Trotwood senior quarterback Dallas Shehee capped a 97-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Armani Rogers with three seconds left, then scrambled on a two-point conversion try, ran to his left and lowered his right shoulder when met by defenders to force his body just over the goal line.
Fairmont’s lateral attempts on the ensuing kickoff were fruitless, and Trotwood began a celebration that lasted over 10 minutes following 22-21 win.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
“We try to practice adverse situations, but it’s hard to fully mimic something like this,” Trotwood coach Jeff Graham said. “But we try to get them to understand that if we fully commit to it, believe in ourselves, that we can go down and do anything.”
Shehee, a senior, is back as starting QB for the Rams (2-0). He made several big plays during the squad’s final possession, including picking up two first downs deep in Fairmont territory on runs.
“We just had to believe in ourselves, go back to what we were taught at practice, keep your head down and keep working,” Shehee said. “… When times get rough, we’ve just got to believe in ourselves and lean on each other.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Trotwood took advantage of three fumble recoveries in the first half to take a 14-6 halftime lead, but the Firebirds took control in the third quarter.
Fairmont turned the ball over on downs after a long possession to start the second half, but Skyler Slifer intercepted a pass from Shehee shortly after in Trotwood territory.
JJ Hill ran in from 1 yard out with 2:33 left, and Logan Doty ran in on a two-point conversion try to tie it 14-14.
The Rams punted early in the fourth, and Fairmont drove and scored on a 1-yard TD run by Doty with 5:18 left to take a 21-14 lead.
“They did rise to the occasion there,” Fairmont coach Dave Miller said of overcoming the halftime deficit. “… We came out to play in the third quarter, but we made too many mistakes against a good football team.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
The Firebirds recovered the ensuing kickoff at midfield. They went three-and-out, but the punt landed and bounced out-of-bounds at the 3-yard line.
Shehee and the Rams put together the game-winning drive, though. Shehee found Rogers along the visitor’s sideline in the end zone on the crucial TD pass before scrambling for the decisive two-point conversion.
“It’s a confidence booster for sure, but at the same time, we’ve got to go back, fix our mistakes,” Shehee said. “We won, but not the way we wanted. Always room to keep building.”
Shehee completed 11-of-18 passes for 175 yards with two TDs and two interceptions and ran for 50 yards on nine carries.
“He’s coming along. We’ve still got some pavement that he doesn’t understand, but that pavement is getting smaller and smaller, because he’s in that car with me,” Graham said. “As long as he keeps believing in me, I’ll believe in him, and trust his ability. He has the ability to be a great quarterback.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Like Friday, Fairmont also had the lead in the final minute of its season opener against rival Alter but couldn’t hold on in a 28-21 loss.
The Firebirds lost three fumbles in the first half and turned the ball over on downs once in the red zone.
“Last week and this week, those are two really good football teams,” Miller said. “We have to get better. That’s why we schedule them.
“We have to make opponents earn it. That’s one of the things we talked about. We didn’t necessarily do that. Once we start figuring that out, we’ll be okay. We’ve got to put it all together. It’s there, it’s right in front of them. We’ve got a lot of football left to play.”
The Firebirds outgained Trotwood 332 yards to 281. Doty, a junior, ran for 176 yards and one TD on 34 carries.
“I’m pleased (with our defense) with the style they run,” Graham said of containing Fairmont’s run-heavy triple option. “It’s a lot of keys and a lot of dedication we’re telling these guys to do. …We did some positive things, including holding them to (a field goal) after a big run, and I think those are great lessons for our defense.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Trotwood is scheduled to host Springfield (0-2) in Week 3. Fairmont (0-2) is scheduled to travel to Cincinnati La Salle.
The matchups between the Rams and Wildcats have been close in recent seasons. Trotwood lost 15-14 a year ago (its closest loss of the season) and won 21-20 in 2023.
“We know what we’re facing next week,” Graham said. “They’re an athletic team and are going to be very prepared. …When it comes to the Trotwood/Springfield rivalry, that’s always something we want to achieve and win.”
Trotwood was slow to start offensively, while Fairmont wasn’t.
A 62-yard run by Doty on Fairmont’s first offensive play set up Kole Krejne for a 27-yard field goal midway through the first quarter.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
After the Rams punted again, the Firebirds drove into the red zone, and Krejne kicked a 31-yard field goal with 10:29 left in the second to boost Fairmont’s lead to 6-0.
The Rams took momentum before halftime.
Tristen Bozeman hauled in a long touchdown pass in stride from Shehee, and the Rams successfully converted a two-point try to take an 8-6 lead.
Fairmont fumbled soon after, and Shehee ran in from 8 yards out to take a 14-6 lead with 9:10 left after an unsuccessful two-point conversion try.
The Firebirds fumbled in the red zone, and Trotwood recovered but turned it over on downs at midfield. Fairmont again fumbled soon after, and Trotwood recovered at midfield with 30 seconds left. The Rams took several shots at the end zone, but Fairmont’s Kaleb Moore intercepted a pass as time expired.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
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