SPORTS

Coshocton loses heartbreaker to Fairless

Cameron Teague Robinson
Reporter
A group of Coshocton defenders run Fairless Qb, Christian Simmons out of bounds.

COSHOCTON – The Coshocton Redskins dug themselves into a hole they just couldn't pull themselves out of in their 28-27 loss in the season opener against Fairless.

The Redskins fell down 21-7 with 8:16 to go in the first half, and despite taking the lead in the third quarter, they didn't have enough gas to keep it going.

"Right off the bat, I thought it took us awhile to adjust and gain speed. I think that was our biggest issue," coach Jim Woodrum said. "Once the game continued we got better, we just couldn't dig ourselves out of the hole."

"I think it starts with practice. I think we had been slacking off a little bit in practice and I think we need to start treating practices more like games, so when it comes game time we are ready to go," Jake Fortney, who finished with 116 yards on 16 carries said.

Despite the hole the Redskins started with, they fought back. Two Andrew Mason touchdowns, a 36-yard run and a 51-yard throw to Zach Michael, cut the Falcons lead down to 21-19.

A fourth down stop at the half gave the Redskins just what they needed — rest and an opportunity.

"I think we did a really good job coming back. Our defense really stepped up," Fortney said.

The same defense that gave up three-straight touchdowns in the first half, turned it around and held the Falcons scoreless for five drives until early in the fourth quarter.

But that's when things started to go wrong for the Redskins.

The fourth quarter started with the Redskins leading 27-21, Mason stepped back and threw a pass across the middle to Dallas Griffiths. The ball went through his hands and into Fairless defender Nathan Kennedy's.

Fairless began that drive on the Redskins 47-yard line and it took them three plays before they took the lead back.

But, with 10:44 left on the clock the Redskins still had time to bring it back.

"We got to the point where we had an opportunity, but when you have that many guys playing so much, when the opportunity presents itself that they have to make the play, they were worn out," Woodrum said.

Following the Falcons touchdown drive, Fortney exploded for a 22-yard run, but right after that came a fumbled snap which was recovered by Fairless with less than eight minutes on the clock.

"We made some mistakes, but we kept trying all the way until the clock was dead gone," Fortney said.

The defense came back out on the field and forced the Falcons to turn the ball over on downs, giving the Redskins' offense one last shot with less than three minutes to go in the game.

A pass interference call on the Falcons, followed by a 15-yard connection between Griffiths and Mason, and an 11-yard connection between Mason and Tanner Ward, got the Redskins down to the Falcons 34.

"I thought we were going all the way, I thought we would score and time was going to be up. I thought that's how it was going to end, but it's not how it turned out I guess," Fortney said.

Mason was sacked on the next play forcing the Redskins back 10 yards, then three straight incompletions ended their comeback effort.

"We told them the opportunity was there and we had the chance to walk out here with a win, but it just didn't happen," Woodrum said. "Like I said we just didn't have enough gas left in the tank for it to happen. It wasn't because a lack of effort. It was there."

The Redskins will now have to switch their mindset and prepare for a tough matchup with St. Clairsville High School next Saturday.

"I just told them that St. Clairsville is not feeling sorry for us one bit. If we want to sit around and pout about this loss then we are in trouble," Woodrum said. "We need to get back to work on Monday. It's not like we haven't been in this position before, we just have to fight through it."

cteaguerob@gannett.com

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Twitter: @cj_teague