No. 4 Fairview Aggies very solid in 5A, Region 7 opener:
Two TDs late in the 2nd allows the Aggies to control the contest:
GDW Analysis:
WEST POINT: Sensing a comeback attempt by the West Point Warriors late in the 2nd quarter of Friday's game, the Fairview Aggies laid that process to rest with two scores, controlling the 5A, Region 7 opener the rest of the way.
Fairview went from 21 to 7 to a 35 to 7 halftime bulge on 2 TD passes by Kolt Redding to Jace Stevens.
The Aggies would punch out a 42 to 14 final, improving to 3 & 0 on the season. Fairview is currently 4th in the 5A state prep poll.
George Redding's Aggies have won 13 consecutive regular season games, seven straight in 5A, Region 7 and are 51 & 11 since 2020.
The win Friday was No. 130 out of 200 games Redding has coached at his alma mater, now in 19 seasons.
Fairview has put together a motto of scoring early in getting control of the ball game. In three games this season, the Aggies have outscored the opposition 56 to 14 in the first quarter.
The Aggies stormed to a 21 to 0 advantage following the first when Redding threw a 26 yard scoring pass to Stevens to get them on the board.
Fairview recovered a muffed punt attempt in the end zone and was ahead 14 to 0 with 6:30 to play in the period.
Harper rambled 61 yards to the end zone for the 3rd Fairview TD and a 21 to 0 lead with the Aggies having 133 yards of offense after 12:00.
West Point managed to put together a good drive in the 2nd that carried the ball 55 yards to the end zone.
RB Ollie Howell ripped off a 48 yard score and the conversion from Julio Fuentes had the Warriors in respectable distance at 21 to 7 with 3:27 showing on the clock.
Fairview would go for the glory on Redding's two longest pass completions of the night. He hit Stevens for 73 yards to make it 28 to 7 with 2:26 to play in the half.
West Point drove downfield, but threw a pass that was intercepted in the end zone. The Aggies had it at their 20 and capitalized on the error with Redding and Stevens connecting on an 80 yard hookup to make it 35 to 7 by the break.
Redding had three completions in six attempts through the half. The three would amass 179 yards passing offense to go with 166 yards on the ground and 345 total by halftime.
West Point fumbled the ball on its first series of the 3rd. The Aggies used a short field to score their final TD when Harper was free up the middle for 25 yards and paydirt. Redding kicked his 6th extra point and Fairview led 42 to 7.
A 50 yard drive by the Warriors in the 4th took almost 5:00 as they scored on a run from a yard out by QB Ayden Ennis.
The Aggies would net 444 yards of total offense, 7 first downs and 2 scoring series accounting for 73 yards, one for 80, a recovery of a punt attempt in the end zone. Three West Point miscues led to 21 points for the Aggies.
Harper would rush for 134 yards and score twice to keep the Aggies undefeated. In three games, the senior has produced 523 yards on the ground and been in the end zone 8 times.
Fairview has scored 130 points through 3 games, averaging 43.3 a contest.
Howell had good numbers rushing for West Point, 122 yards and a TD run of 48, his longest of the young season.
Ennis ran for 114 yards from the shotgun position. He and Howell tallied 236 yards between them.
Fairview has Ardmore visiting Dafford Smith Stadium next Friday in 5A, Region 7 play. West Point will go into Moulton for a regional game at Lawrence County.
Photo of Fairview Aggies' Connor Scott (5) and Jake Harper celebrating a score in their 48 to 0 victory over Fultondale August 22.
Photo courtesy of Prepsnet.
