By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — It might not have been Military Appreciation Night, but it was certainly the Army versus the Air Force.

The Portsmouth Trojans stuck to the ground game while the Fairland Dragons were almost exclusively taking to the air in an exciting Division 5 Region 19 playoff game.

Portsmouth (6-5) used the running of 5-foot-8, 185-pound Chase Heiland who proved to be the definition of a workhorse as he racked up 43 carries for 376 yards and scored 4 touchdowns in a 50-38 upset of the No.2 seeded Dragons.

Fairland (9-2) rode the arm of senior quarterback Peyton Jackson who completed 21-of-39 passes for 356 yards with 5 touchdown passes and 2 interceptions.

Both players needed a group of teammates to accomplish their impressive numbers.

Fairland threw out a plethora of receivers that included Brycen Hunt, Christian Collins, Keegan Smith, Jack Hayden and Will Davis with running back Quentin Cremeans catching a pass.

Hunt caught 7 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown while Collins had a career night with 7 receptions for 125 yards and 2 TDs.

Collins also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

But Portsmouth countered with an offensive line that included Dylan Sanderlin, Landen Boren, Leo Poxes, Wesley Runyon, Charles Fletcher and tight end Noah Livingston.

Portsmouth trailed 32-31 entering the fourth quarter and held Fairland on downs at its own 41. Heiland broke off a 31-yard run and quarterback Camron Williams raced 22 yards 2 plays later for the score as the Trojans went up 37-32 with 9:43 to play. The conversion pass failed.

Williams finished the game with 79 yards on 11 carries and 3 touchdowns.

But Fairland answered as Smith returned the kickoff 31 yards to the Trojans 46.

The Dragons scored 6 plays later as Jackson hit Collins on a 10-yard pass over the middle. The conversion pass failed and it was 38-37 with 6:48 to play.

Fairland tried an onside kickoff that the Trojans recovered at the Dragons’ 48. It took 4 plays to score with Heiland breaking free on a 35-yard run  with 4:48 left. The conversion run failed and it was 43-38.

Collins returned the kickoff 46 yards to the Portsmouth 42 and the Dragons appeared to be in business. But a fourth down pass was intercepted by Noah Livingston at the 28 and he returned it to the 41.

Heiland broke free on a 46-yard run to the Dragons 13 and then he carried 3 straight times including the final 6 yards for the score. Zach Roth kicked the conversion and it was 50-38 with just 1:54 to go.

Fairland began its next drive at the 27 and 3 straight completions got the ball to the Portsmouth 38. But Leeland Scurlock picked off a pass at the 15-yard line with 1:18 left and the Trojans ran out the clock.

Fairland took a 3-0 lead to start the scoring when Miller hit a 34-yard field goal with 6:59 on the first quarter clock.

Portsmouth went up 7-3 when Williams ran 18 yards with 4:26 left in the quarter only to have Fairland go 70 yards in just 6 plays capped by a 20-yard pass from Jackson to Collins.

The Trojans tied the game at 10 on a 25-yard field goal by Roth but Fairland went 64 yards in 6 plays aided by a pair of Portsmouth penalties to regain the lead as Jackson hit Cremeans on a 26-yard pass to make it 17-10

Heiland powered his way for a 4-yard TD run to finish off a 70-yard, 12-play march to take an 18-17 lead as Williams turned a bad snap into a conversion run.

But it was Collins again who answered the bell with a 74-yard kickoff return for the score. Jackson threw to Smith for the conversion and Fairland led 25-18 with 1:23 left in the half.

Fairland opened up a 32-18 lead with 8:40 on the third quarter clock as Hunt and Jackson connected on a 51-yard scoring strike on the Dragons first play of the half.

Portsmouth came back with an 80-yard scoring drive that took 7 plays with Heiland bolting 46 yards for the TD and the Trojans trailed 32-25.

Fairland got to the Portsmouth 40 but a bad snap on fourth down ended the drive as Portsmouth took over on the Dragons’ 43.

The Trojans scored 4 plays later as Williams went 23 yards on a keeper to cut the deficit to 32-31 with only 13 seconds left in the quarter.

Portsmouth will play at Wheelersburg next Friday in the quarterfinals.

Portsmouth 7 11 13 19 = 50

Fairland   10 15 7 6 = 38

First Quarter

Fa – Aeden Miller 34 field goal 6:59

Prt — Camron Williams 18 run (Zach Roth kick) 4:26

Fa — Christian Collins 20 pass from Peyton Jackson (Aeden Miller kick) 2:57

Second Quarter

Prt — Zach Roth 25 field goal 9:11

Fa — Quentin Cremeans 26 pass from Peyton Jackson (Aeden Miller kick)7:29

Prt — Chase Heiland 4 run (Camron Williams run) 11:39

Fa — Christian Collins 74 kickoff return (Keegan Smith pass from Peyton Jackson) 1:23

Third Quarter

Fa — Brycen Hunt 51 pass from Peyton Jackson (Aeden Miller kick) 8:40

Prt — Chase Heiland 46 run (Zach Roth kick) 4:25

Prt — Camron Williams 23 run (run failed) 0:13

Fourth Quarter

Prt — Camron Williams 22 run (pass failed) 9:43

Fa – Christian Collins 10 pass from Peyton Jackson (pass failed) 6:48

Prt — Chase Heiland 35 run (run failed) 4:48

Prt — Chase Heiland 6 run (Zach Roth kick) 1:54

———

PrtFa

First downs 23 21

Rushes-yards 60-504 13-minus 16

Passing yards 0 356

Total yards 504 340

Cmp-Att-Int 1-2-0 21-40-2

Fumbles-lost 1-0 4-0

Penalties-yards 8-67.5 5-25

Punts-average 2-35.5 4-41.0

———

Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Portsmouth: Chase Heiland 43-376 4-TD, Camron Williams 11-74 3-TD, J.T. Williams 5-46, Fernando Poxes 1-3. Fairland: Quentin Cremeans 5-8, Peyton Jackson 5-minus 20, Team 3-minus 4.

PASSING–Portsmouth: Camron Williams 1-1-0 0, J.T. Williams 0-1-0. Fairland: Peyton Jackson 21-39-2 357 5-TD, Brycen Hunt 0-1-0.

RECEIVING–Portsmouth: Trevin Brooks 1-0. Fairland: Brycen Hunt 7-128 TD, Christian Collins 7-125 2-TD, Quentin Cremeans 1-26 TD, Will Davis 1-27, Jack Hayden 4-28, Keegan Smith 2-22.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.