Wayne tops Fairmont with last-second pick
HUBER HEIGHTS— The two gold turnover chains on the Wayne sideline aremade of giant links with a bigWhanging off the end of each one. Intercept a pass or recover a fumble and you get to wear one on the sideline until it’s time to go back in.
Intercept a pass in the end zone with four seconds to play? Well, Christian Rand figures you get towear both until it’s time to go home. “I just took ’em,” he said with a smile as big as those chains. Rand’s postgame fashion statement was made possible by his interception that secured a 31-24 victory for Wayne over Fairmont on Friday night.
“He made a great play,” saidWayne coach Roosevelt Mukes. “And that’s what we’ve been talking about — just make plays.”
Fairmont rallied fromsecond-half deficits of 24-7 and 31-14behindbig runsbyDrew Baker. Needing a touchdown and extra point to tie and force overtime, the Firebirds drove to theWayne five-yard line and had a halfback pass for a touchdowncalled back because of an illegal shift penalty. On third-and-seven from the eight, Male’k Hilton rolled to his right and tried to hit a receiver in the back corner of the end zone. ButRand swooped in for the interception.
“I saw him rolling out, I knew the receiver was behind me, I just knew I had to make the play,” said Rand, a senior safety playing his first season withWayne after transferring fromStebbins. “Honestly, Ididn’t think he was going to throw it.”
The triple-option running Firebirds rarely throwit, but they were forced to with so little time left.
“It was miscommunication,” coachDave Miller said. “That was my fault on the last play. The quarterback tried to do the most with what was a busted play.”
Wayne (4-1 GWOC) was on the losing end of games like this last year in Mukes’ first season ( 3-7). After a seven- point opening loss at Springfield, theWarriors have won three close ones and one by blowout.
“We put that season behind us and used it as motivation to come out here and work even harder and bring that tradition back,” Wayne quarterback Cam Fancher said.
Fancher playedreceiver as a sophomore and took over as quarterback last year. The growing pains are paying off this year. Against Fairmont, Fancher rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns, including a 68-yard scramble to put the Warriors up 31-14 late in the third quarter.
“The coaches have been tellingmeif I see green grass take off,” Fancher said. “And I saw green grass.”
Fancheralsopassedfor168 yards and connected with Bryan Kinley on a 75-yard touchdown pass.
“I’m so proud of the growth that he’s made from last year to this year,” Mukes said. “Growing as a quarterback, growing as a leader, knowing that this is his team.”
Long after the game was over, Fancher was still in full uniform. He sat at the long conference table in the team room talking over the game with offensive coordinator MikeWilliams and quarterback coach Brian Vance.
“Coach Williams is putting me in the best position, watching film all week and seeingwhere to hit theweak spots,” Fancher said.
Fairmont ( 1- 4 GWOC) is experiencing a season that is a lot likeWayne’s of a year ago. The Firebirds have lost by one, six and seven points.
“First halfwe didn’t come to play,” Miller said. “Second half, hell of an effort, but spot somebody 24-7 you can’t do that.”
Baker has become Fairmont’s go-to running back the past two games. He followeduplastweek’s 117 yards on 27 carries in a 21-7 win over Miamisburg with 200 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.