“This is big for us,” Bolden said after the Cardinals snagged their 65th straight Greater Miami Conference victory. “We have created an expectation within our program. It comes from the younger ranks and carries through. All gas and no breaks. We just go.”
The Cardinals rushed 20 times for 148 yards in the second half to pull away from Fairfield. Colerain improved to 6-2 overall and 6-0 in the GMC with its sixth straight win, while the Indians slipped to 5-3, 5-1.
Colerain is seeking to capture its 18th consecutive conference championship.
Riding a raucous crowd, Fairfield led 6-3 after one quarter courtesy of a Taimar Boykin 4-yard touchdown run. Down 10-6 late in the half, the Indians had the ball at the CHS 4, but then disaster struck.
Jeff Tyus had his third-down pass picked off by Ja’von Hicks, who went 100 yards the other way to give the Cardinals a 17-6 halftime lead.
“That’s a 14-point swing right there,” Fairfield coach Jason Krause said. “That play just took the wind out of our sails.”
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In the third quarter, J.J. Davis went untouched on a 61-yard touchdown burst, giving Colerain a 24-6 lead.
“They are high school kids and you hope what you are telling them at halftime takes hold, but obviously that play at the end of the half was big,” Krause said. “We are still only down 11 and we have moved the ball, but Colerain is a really good team and you can’t make mistakes against them.”
The Indians moved the ball in the first half, but found the terrain much tougher in the second. Fairfield had 124 yards in the opening half, 115 on the ground, but only picked up 19 yards rushing after the break.
Boykin had a stellar game, picking up 104 yards on 18 carries. The senior tailback had 13 carries for 90 yards in the first half.
“In the first half, we just brought it to them,” Boykin said. “I just followed behind the big guys up front. It starts with them and ends with the big guys up front.”
Colerain came out of halftime running the ball and never stopped. Ivan Pace Jr. had 75 yards and two scores, while Davis added 82 yards.
Quarterback Gunnar Leyendecker completed 6 of 7 passes for 125 yards and one score, while Tyus had two picks. Tyus did hit Jutahn McClain late with a 45-yard TD pass.
Boykin said the Indians will bounce back quickly.
“It is in our mind-set,” Boykin said. “We just need to bounce back, have a good week of practice and get back together as a team.”
For Colerain, Luke Bolden finished with nine tackles and an interception. His cousin Dan Bolden added eight tackles.
Fairfield linebacker Del Thomas recorded 16 tackles and had a fumble recovery.
Next Friday, the Indians will travel to Mason, while Colerain hosts Lakota West.
Colerain 3-14-14-7—38
Fairfield 6-0-0-6—12
C: Chris Mangold 28 field goal
F: Taimar Boykin 4 run (Kick blocked)
C: J.J. Davis 12 pass from Gunnar Leyendecker (Mangold kick)
C: Ja’von Hicks 100 interception return (Mangold kick)
C: Davis 61 run (Mangold kick)
C: Ivan Pace Jr. 27 run (Mangold kick)
C: Pace 5 run (Mangold kick)
F: Jutahn McClain 45 pass from Jeff Tyus (Kick failed)
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