EAGLES JUNIOR RUNNING BACK Anthony Price sprints into the endzone well ahead of defenders in the season opener against the Ferris Yellowjackets. Attacking on the ground and through the air, the Fairfield high school Eagles scored five touchdowns to win the 2010 football season opener against the Ferris Yellowjackets.

Final score was 35-17, and the Eagles took a knee in the final seconds just short of the Ferris goal line.

“We played pretty well on both sides of the ball,” FHS head coach Darrell Piske says. “We contained their quarterback, except on one play.”

Containing the quarterback is a key in playing Ferris—-the Yellowjackets run an option style offense.

Fairfield racked up 386 yards on offense and scored on five of eight possessions in the contest.

The Eagles played smashmouth football, keeping the ball inside the hashmarks and driving it down the throats of the Yellowjackets.

FAIRFIELD SENIOR TAILBACK Robert Durham gets some help from a block by wide receiver Darian Scott. Accounting for 146 yards on the ground was senior tailback Robert Durham, while junior runningback Anthony Price gained 85 and sophomore fullback Cody Sell kicked in 40.

Senior quarterback Justin Terry completed eight of nine passes for 108 yards. On the receiving end, Darian Scott hauled in five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown and Jacob Cain caught one for

38-yard touchdown.

Fairfield showed its new look on the first possession of the game, taking the opening kickoff and driving 72 yards in eight plays to score on a Price run from eight yards out.

Senior kicker Rudi Castillo added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with just 4:33 minutes run off the clock.

Durham gained 41 yards on just three carries, including a 33-yarder, Terry hit Scott for completions of 11 and six yards.

The quick score did not rattle the Yellowjackets who answered with a touchdown on a 53-yard run by quarterback Ryan Kidwell, capping a 5-play, 70-yard drive. The extra point boot tied the score at the midway mark of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Scott pounced on a Ferris fumble which set up a 6-play scoring drive that covered 68 yards.

On those six plays, five were first downs.

Durham gobbled up 35 yards on four rushes and Price picked up the rest, including the touchdown on a 12-yard run. Castillo added the extra point for a 14-7 lead the Eagles would not relinquish the rest of the night.

After stopping the Yellowjackets and taking over on their own 22 yard line, the Eagles marched downfield again to score on a 7-yard pass from Terry to Scott. Castillo added the extra point for a 21-7 advantage with 50 seconds remaining in the first half.

The Eagles worked on their passing game in the 12-play drive, going to the air four times with completions to Blake Davis and Scott. And, the Eagles overcame a bad snap that cost 19 yards.

Possibly the biggest play of the night came early in the third period when Ferris punted the ball and Fairfield fumbled the return, giving the Yellowjackets possession 11 yards away from the end zone.

Fairfield held and Ferris had to settle for a 32-yard field goal, bringing the score to 21-10.

“The defense just bowed their necks,” Piske declares.

The Eagles set up shop on their Ferris 47 yard line after the ensuing kickoff and proceeded to march down the field again and score on a 2-yard plunge by Durham. Castillo’s kick made it 28-10 with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter.

After holding Ferris again, Fairfield went 51 yards in five plays for their fifth touchdown, a 38-yard pass from Terry to Cain. The extra point boot by Castillo made it 35-10 with 9:55 remaining in the game.

Piske explains that Cain was running a decoy route, but because he ran it hard he got well behind the defender who dropped off coverage. As the play was designed, Cain was the third target and became the primary target when the other two were covered.

“That was a big thing to me, seeing the receivers coming off the ball hard, and he was rewarded with a touchdown,” Piske says. Even though they were trailing by 25 points, Ferris still had some life and marched 57 yards in 13 plays to score on a 1-yard run. A 2-point conversion try failed.

Fairfield return man Jose Garcia took an onsides kick try at the 48 yard line and picked up 25 yards to the Ferris 27 for the final offensive series of the night.

Fullback Sell carried five straight times, gaining 23 yards, before Terry took a knee to run out the clock.

Piske was pleased with the debut performance, which gave coaches a good look at areas that still need some work.

“Defensively, we tackled pretty good,” the coach says. “The offensive line played well, the runningbacks ran hard and took care of the football, and our receivers did a good job of blocking.”

The Eagles were flagged for five penalties early in the game, then played about two and one-half quarters without an infraction.

“It was just anxiousness. They were pretty wired before the game,” Piske says.

Defensively, senior inside linebacker Brodrick White made nine solo tackles, two for losses, and had eight assists.

Junior linebacker A.J. Gabriel made five solo stops, two for losses, and had eight assists.

The Eagles hit the road this Friday to play the Hillsboro Eagles.