By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportszone.com)
HIGGINSVILLE — Fair Grove quarterback Spensar Seiger rewarded the Eagles coaches’ confidence in their passing game Saturday and kick-returner extraordinaire Kellen Lair made Lafayette County pay dearly for kicking in his direction.
Seiger capped Fair Grove’s winning drive in its 14-13 Class 2 quarterfinal victory at Lafayette County with a tying eight-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gavin Thomason with 4:35 remaining.
Another Gavin, Gavin Brock, followed up with an extra-point boot to give the Eagles their first lead of the day.
Fair Grove’s winning drive saw Seiger complete all four of his passes. He started the game with four incompletions.
“I love the ball in my hands,” Seiger said of the Eagles going to the air with the game on the line. “I’m going to try to get it to the guys who can best make the play.”
“Spensar did a great job getting the football where it needed to be,” Fair Grove coach Bill Voorhis said.
“We knew we were going to have to pass at some point,” Thomason said. “I knew we could go to the air when we needed to. Our running game is strong, and we can usually depend on it. But when we have to, we can pass it.”
Just before Lafayette County’s defense dragged Seiger to the turf, he hit Thomason with a screen pass. Seiger made a Broncos defender miss and raced to the end zone.
“I knew when I caught it I was going to score,” Thomason said.
“It was complete trust. I didn’t see (Thomason) catch the ball,” Seiger said. “But I knew he was going to get in somehow. When the crowd went crazy, I knew he was in.”
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Seiger related he fed off the faith Voorhis has in him.
“Coach Voorhis and I are really close. He’s built me up all week and showed me what confidence is like. All praise to him,” Seiger said. “He’s been the guy I’ve been leaning on. We faced some adversity this week, a personal, private kind of deal. Sorry to those who it affected. We all love each other and are going to move on.”
Preceding Thomason’s touchdown was a 37-yard pass from Seiger to Lair. That was part of Lair’s 245 all-purpose yards on the afternoon. He had 116 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Also, thanks to Lafayette County, Lair made a liar of everyone who said he would never get the chance to return a kickoff again.
Despite Lair’s well-documented 4-for-4 success on returning kickoffs for touchdowns during his junior season a year ago, he received the chance to return the opening kickoff of the second half.
Lair burned the Broncos for a 90-yard touchdown return.
It was only the second kick Lair has returned this season. The only other team to kick to him prior to Saturday was Strafford and he returned that kick 55 yards.
“Most games I don’t get kicked to and it’s a little depressing,” Lair said. “I was grateful I got the opportunity. Once I got that chance, I thought, ‘Man, they must not have watched film. I can’t waste this. I’ve got to return it and show that I’m still the guy from last year.’
“As soon as I caught the ball, I kind of zoned out,” he added. “I saw their players coming at me and thought, ‘I’ve got to let them get a little closer, get around them and follow my blockers. I like I’m able to see the field and always know my teammates are there to block for me. I just get behind them. They lead the way.”
“I think they were trying to kick it in the end zone (for a touchback),” Voorhis said. “(Lafayette County’s kicker) has got a leg. He can put it in the end zone anytime he wants. He must have just missed it. Kellen wasn’t asleep, thinking they weren’t going to kick it to him.”
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Lair’s touchdown gave the Eagles the momentum they had sought, after having two red-zone trips in the first half resulted in no points.
Fair Grove’s offense had a drive stall at the Lafayette County 20-yard line in the first quarter and the Eagles had a drive end at the Broncos’ six-yard line with :13 to go in the second quarter.
Lafayette County gained a 7-0 lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Page to wideout Mariano Rodriguez with 3:06 to play in the second quarter.
Fair Grove trailed at halftime for the first time all season.
The second half obviously couldn’t have started any better for the Eagles.
“We reiterated at halftime it just takes one person to spark hope,” Voorhis said. “We need one guy to show us it’s going to be OK and we’re going to get over the mountain. It was Kellen.”
Lafayette County answered with a Rodriguez 59-yard touchdown run three minutes into the fourth quarter. But the Broncos botched the ensuing extra-point.
A week after Lafayette County put up 82 points at Father Tolton Catholic, the Broncos were kept in check by Fair Grove’s defense.
The Eagles staged a goal-line stand of their own late in the third quarter, stopping Lafayette County at the two-yard line.
Bryden Baxter and Kolton Klindworth both posted interceptions in the fourth quarter for Fair Grove’s defense.
The Broncos (10-2) came into the contest averaging 45.2 points a game.
“Something our guys don’t get enough credit for is how good we are on defense,” Voorhis said. “(Lafayette County had) very elusive, strong runners. Our defense flew around and the fact we tackled so well made the difference.”
Fair Grove advances to the semifinal round and will travel to South Shelby (11-1).
Fair Grove 14, Lafayette County 13
Fair Grove 0 0 7 7 – 14
Lafayette County 0 7 0 6 – 13
Scoring
LC – Rodriguez 30 pass from Page
FG – Lair 90 kickoff return (Brock kick)
LC – Rodriguez 59 run (kick no good)
FG – Thomason 8 pass from Seiger (Brock kick)
