SPORTS

Fairfield pushes past Shelby, remains undefeated

Grady Higgins
ghiggins@greatfallstribune.com

FAIRFIELD - A near stalemate for three quarters, something was bound to shake loose.

Make that someone.

Fairfield quarterback Luke Batson ripped off a pair of long scoring plays after intermission, including a 76-yard touchdown run, lifting the Eagles to a 19-0 win over Shelby in battle of the unbeaten here Friday night.

On a chilly evening with the usual gusts making an appearance, Batson made up for Fairfield’s lack of passing with his legs, finishing the contest with 190 yards and three scores on the ground.

Up just 7-0 after three quarters after several stalled drives and a pair of turnovers, Batson took the ball up the left sideline from his own 24, securing the edge past Shelby defenders to speed his way into the end zone.

The score put the Eagles up 13-0 with just one minute gone by in the fourth.

A little bit of déjà vu came two drives later, as Batson again toted the rock up the left sideline, motoring his way to pay dirt, essentially icing the game at 19-0 with under seven minutes to play.

The Eagles (7-0) are now a virtual lock for another District 1B title with one game remaining in the regular season after handing the Coyotes (6-1) their first loss of the season.

“It’s always good to win the 1B because it’s such a powerhouse district,” Batson said. “It was a really gritty win, too. The passing game really wasn’t on point and that’s my blame but the line stepped up blocking and we stepped it up in the running game which was awesome.”

The Fairfield defense stepped up once again, stymying a Shelby offense led by talented signal caller Aaron White which had been averaging over 46 points per game this season.

The Eagles picked off White three times on the night, including two by defensive back Ryder Meyer, while also forcing a fumble in the fourth quarter as the Coyotes attempted to mount a comeback.”

“It’s really good feeling,” said Batson, who also plays defensive back. “Our goal was to shut them out … props to our whole team on that.”

Fairfield head coach Les Meyer said it the defensive unit played excellent as a whole, stopping Zach Torgerson and the Shelby running game while also avoiding big plays from White to deep threat Andrew Johnson.

“Everybody has their own piece of the puzzle,” Meyer said referring to his defense. “The (front seven) did a good job of stopping the run and the big thing was we didn’t want to give up anything over the top and they did a good job of keeping everything in front of them.”

The Eagles managed to gain the advantage in a frustrating half for both sides, with Batson capping a five-play drive on a short field after a short Shelby punt with a 17-yard scoring scamper near the end of the first.

The Coyotes methodically moved the ball downfield on the opening possession of the game, picking up five first downs before stalling in Eagle territory.

Shelby picked up solid chunks on the ground from Torgerson and through the air from White on the possession, but an offensive pass interference call in the end zone on Johnson backed the Coyotes up significantly, eventually turning it over on downs.

Neither offense mustered much in the ensuing possessions of the first half following Batson’s first scoring run, as Fairfield turned it over on downs twice on top of an interception by Torgerson.

Shelby suffered a pair of turnovers and a punt in that span, with Dawson Allen and Ryder Meyer each picking off White.

The Eagles finish out the regular season next Friday against Choteau, while Shelby takes on Cut Bank in what likely will be a fight for the No. 2 seed in the conference and a playoff spot.

Shelby …0 0 0 0 – 0

Fairfield… 7 0 0 12 – 19

FAIRFIELD – Luke Batson 17 run (Cantor Coverdell kick)

FAIRFIELD – Batson 76 run (kick failed)

FAIRFIELD – Batson 46 run (pass failed)

Five Takeaways

1. Dawson Peterman doesn’t get a ton of carries for Fairfield, but he sure makes good use of his touches. The senior had several tough runs on the night on just five carries, including a 20-yard run in the fourth quarter from his own four-yard line to give his team breathing room.

2. Dawson Allen continued his solid season in the defensive backfield for Fairfield, breaking up several downfield passes as Shelby tried to get the ball over the top, also securing one pick to help lead a fine effort by the Eagles’ secondary along with Ryder Meyer.

3. Neither team was able to mount really anything through the air on a very windy night, but Fairfield did a good job of containing the Coyotes’ run game, led by Zach Torgerson who has had several big games this season.

4. Shelby had a hard time sustaining drives on a night where the Coyotes just didn’t seem themselves, picking up only four first downs in the second half, two of which were on the final drive of the game, after picking up five first downs on its opening drive.

5. Fairfield has now won 19 games in a row and can cap another perfect regular season against Choteau next weekend.