Winfield outlasts Fayette County in turnover slugfest

By DEREK TRIMM
Winfield Correspondent

WINFIELD - It was a soggy rainy night in Winfield as the home standing Pirates took on Fayette County Tigers in the 2021 season opener on Thursday, Aug. 19, at Estes Hudson Stadium.
Both teams struggled offensively and with the wet field conditions did not help matters as both teams traded turnovers. The Pirates connected on a pass with 2:17 left in the game to take the lead for good to claim the 6-0 victory over the Tigers.
Eight total turnovers was the story of the night, and both teams combined for only 201 total yards of offense.
Winfield head coach David McKinney was happy with the win but looks to improve before next week's contest with Northside.
“Oue defense played lights out,” said McKinney. “We made some mistakes, but they are correctable.”
“I am tickled to death for the win, but we just got to get back to work and work on ourselves and get ready for next week,” McKinney said.
Both teams battled the conditions and turnovers in the first half as the Pirates forced two interceptions and blocked a punt, but came up with no points.
Neither team threatened the red zone until the fourth quarter when Winfield’s Wil Beasley intercepted a Fayette County pass at the Tigers’ 32-yard line and returned it to the five setting up first-and-goal for the Pirates.
Drew Cook picked up two yards on first down, and then the turnover bug hit the Pirates two plays later as the drive ended with an interception in the end zone by Fayette County.
The Tigers could not capitalize on the turnover and punted back to the Pirates, and they took over at the midfield stripe with 4:31 left in the game.
Quarterback Aidan Quinn picked up five yard on first down on a designed quarterback run, and Joseph Cox picked up five more on second down.
Quinn completed a pass to Rain Nolen to setup the Pirates at the Fayette County 38-yard line.
Quinn went back to the air and found Jordan Mastin streaking down the middle of the field, and he outran the Tigers’ defenders for the 38-yard touchdown.
Quinn’s two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, but Winfield gained the edge in the contest at 6-0 with 2:17 left in the game.
On the ensuing drive, Fayette County picked up one first down and moved the ball into Winfield territory at the 46-yard line.
The Pirates defense rose to the occasion as Banks Roebuck sacked the Tigers’ quarterback on first down and Dylan Walker sacked the quarterback again on the next play back to the Tigers’ 48 yard line.
Facing third-and-21 Tigers’ quarterback A.J. Parris passed to Javen Westbrook for 12 yards, and on fourth-and-nine from the Winfield 45-yard line, Walker rushed into the backfield and sacked Parris again to force a turnover on downs.
Winfield would take over with only 42 seconds left in the game and would kneel down to end the game and secure the 6-0 victory.
Winfield finished with 93 yards of total offense with 86 passing yards and seven rushing yards.
Quinn completed 8-of-17 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Cox led the rushing attack with 51 yards in 14 carries. Mastin led the receivers with two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. D’Angelo Bankhead caught two passes for 19 yards. Ja’borri McGhee had two receptions for 16 yards and Nolan had one catch for 12 yards. Cook added one reception for two yards.
Defensively Walker had two sacks, Roebuck had 1.5 sacks, and Levi Gilbert had a sack.
Beasley, Mastin, and Davis Bowen each had an interception.
Winfield (1-0) will host the Northside Rams (1-0) on Friday, Aug. 27, at Estes Hudson Stadium.