Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WEST PORTSMOUTH — The Fairland Dragons keep playing the Portsmouth West Senators close, and West keeps winning by a narrow margin.
The Senators did it again on Friday as they held on to edge the Dragons 20-18 in the season opener for both teams.
Dylan Bradford was 11-of-14 passing for 181 yards and two touchdowns to lead West. Garrett Hurd ran 17 times for 88 yards and had three catches for 49 yards with Josh Berry grabbing six receptions for 114 yards and both scoring passes.
Running back Keedrick Cunningham carried 18 times for 65 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 56 yards and a score.
Quarterback Joel Lambiotte was 7-of-12 passing for 100 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once. He also ran nine times for 44 yards.
Fullback Chase Fisher ran four times for 10 yards and a touchdown.
Fairland scored first midway through the first quarter on a 2-yard run by Fisher. The conversion failed.
West tied the game on a 45-yard pass from  Bradford to Josh Berry with 6:07 left in the half.
The Dragons answered with a 1-yard scoring run by Cunningham to lead 12-6 with just 1:08 to go in the half.
But that was enough time for the Senators who scored on a 21-yard pass from Bradford to Berry with only 13 seconds on the clock. Drew Cassidy kicked the extra point and it was 13-12 at the break.
West took a 20-12 lead on a 15-yard touchdown run by Hurd with 8:12 on the third quarter clock.
Fairland got within 20-18 on a 28-yård pass from Lambiotte to Cunningham but the conversion pass failed with 1:41 on the clock.
Fairland visits Wheelersburg next Friday.
Fairland    6    6    6    0    =    18
Ports. West    0    13    7    0    =    20
First Quarter
Fa — Chase Fisher 2 run (kick failed) 6:11
Second Quarter
PW — Josh Berry 45 pass from Dylan Bradford (run failed) 6:07
FA — Keedrick Cunningham 1 run (run failed) 1:08
PW — Josh Berry 21 pass from Dylan Bradford (Drew Cassidy kick) 0:13
Third Quarter
PW — Garrett Hurd 15 run (Drew Cassidy kick) 8:12
Fa — Keedrick Cunningham 28 pass from Joel Lambiotte (pass failed) 1:41