CINCINNATI — On a perfect early September night at Lancer Stadium, Fairmont battled La Salle wire to wire before falling just short, 24-23, in a game that came down to the final seconds. The Firebirds moved to 0-3, while La Salle stayed unbeaten at 3-0.

The night began with the Lancers striking first. Quarterback Avier Carter capped a 65-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Naseer Salaam midway through the first quarter. But Fairmont answered with the kind of drive that has long defined its Triple Option identity. Mixing carries from Logan Doty and Kameron Thornton, the Firebirds chewed up 69 yards and finished with Doty plunging in from a yard out early in the second quarter to tie the game, 7-7 ? ?.

La Salle’s senior kicker Grayson Bedacht put the Lancers back on top with a 41-yard field goal, and Carter struck again just before halftime, finding Salaam on a short touchdown pass to make it 17-7. Fairmont didn’t fold. With time winding down in the half, Doty and Thornton powered the Firebirds into scoring range, and Kole Krejne drilled a 30-yard field goal as time expired, cutting the deficit to 17-10 ?.

Momentum swung Fairmont’s way in the third quarter. After a steady, 13-play march, quarterback JJ Hill found Tyrell Lake for a 12-yard touchdown pass to knot the score at 17-17. Then the Firebirds’ defense delivered one of the biggest plays of the night. Senior linebacker Davion Rand intercepted Carter at the 5-yard line, ending a Lancer threat and energizing the Firemont sideline ?.

The fourth quarter turned into a heavyweight exchange. Fairmont’s ground game again moved deep into La Salle territory, but penalties stalled the drive. That opened the door for Carter, who engineered an 80-yard march and finished it himself on a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:18 left, giving La Salle a 24-17 lead ?.

Yet the Firebirds had one last answer. Starting at their own 41, Hill completed passes to Damien Pattin and Josiah Hargrave to push inside the red zone. With just eight seconds left, Hill found Nolan Stringer in the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown, pulling Fairmont within a point. The Firebirds went for the win, attempting a two-point conversion, but Thornton was stopped short on the run. La Salle recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock ?.

Doty led the Firebirds with another steady night on the ground, while Hill accounted for two second-half touchdown passes. Rand’s interception highlighted a defensive effort that kept Fairmont within striking distance all night.

NOTABLE STATS

TEAM COMPARISON (Fairmont vs. La Salle)
• Total Yards: 260 vs. 331
• Rushing: 221 yards (47 attempts) vs. 202 yards (32 attempts)
• Passing: 39 yards (5/7) vs. 129 yards (9/16)
• Turnovers: 0 vs. 1 (La Salle) ?

FAIRMONT LEADERS
• Rushing: Logan Doty — 28 carries, 110 yards, 3.9 avg, 9-yard long, 1 TD ?
• Rushing: Kameron Thornton — 8 carries, 69 yards, 8.6 avg, long of 15 ?
• Passing: JJ Hill — 5/7 for 39 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT, QB rating not listed ?
• Receiving: Damien Pattin — 2 receptions, 10 yards; Tyrell Lake — 1 catch for 12 yards, 1 TD; Josiah Hargrave — 1 catch for 9 yards; Nolan Stringer — 1 catch for 8 yards, 1 TD ?
• Kicking: Kole Krejne — 1/1 FG (30 yards), 3 points; Demaris Shafeek — 2/2 PATs, totaling 5 points combined

Fairmont stay on the road next week in a rivalry game at Centerville who is also still searching for its first win on the season with losses in the first three weeks to Lakota East, St. Xavier, and Carmel, IN.