Posted 1:51 am Saturday, September 19, 2009
Football: Rusk Uses Two Big Plays To Edge Fairfield
By JULIUS MICOU SR.
Special Correspondent
RUSK -- The Rusk Eagles were able to upend a late charge by the Fairfield Eagles, and it was their defense that carried them to a 14-10 victory as the Eagles celebrated homecoming Friday night.
Special Correspondent
RUSK -- The Rusk Eagles were able to upend a late charge by the Fairfield Eagles, and it was their defense that carried them to a 14-10 victory as the Eagles celebrated homecoming Friday night.
Rusk (2-2) was able to get on the board first when junior running back Terral Carter took a toss and went 65 yards up the sideline untouched. The PAT by Ricky Rojo was good and the Eagles led 7-0 with 2:09 remaining in the first quarter.
Fairfield proved that they were not going out without a fight. With the ball at Rusk's 42, Fairfield took advantage of a personal foul penalty and converted on fourth-and-two to reach the Eagles 12. Two plays later, Rusk quarterback Willie Tatum scored on a 7-yard scamper with Rudi Castillo adding the PAT to the game 7-7 at halftime.
Rusk re-established its seven-point cushion in the fourth quarter when defensive tackle John Trotter jarred the ball loose from Fairfield's Robert Durham and teammate Tony Teague scooped it up and raced 81 yards the other way to the end zone. Rojo's extra point made it 14-7 and Rusk held on after that.
Fairfield pulled to within 14-10 on a field goal by Castillo, but couldn't draw any closer.
"Our defense stepped it up and they made big plays all night and kept Fairfield out of the end zone when it counted," Rusk head coach Ted Patton said about the victory. "Offensively, we could've done better, but with the sloppy field conditions, we will take this victory."
