through a NyDarious Williamson scoring catch and an Ah’Quil Ross interception. That led to a Jacob McManus 4-yard touchdown run on a slickly executed zone-read to put the Griffins ahead 13-10 in the second quarter.
The Cyclones scored within three minutes behind a 5-yard Pha’Leak Brown touchdown push. T.J. Hollis’ leaping interception of a hotly thrown McManus pass gave Chester the ball back, and despite another laundry load’s worth of yellow handkerchiefs, the Cyclones pushed their lead to 24-13, Quay Hardin out-leaping his defender for a 16-yard TD.
There was still time for Fairfield Central to reduce the deficit before half, a 42-yard Ruff sprint getting the Griffins deep into Chester’s side of the field. The home clock operator caught grief for stopping the scoreboard with 0.9 seconds left in the half and his sheepishness grew when McManus lobbed an 18-yard touchdown pass to J.R. Edmonds on the next play as time finally expired.
Neither side scored in the third before Fairfield Central took control in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 unanswered points to continue its winning streak against the Cyclones.
Turning point
Trailing 24-19 early fourth quarter, Fairfield Central’s offensive possession stalled and the Griffins sent out the punt team. It felt like prime territory - and time in the game - to try a fake. Chester called timeout but that didn’t change what the visitors were about to do.
“We were gonna fake it anyway. We knew we had a look they weren’t prepared for,” said Davis. “That was a time where we needed to win this football game, or jump on the bus and go home.”
Ah’Quil Ross never stopped running, offering his arms in front of him. What looked like an overthrown football fell into them and he raced into the left side of the end zone and up the hill behind it as the Griffins’ sideline went delirious.
“I think the good Lord extended his arms a bit,” said Davis. “I honestly can’t tell you how he caught that ball. Great play.”
Critical
Chester had scored at least 35 points in each of its eight straight wins but it couldn’t get out of its own way Friday night. The Cyclones had 10 penalties for 93 yards in the first half, and still scored on four of their five offensive possessions. But that luck ran out in the second half as Floyd’s crew finished with 189 yards in penalties.
Star contributors
Chester defensive end Daryl Lowry was one of just five seniors recognized on Senior Night; he had a good game with a couple of tackles-for-loss.
Fairfield Central’s rushing attack rode Ruff’s scurrying - he had 120 yards and two touchdowns - and Dorian Glenn’s bashing - he finished 112 yards on just 11 attempts.
On deck
Chester’s regular season is over; the Cyclones can chill next week and recover physically before the 3A state playoffs commence the following week. Fairfield Central hosts Indian Land next week, the Griffins having already clinched the region championship because of the Warriors’ loss to Camden Friday night.
Box score
Fairfield Central 34, Chester 24
Fairfield Central;7;12;0;15 - 34
Chester;10;14;0;0 - 24
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
CHS - John Erby 2 run (Erby kick), 9:58
CHS - Erby 25-yard field goal, 6:19
FCHS - NyDarious Williamson 8 pass from Jacob McManus (Antonio Aguilera kick), 0:15
Second quarter
FCHS - McManus 4 run (kick failed), 7:58
CHS - Pha’Leak Brown 5 run (2-point pass), 5:01
CHS - Quay Hardin 16 pass from Erby (2-point pass failed), 1:26
FCHS - J.R. Edmonds 18 pass from McManus (2-point pass failed), 0:00
Third quarter
N/A
Fourth quarter
FCHS - Ah’Quil Ross 41 pass from Quay McBride (2-point pass), 11:45
FCHS - Tony Ruff 15 run (Aguilera kick), 1:28
TEAM STATISTICS
FCHS;CHS
First downs;15;23
Rushes-yards;45-269;37-190
Passing;6-15-2;10-21-4
Passing yards;82;154
Fumbles-lost;0-0;0-0
Penalties;7-71;20-189
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING FCHS: Tony Ruff 24-120; Montavious Thompson 5-23; Christopher Suber 1-2; Dorian Glenn 11-112; Jacob McManus 4-12. CHS: John Erby 16-58; Stan Mills 7-55; Pha’Leak Brown 14-77.
PASSING FCHS: McManus 5-13-2, 41 yards; Thompson 0-1-0; Quay McBride 1-1-0, 41 yards. CHS: Erby 10-21-4, 154 yards.
RECEIVING FCHS: Jamas Goins 1-9; NyDarious Williams 1-8; J.R. Edmonds 1-18; Thompson 2-6; Ah’Quil Ross 1-41. CHS: Quay Hardin 2-37; T.J. Hollis 2-30; Ly’Terrance Mills 1-8; Stan Mills 1-10; Brown 1-10; Terrance Mills 2-38; Zion Mills 1-21.
RECORDS Fairfield Central (6-3, 3-0 Region 4-3A); Chester (8-2, 3-1 Region 4-3A)
This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 10:20 PM with the headline "Fake punt TD, penalties doom Chester."