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Eagles Fall In Heartbreaker At Fairmont

Posted on: September 9, 2018

Playing from behind for most of the night, the Milford Eagles nearly pulled out some overtime-forcing magic before coming up just short in heartbreaking fashion, 28-21 at Fairmont on Friday evening. Trailing by seven in the waning moments, the Eagles got as close as the Fairmont nine-yard line but couldn’t convert on the game’s final play.

 

For much of the night, it appeared that the Firebirds’ ability to flip field position on long interception and kickoff returns was going to prove to be the difference. Milford easily held the advantage in total yards (307-222), but Fairmont’s clock controlling, ground game chewed up large chunks of time on nearly every Firebird offensive possession.

 

Cameron Kells finished with his second straight three-touchdown, 100-yard rushing game, accounting for each of the Eagles scores. The swift and strong senior totaled 106 yards on the ground, while also grabbing a team-high six receptions for 33 yards. QB Hunter Johnson completed 20 of 34 passes for 185 yards with a pair of interceptions.

 

Fairmont held the ball for nearly eight minutes in the first quarter and scored the period’s only points on an eight-yard run by Jesse Deglow with 1:06 remaining in the period. The Eagles responded with a promising drive deep into Firebird territory but on third and goal at the nine, Ryan Hall stepped in front of a Johnson passed intended for Dylan Hughes. The Fairmont DB raced 64 yards the other way and with a facemask penalty added on, the home team was in business. Two plays later, Deglow broke loose from 18 yards out for his second score of the game.

 

On the next Eagles’ possession, the visitors seemingly took a page out of the Firebirds’ playbook with a 13-play, 66-yard drive that took 4:28 off the second quarter clock. Kells plunged in from two yards out to cap the drive and make it 14-7.

 

Fairmont started the second half with a 47-yard kickoff return by Marquise Williams that set the hosts up just past midfield. Despite needing to move just 48 yards, the Firebirds drained 8:03 off the clock to do so, with QB Braden Miller calling his own number for a one-yard touchdown.

 

As they did in the first half, Milford answered back with a long drive capped by a three-yard run by Kells. The big play of the drive came on fourth and five at the Fairmont 16 when Johnson connected with Jared Engelman on a 13-yard strike to set-up Kells.

 

The fourth quarter was same song, different verse as it opened with both team’s trading touchdown-scoring drives. Miller first scored from seven yards out for Fairmont, with Kells answering 3:30 later with a one-yard score.

 

Needing a stop to stay alive, the Eagles got it following a curious call to go for it on fourth down at the Milford 38 by Fairmont. Deglow, who finished the night with 131 yards and two touchdowns, fumbled with Milford’s Hayden Oberschlake pouncing on the loose ball. Johnson moved the Eagles down the field, connecting on throws of 19 yards to Jake Ayler, eight and 10 yards to Kells and 14 yards to Engelman. But with 3.3 seconds left, the Eagles couldn’t get it in the end zone on the game’s final play.

 

Safety Max Ward led the Milford defense with eight tackles, while Oberschlake, Conner Foster and Jacob Turner had seven apiece.

 

Click here for the final Milford-Fairmont game stats.

 

After three straight road games, the Eagles are finally back home in Week 4, opening Eastern Cincinnati Conference play against Walnut Hills.

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