Coming into his team’s opening game of the 2022 season, Fairfield (Ohio) head coach Jason Krause knew his team would not be focused on the preseason rankings Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne had been given. He knew the Warriors had Ball State pledge R.J. Mukes to go with Ohio State pledge Joshua Padilla and Cincinnati pledge Evan Tengesdahl along with other talented players. However, Krause knew his team, with over 20 seniors, took their lumps early in their careers to prepare for a big senior year.
Wayne struck first, but Krause saw his team claw back to take a 14-10 lead at halftime.
Mistakes can go either way in a big game, and Wayne would see their mistakes cost them early in the third quarter as Fairfield quarterback Talon Fisher made a perfect throw to a wide-open Isaiah Glover for a 59-yard touchdown strike. On the ensuing kickoff, Braeden Shanklin recovered a loose ball giving the Indians back the ball on the 7-yard line. West Virginia pledge Jordan Jackson scored, and Krause has his team up 28-10 with 8:24 left in the third quarter.
Krause knew his team wasn’t in control just yet, and the Warriors proved that with a pair of impressive scores. The first came on a 10-play, 89-yard drive capped off by a 6-yard power run by Zachariah Williams to make it 28-17.
Last season Krause saw Fisher struggle early with interceptions. With the Warriors needing a big play, the defense answered by tipping a Fisher pass that landed in the hands of Mikko Delong, giving the Warriors offense another chance to put together a scoring drive. It didn’t take long as sophomore quarterback Tyrell Lewis found Mukes for a 55-yard touchdown pass to make it a 28-24 game.
Both quarterbacks enjoyed solid games as Fisher would rush for 174-yards for Fairfield, and Lewis would throw for a career-high 241-yards.
Jordan Jackson would score his second touchdown on the night. Still, significant mistakes by Lewis late in the game helped the Indians seal the win as the Indians would strip Lewis of the ball. Defensive end Aamir Rogers would pick it up to score. Lewis would throw an interception with just over a minute left in the game to allow Fisher and the Indians to get in victory formation to give Krause his 150th career coaching win.
Wayne returns to action next Friday when they’ll host Reynoldsburg, while Fairfield will start GMC play when they travel to Middletown.
DBHuddle.com spoke with Coach Krause after the game about the win, adding to his impressive win total, top players, and coaching with his son Hunter Krause in this exclusive One-on-One interview presented by First Star Logistics.
