HHS, 1-19 in Murphy’s first two years, will close the regular season at Fairfield on Friday night and has playoff hopes that are still alive.
“It’s an exciting time,” Murphy said. “We always had these kind of things in mind, of getting to this point with so much riding on this Week 10 game. I’ve believed since I stepped foot in Hamilton that this place can be a contender year in and year out.
“Our kids don’t back down. You can have all the speed and athleticism you want, but it’s a tough-guy game. We’re just trying to pride ourselves on that.”
Big Blue are 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Greater Miami Conference. A win won’t guarantee a spot in the playoffs, but it would put Hamilton in the mix for a berth.
Like HHS, Fairfield (6-3, 4-2) doesn’t control its own destiny, according to JoeEitel.com. But the Indians are in a much stronger position in the Harbin computer ratings, and a loss might not end their season.
“I told our kids we need to approach this week just like last week. It’s a playoff game for us,” Fairfield coach Jason Krause said. “If we lose, it’s possible that we’re going to turn our stuff in after the game.
“I think mentally, physically and emotionally, we’re ready to play this game. We know that we’re going to get hit in the mouth by a Hamilton team that’s coming here to play a good football game. We know what’s at stake for both sides.”
It’ll be Senior Night at Fairfield Stadium, and the Indians have the GMC’s No. 2 defense, allowing 247.2 yards per game. Hamilton is ranked third in total offense (370.0).
Krause said Big Blue’s strength is no secret. Neutralizing senior quarterback Eric Jackson, with 1,323 yards through the air and 1,170 on the ground, is Job 1 for the Indians.
“We’ve got to force them to execute play after play after play,” Krause said.
“I think we’re probably the most balanced offense in the GMC in terms of run/pass,” Murphy said. “They can’t take it all away, so we’re going to try to find what they’re trying to take away the most and do the other.”
Junior receiver Chico Robinson is a big-play option for Fairfield. He had two catches for 113 yards and a touchdown last week against Lakota East, adding 61 yards and a TD on three carries.
“He did a good job with some of the matchups we thought we were going to have,” Krause said. “He’s a guy that we go into every week saying, ‘He’s got to touch it, he’s got to touch it.’ When you get in a spread offense and you run routes, sometimes he’s covered. Sometimes people game-plan to take him away from us.”
The Indians were forced to overcome a 10-0 deficit en route to a 28-13 victory over East.
“We stuck in there and came back and found a way to win the game,” Krause said. “We didn’t freak out, didn’t lose our composure. We played well on both sides of the ball.”
Hamilton trailed winless Middletown 10-7 in the second half last week, eventually overpowering the Middies 34-10.
“That’s a big-time rivalry game since 1912, so we knew that was going to be a little bit of a battle until we got things rolling,” Murphy said. “Our kids knew that we were going to get the best that Middletown had to offer. They’ve got a decent football team.”
Fairfield leads the series with Big Blue 18-17 and has won the last three meetings.
Friday’s game
What: Hamilton (5-4, 2-4 GMC) at Fairfield (6-3, 4-2 GMC), 7 p.m.
Where: Fairfield Stadium, Ohio 4 and Stadium Drive, Fairfield
Last meeting: Fairfield won 20-14 in 2015
About the Author