Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — It was the Air Force vs. the Army. And it was one heck of a battle.
The Fairland Dragons pitted their passing game against the ground attack of the Rock Hill Redmen in Friday’s Ohio Valley Conference game.
The Dragons scored with 1:27 to play as they outlasted the Redmen 42-35.
Fairland (3-2, 1-1) had 496 total yards with quarterback Joel Lambiotte hitting 16-of-22 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran 13 times for 75 yards and two TDs including the winning score.
The Dragons rushed for 160 yards on 26 carries led by Lambiotte and Michael Stitt with 67 yards on 10 carries.
Gavin Hunt caught four passes for 179 yards and two TDs while Reilly Sowards had eight grabs for 108 yards and two scores.
Rock Hill (1-4, 0-2) continued to pound on the ground with 60 rushing attempts for 412 yards. With starting quarterback Brayden Friend out with an injury, the Redmen had just 5 yards passing.
Logan Hankins and Zak Adkins each ran for 141 yards, Hankins on 25 carries and Adkins on 17. Fullback T.J. McGinnis rushed 17 times for 134 yards. McGinnis had three TDs and Hankins two.
The Redmen were also without two-way end Wyatt Brammer and were forced to play two backup players in the secondary due to injuries.
Fairland jumped out to a 21-0 lead before Rock Hill rallied to take a 35-28 lead. Fairland scored to get within 35-34 and missed the conversion, thus setting up the go-ahead score and critical two-point conversion.
The Dragons needed just four plays to take a 14-0 first quarter lead.
Lambiotte teamed up with Hunt on a 57-yard pass on third-and-4 to make it 7-0 at the 9-minute mark of the first quarter.
Rock Hill drove to the Fairland 40, but fumbled and the Dragons returned the loose ball to the Redmen 44.
Lambiotte hit Hunt with a scoring pass on the next play and it was 14-0 at the 5:50 mark.
The Dragons went 69 yards in just five plays on their next possession with Lambiotte running 4 yards for the touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Rock Hill then put together a 66-yard, 12-play drive capped by Hankins’ 1-yard run. Brady Floyd’s conversion kick cut the spread to 21-7 with 5:57 left in the half.
The Redmen took the second half kickoff and went 59 yards in seven plays to score on a 4-yard run by McGinnis. Floyd’s kick made it 21-14 at the 8:52 mark.
After forcing a punt, the Redmen went 75 yards in five plays as McGinnis broke loose on a 53-yard touchdown run. Floyd’s kick tied the game with 3:33 on the clock.
Fairland was able to regain the lead at 28-21 on a 10-yard fast screen pass to Sowards with 1:10 left in the quarter.
But Rock Hill rallied to take the lead to start the fourth quarter.
A 57-yard run by Adkins got the ball to the 3-yard line and Hankins scored from 3 yards out with 11:18 to go. However, the conversion kick failed and the Redmen trailed 28-27.
The Redmen recovered a fumble at their own 43 and four plays later McGinnis ran 7 yards for the score as Rock Hill took a 33-28 lead with 8:13 left. Hankins powered his way into the end zone for the important conversion and a 35-28 lead.
Fairland needed just two plays to score as Lambiotte hit Hunt on a 57-yard pass play and Sowards for a 17-yard score. The conversion kick missed and the Redmen were up 35-34.
Rock Hill was forced to punt and the Dragons went 52 yards in 10 plays for the score. Lambiotte went one-yard for the go-ahead TD and then threw to Sowards for the critical conversion with 1:27 to play.
Rock Hill was unable to get a first down and turned the ball over to the Dragons who took a knee to end the game.
Next Friday, Fairland visits Gallipolis while Rock Hill goes to South Point.
Fairland 14 7 7 14 = 42
Rock Hill 0 7 14 14 = 35
First Quarter
Fa — Gavin Hunt 57 pass from Joel Lambiotte (Alec Bruce kick) 9:00
Fa — Gavin Hunt 44 pass from Joel Lambiotte (Alec Bruce kick) 5:50
Second Quarter
Fa — Joel Lambiotte 4 run (Alec Bruce kick) 11:52
RH — Logan Hankins 1 run (Brady Floyd kick) 5:57
Third Quarter
RH — T.J. McGinnis 4 run (Brady Floyd kick) 8:52
RH — T.J. McGinnis 53 run (Brady Floyd kick) 3:33
Fa — Reilly Sowards 10 pass from Joel Lambiotte (Alec Bruce kick) 1:10
Fourth Quarter
RH — Logan Hankins 3 run (kick failed) 11:18
RH — T.J. McGinnis 7 run (Logan Hankins run) 8:13
Fa — Reilly Sowards 17 pass from Joel Lambiotte (kick failed) 7:01
Fa — Joel Lambiotte 1 run (Reilly Sowards pass from Lambiotte) 1:27
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Fa RH
First downs 23 17
Rushes-yards 26-160 60-412
Passing yards 336 5
Total yards 496 417
Cmp-Att-Int 16-22-0 2-4-0
Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-1
Penalties-yards 4-35 2-20
Punts-average 1-36.0 2-18.0
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Individual Leaders
RUSHING —Fairland: Joel Lambiotte 13-75, Michael Stitt 10-67, J.D. Brumfield 3-18; Rock Hill: T.J. McGinnis 17-134, Logan Hankins 25-141, Zak Adkins 17-141, Hunter Massie 1-minus 4.
PASSING — Fairland: Joel Lambiotte 16-22-0 336; Rock Hill: Hunter Massie 2-2-0 5, Logan Hankins 0-2-0.
RECEIVING — Fairland: Reilly Sowards 8-108, Gavin Hunt 4-179, Michael Stitt 1-8, Blaine Cremeans 1-25, Robbie McFarland 1-7, Zeke Ramey 1-9; Rock Hill: Logan Hankins 2-5.