WINNSBORO – With a 3-0 post-season record, Fairfield Central is headed to the Upper State Championship game on Friday. The Griffins will travel to Clinton High School to battle for a spot in the SCHSL AA State Championship game, to be played Dec. 13.
The Griffins rolled through the first and second rounds with a 60-6 win over Chesterfield on Nov. 15 and a 41-6 win over Chesnee High School on Nov. 22. That win was the ninth this season that the Griffins have held their opponents to single digit points.
Fairfield found a more formidable opponent in Central High School on Nov. 29 for the third round but still came away with a 20-point win.
The Griffins put up big numbers early and led 27-6 as time expired in the first quarter.
Kaden Diggs put Fairfield on the board first with a run from 22 yards out. A good PAT from Eric Martinez put Fairfield up 7-0 with 11 minutes remaining in the quarter.
Christopher Pearson came up with an interception to set Fairfield up on Central’s 31-yard line. Griffin workhorse TyDarion Grier punched in his first score of the night from 18 yards out. Martinez’s point after was good. Fairfield led 14-0 with eight minutes remaining in the first.
Central struck quickly with a 68-yard run for six, but the two point conversion failed.
Central recovered a Fairfield fumble on following next possession, but turned the ball over on downs at Fairfield’s 41-yard line. The Griffins fumbled again, but Fairfield’s Breone Whitaker picked up one of his own for a 31-yard scoop and score. The point after was no good. Fairfield led 20-6 with three minutes left in the first.
Kingston Peay quickly put the ball back in the hands of Fairfield’s offense with an interception on the Central 2-yard line. Grier ran it in from two yards out for his second score of the night. Martinez’s PAT put Fairfield up 27-6.
The second quarter was quieter. An interception from Christian Hingleton put Fairfield in possession on their own 32-yard line. A 29-yard touchdown pass from Diggs to Jayden Boyd would be the only score of the quarter. Jalen Squirewell came up with another interception in the second, but Fairfield could not capitalize before time expired in the half.
Down 33-6, Central looked to get back into the game in the third. They found the end zone on a 13-yard rush with eight minutes left in the third. A successful two-point conversion closed the lead to 33-14. A defensive stop gave Central the ball on Fairfield’s 46-yard line. They followed with a 14-yard touchdown pass, but missed the point after.
Fairfield’s lead narrowed to 33-20, but the Griffin offense struck quickly. Diggs and Boyd connected again for a score, this time on a 37-yard pass. Grier punched in a two-point conversion to give Fairfield a little cushion with a 41-20 lead.
Diggs ran in Fairfield’s only score of the fourth quarter from two yards out. Martinez added a point to give Fairfield a 48-20 lead with eight minutes remaining.
Central scored again on a 30-yard pass, but the two point conversion failed and left them with a 48-28 final.
Fairfield racked up 448 yards of total offense in the win. Diggs completed two of three passes on the night for two touchdowns. He tallied 59 yards on nine carries for two more scores. Grier amassed 235 yards on 25 carries for two touchdowns. Boyd had two receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns.
Fairfield’s defense was led by Chris Jackson, who had six solo tackles, 16 total. Douglas McCloud Jr had 10 total tackles on the night. Chauncery Turner, Whitaker, and McCloud Jr each had a sack.
The win moves Fairfield to 12-1 on the season, with just two games remaining. A win on the road on Friday will pit Fairfield in the state title game on Dec. 12 against the winner of Barnwell/Manning.
CHS – 6-0-14-8 – 28
FCHS – 27-6-8-1 – 48
