LANCASTER, Ohio (WOUB) - The first round of the OHSAA playoffs kicked off as the eight-seeded Fairfield Union Falcons hosted the ninth-seeded Heath Bulldogs in a grueling matchup, with Fairfield Union winning 22-3.
The Falcons took the ball to start the game and marched their way down the field. They stuck to the ground as much as possible, relying on Brady Andrews to force his way through the Bulldogs' defensive line for short gains. The Bulldogs forced a fumble in the red zone and recovered it to halt the Falcons' first drive.
The Bulldogs lined up, and two plays later, the Falcons forced a fumble and recovered it again to put them within first-and-goal distance. Falcons QB Dean Clark kept the ball on the next snap and pushed himself through traffic, barely falling into the end zone to put his team on the board first. The extra point was good, and the Falcons went up 7-0 halfway through the first quarter.
Heath took the ball and started to make their way down the field. Fairfield Union's defense was flying all over the field, appearing anywhere the ball was to stop Heath. The Bulldogs were stopped from 43 yards out, and their kicker, Camden Montgomery, drilled the field goal to put them on the board, 7-3 to end the first quarter.
Both teams' defenses came alive tonight as the two teams stalled each other out to burn out half of the second quarter. After a drop in the end zone, Fairfield Union turns the ball over within Heath's 10-yard line. Heath QB Braden Gibson dropped back and fired a pass that was intercepted by Fairfield Union LB Colton Borah, who took it to the house for another 6 points. The Falcons faked the extra point, and Kohen Arnett took the snap and ran it into the end zone to go up 15-3 going into halftime.
The defenses would run wild in the second half as Clark ran it in for the only score of the second half and to secure a 22-3 victory for Fairfield Union, the Falcons first home playoff win in program history.