By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

RUSH — When the Fairland Dragons get in trouble, they go to their Emergency Kitts.

In a game that saw the Dragons fall behind by 10 points, Kam Kitts supplied the key plays and clutch plays as the Dragons rallied for a 27-17 win over the Fairfield Union Falcons on Friday.

Kitts ran the ball 17 times for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns and also caught 4 passes for 49 yards and a score as he accounted for 123 of Fairland’s 311 yards and scored 3 of their 4 touchdowns.

Fairland (3-0) took the opening kickoff but fumbled 4 plays into the game and the Falcons recovered at the Dragons’ 38. Just 3 plays later, Falcons’ quarterback Hunter Clark ran 20 yards for the touchdown.

Owen Ruff kicked the conversion and it was 7-0 at the 10:25 mark.

Undaunted, Fairland answered with an 80-yard, 12-play drive capped by Kitts’ 2-yard scoring run. Aiden Miller kicked the conversion to tie the game at 7-all with 7:31 on the clock.

Fairfield Union had its own answer with a scoring drive of 85 yards that spilled over into the second quarter where Clark hit Isaiah Saleh with a 21-yard scoring pass play and the lead was 14-7 with 11:53 left in the half.

After a series of punts, the Falcons got the ball at the Fairland 30-yard line following a short punt.

The Falcons moved to the 12-yard line only to stall and Ruff booted a 29-yard field goal to make it 17-7 with just 1:54 left in the half.

That proved to be plenty of time for the Dragons who used a 15-yard penalty on third down to keep the drive alive. Quarterback Ethan Wall completed 4-of-6 passes in the drive including a dump pass to Kitts who ran it in for the score with just 14 seconds left in the half.

The conversion kick was blocked and the Falcons led 17-13 going into the break.

C.J. Graham intercepted a pass 2 plays into the second half that gave Fairland the ball at the 49-yard line. A 21-yard pass from Wall to Graham put the ball at the 19 and Kitts ran for the score from that point.

Miller’s kick gave Fairland a 20-17 lead with 10:18 on the third quarter clock.

Fairland got a big score on a unique play after the Falcons failed to convert on fourth down at the Dragons’ 39.

Wall hit Jack Hayden for 3 yards and then tried to go deep on the next play but the ball was underthrown and a Falcons’ defensive back stood in waiting to make the interception.

But Keegan Smith went off his route and came across the field and cut in front of the defensive back and made the catch. Smith then kept running down the sidelines another 30 yards for the touchdown as he completed the 70-yard scoring play.

Miller’s kick pushed the lead to 27-17 with 7:06 left in the quarter.

Fairfield Union got to the Fairland 36 only to fumble the ball away and another drive to the 21 early in the fourth quarter stalled after a dropped touchdown pass.

Besides Kitts, Wall was 15-of-25 for 184 yards and a score. Smith caught 3 passes for 73 yards and a TD.

Saleh had 41 yards on 6 carries and Clark 44 on 20 attempts as the Falcons had just 114 yards rushing and only 52 passing yards.

Saleh caught all 3 passes.

Fairland travels to Rock Hill on Friday in a battle of unbeaten as teams open Ohio Valley Conference play.

Fairland           7 6 14 0 = 27

Fairfield Union 7 10 0 0 = 17

First Quarter

FFU — Hunter Clark 20 run (Owen Ruff kick) 10:25

FRL — Kam Kitts 1 run (Aiden Miller kick) 7:21

Second Quarter

FFU — Isaiah Saleh 21 pass from Hunter Clark (Owen Ruff kick) 11:53

FFU — Owen Ruff 29 field goal 1:54

FRL — Kam Kitts 10 pass from Ethan Wall (kick failed) 0:14

Third Quarter

FRL — Kam Kitts 19 run (Aiden Miller kick) 10:18

FRL — Keegan Smith 70 pass from Ethan Wall (Aiden Miller kick) 7;06

———

FRLFFU

First downs 17 11

Rushes-yards 27-127 38-114

Passing yards 184 52

Total yards 311 166

Cmp-Att-Int 15-25-10 43-10-2

Fumbles-lost 3-2 2-1

Penalties-yards 7-85 6-55

Punts-average 4-22.8 1-27.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Fairland: Kam Kitts 17-74 TD, Jack Hayden 5-28, Ethan Wall 3-27, Eli Pine 1-0, Quentin Cremeans 1-minus 2; Fairfield Union: Isaiah Saleh 6-41, Owen Ruff 12-29, Hunter Clark 20-44.

PASSING–Fairland: Ethan Wall 15-25-0 184 2-TD; Fairfield Union: Hunter Clark 3-10-2 TD.

RECEIVING–Fairland: Keegan Smith 3-73 TD, Kam Kitts 4-49 TD, Conner Black 2-23, C.J. Graham 3-18, Jack Hayden 3-21; Fairfield Union: Isaiah Saleh 3-52 TD.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.