FAIRMONT — For the third time this season, the Fairmont defense posted a shutout en route to an impressive victory as the Golden Tornadoes held down West Columbus for a 48-0 win at home Friday.
The zero on the scoreboard at the end of the game is a mark that the Fairmont (3-1, 2-0 TRC) defense takes pride in after having held Forest Hills and West Baden scoreless already this season.
“It’s a statement to who we really are when we are fully clicking,” senior linebacker Cameron Harrington said. “I feel like when we are who we are and we do our jobs and responsibilities that nobody can really blow us out or do what they want against us. They have to change some stuff up.”
With the defense suffocating the West Columbus (0-4, 0-1 TRC) offense, the Golden Tornadoes were able to not only give the offense good field position, but also provided a spark of scoring as well.
“The guys were flying around and owning their responsibilities to stay engaged in their pursuit to the football,” Fairmont coach Kevin Inman said. “Our guys are starting to buy in and it’s fun to see.”
Fairmont scored 32 points in the second quarter, and did so in all three phases.
After a Derrick Baker 6-yard touchdown run to put the Golden Tornadoes up 16-0 early in the period, Harrington did what he did much of the night and broke through the line to blow a play up in the backfield. On the play, West Columbus running back Jordan Williams, as he was being taken to the ground, flipped the ball in the air in an attempt to keep the play alive, but the lateral found the wrong team with Harrington scooping up the loose ball and returning it 40 yards for a score.
Along with the fumble recovery for a score, Harrington also had a pair of sacks and a tackle for loss.
Jahkeem Moore scored the next two times for Fairmont, first on a passing play from Cameron Sweat on a crossing route from 14 yards out, putting the lead at 32-0. Then two minutes later, after the Fairmont defense forced a punt, Moore returned the kick 42 yards for the final first-half touchdown, putting Fairmont up 40-0.
Moore finished with 96 yards receiving and was the big play threat for both Sweat and fellow quarterback Tyler Locklear. His outside presence gives the Golden Tornadoes’ offense another dimension to go with the run game of Baker and Jamearos McLeod.
Baker scored twice and tallied 46 yards rushing on 11 carries, while McLeod rushed for 53 and the lone first-quarter score on six carries.
Friday’s contest was penalty-stricken with a combined 28 infractions whistled on both teams from the start of the game to the closing moments. Through the ugly play to start, Inman was proud of his team for settling in to focus on the task at hand.
“Our guys stayed focused, especially on that first drive when we had a holding penalty, a false start and a bad snap to put us on the minus two (-yard line). Some teams are going to fold, but I told our guys to focus on next play, next drive and to not let one play define us,” Inman said. “We had a lot of distractions with homecoming and a big crowd, but our guys did exactly what we talked to them about all week about staying focused.”
The Fairmont defense held the Vikings to 126 yards of total offense, with all but 12 yards coming from sophomore quarterback Keonta McKinney’s 63 yards rushing and 51 passing.
“We wanted to send a message to everybody that we can stop anything,” Harrington said.
The Golden Tornadoes reset for a rivalry matchup at St. Pauls next week.
“We’re ready for them,” Harrington said of the in-county contest.
West Columbus hosts South Columbus next.
