FAIRMONT — No matter the record, no matter the coach, when Three Rivers Conference rivals Fairmont and Red Springs pop pads, it’s a big deal.
Just one score has separated the two teams in each of the last three meetings, including an 18-12 overtime win by the Red Devils that spoiled the Golden Tornadoes’ homecoming last season. Thursday will nearly be the one-year anniversary of that contest as Fairmont(1-5, 1-3 TRC) looks to play the role of spoilers this time when it travels to Red Springs.
Coach Kevin Inman’s group is reeling after three straight losses and could use a win over a familiar foe to stop the bleeding.
“We lost to them last year in overtime, so we got something to prove,” Inman said. “They’re still doing what makes them successful and we got to stop it. That’s our challenge.”
Fairmont senior Jordan Waters summed up the rivalry with one word: “domination.”
He’s been front and center for the rivalry game the last three seasons and says he will have to “dominate” to get another win in the series. As a sophomore, Waters scored the game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock to give the team a 38-32 victory.
In last year’s overtime game, he was doubled constantly and was held to 71 receiving yards. It was his first time losing to Red Springs and he says now, as a senior, this matchup is that much more intensified.
“Last year, they doubled me the whole game. This year, I’ll be all over the field and not just at wide out,” Waters said about the schematic changes that he hopes will free him up this time around.
The Duke commit isn’t overstating his intentions to be “all over the field” and has proven as much on multiple occasions this season. The most recent example is the loss to conference-leading South Columbus where Waters rushed for 158 yards and two scores in addition to tossing two touchdowns. He’s scored 10 of the last 13 touchdowns for the Golden Tornadoes.
Inman anticipates a different result than last year’s close loss because of other playmakers that can complement the threat of the multi-dimensional skillset of Waters. Fellow senior Jayvon Morris has similar dual-threat capabilities and is one of three players on the team that has at least one touchdown rushing, passing and receiving. The third player in this trio is sophomore Jahkeem Moore. Inman says they’ll adjust the offensive packages based on how the defense plays them the first couple of series.
The Golden Tornadoes have had trouble piecing together complete games, mainly because of their inability to consistently stop the run. In their last time out, they were humbled by South Columbus to the tune of 61-26, with 40 of the points coming in the second half. The defense surrendered over 380 yards rushing in the loss. In the game before, against East Bladen, they trailed 21-7 at the half then stormed back before losing 28-27 on a missed field goal late in the fourth quarter. They yielded over 400 yards on the ground in that defeat.
The Red Devils present a similarly dangerous run-oriented offense that is coming off a last-second loss to Whiteville where they rushed for over 250 yards.
Compounding matters, because of two idle weeks due to Hurricane Florence, the group has to play a day earlier this week and then has to quickly prepare for another conference tussle next Tuesday when they host St. Pauls. Inman says this is the toughest stretch of the season for his young group, but a storied matchup like the one Thursday presents is just what they need to get through it.
“Things you can’t control, like the weather…you got to overcome it. For the most part, kids are understanding and excited for a game, especially against Red Springs,” Inman said.
Including Thursday, Fairmont has five more games left in what their coach calls the “mini-SEC.” Urgency is at an all-time high for the group.
“Every win matters…and if we’re trying to make the big playoff games, we got to make a run now,” Inman said.
