Fairley Football

If you weren’t part of the 3,000 – 4,000 fans at J.P. Freeman Stadium� tonight you missed a great ballgame. Fairley and Melrose slugged it out for four� quarters with Melrose scoring the winning touchdown with two minutes left� in the game to edge Fairley 12 – 6.

Fairley came out playing tough defense stuffing Melrose on their first� several series. Fairley was able to move the ball to the Melrose 30 yard line� with some surgical passes by Jemarcus Robinson (Smoke) and a couple of hard runs� by Artavious Gregory (Bowlegs) but we were unable to get it in the end� zone. The first quarter ended with the score 0 – 0.

In the second quarter Melrose was able to move the ball to the Fairley 10� yard line but the Bulldogs defense stiffened denying the Golden Wildcats a� score. When the teams headed to the locker rooms for halftime the score remained� 0 – 0.
The third quarter saw both teams put points on the board. Fairley scored on� a 55 yard interception return for a touchdown by Deangelo Anderson (D-Lo). His fifth interception and second touchdown of the season. Fairley led 6 – 0 when� Melrose drove 60 yards for their first score. Their extra point try failed and� the game was tied 6 – 6. The South Fairley faithful erupted when D-Lo returned� the kickoff 60 yards to the Melrose 35 yard line but the joy soon subsided when� Fairley drove the ball to the Melrose 6 yard line but was stopped. The third� quarter ended with the score still tied at 6 – 6.

The fourth quarter saw the longest offensive drive of the game and the� season against the Bulldog defense when Melrose marched the ball 94 yards down� the field taking ten minutes off the clock. Fairley received the kickoff and� methodically moved the ball downfield to the Melrose 28 yard line. Fairley� turned the ball over to Melrose on downs with 45 seconds left in the game and� Melrose took a knee ending the hard fought game.

Next week’s game is against Oakhaven. Tom Mullady, who played wide receiver� in the NFL for six years with the New York Giants will eat with the� boys at their pre-game meal and do the devotional.

Tonight the Bulldogs take on Melrose for first place in Region 8.� Both teams come into the game riding five-game winning streaks.� The game is at J.P. Freeman, 7 p.m.� Come support the Bulldogs!

Read more at the Commercial Appeal…

Quote from the Commercial Appeal:

“COLBY BROADNAX, Fairley defensive back: Broadnax, a 6-2, 170-pound senior free safety, had two interceptions in the Bulldogs’ 36-8 win over Sheffield last Friday, the second of which he returned 28 yards for a score. His first came early in the fourth quarter at the Bulldog goal line after Sheffield had advanced to the Fairley 10.”

Colby is the second member of the Bulldogs secondary, along with DeAngelo Anderson, to be named Athlete/Player of the week by the Commercial Appeal. Way to go, Colby!

Fairley moves to 5 -1 on the season with a second half thrashing of the Knights from Sheffield. After falling behind 8-0, Fairley scored on a 13 yard run by Bowlegs in the second quarter with Jemarcus Robinson taking the ball in for the two point conversion. The game was tied 8-8 going into halftime.

Once the whistle blew to start the third quarter Fairley was off and running with a 22 yard run for a touchdown by fullback Nico Jones followed by a pass from Jemarcus to Bobby Jones for the two point conversion. South Fairley’s next possession saw Jemarcus throw a 68 yard touchdown pass to Adrian Taylor. Fairley was not through scoring when Bowlegs ripped off a 50 yard touchdown run to end the third quarter. The fourth quarter started with Fairley up 28-8 when Colby Broadnax intercepted a pass as Sheffield was driving. Colby later intercepted another pass, his fourth of the season, and ran it in from 20 yards out. Bobby Jones caught another pass from Jemarcus for the two point conversion. When time ran out South Fairley had won 36-8, moved to 5-1 and was tied with Melrose for #1 in the region.

Fairley and Melrose will determine who will win the region when they play next week at J.P. Freeman Stadium.

-Mark