10/22/2022
BY JACK BULLOCK
VIENNA - A few weeks ago after a loss at Sesser-Valier/Waltonville, head coach Justin Townsend talked about his schedule being 'top heavy' in that they played the best teams of their league schedule in the first five weeks of the season.

The Mules were sitting at 2-3 with the task of winning their final four games to secure a playoff bid.

Fairfield accomplished its mission.

The Mules won their final four games by a combined 216-12.

With the victory Fairfield reached the play threshold of six-wins.

They dropped into the 2A bracket and will face 8-1 Virden North Mac in the first round of the 2A playoffs with the date and time to be determined.

“This is where I hoped we would be when I talked to you last time after the Sesser-Valier game. We're 6-3, we're healthy and we're playing our best football,” said Coach Townsend, who is now 142-82 in his 23rd year as head coach at Fairfield. “You kind of map things out and you hope that things play out that way. This is one of those cases where it did. I felt really good about our last four games and we've taken care of business. In the playoffs if you're 6-3 or 5-4 you're going to play a really good team in the first round.”

It took Fairfield just moments to score and they kept just on scoring as Coach Justin Townsend's club made quick work of Vienna/Goreville on Saturday afternoon.

Behind 430-yards of total offense, 422 of it on the ground, the Mules wasted little time in the win as they improved to 6-3 on the season.

Fairfield scored on their second play from scrimmage and weren't ever stopped until the fourth quarter of the continuous clock game.

Vienna/Goreville finished its season at 1-8 for head coach Rob Womack, with the only win coming against Edwards County back on September 23.

The rushing leader for Coach Townsend on this day was 5-11, 165 senior running Luke Sork.

Sork brutalized the Eagles' defense with 168-yards on just seven attempts, which is a stellar 24-yards per carry average.

Of those seven attempts, four were touchdowns.

Fairfield senior quarterback Eric Rodgers only threw one pass, an eight-yard touchdown toss, and he rushed for 54-yards on just four carries.

The numbers were staggering as junior running back Trey Mason also produced with 62-yards on four carries, which didn't include his four PAT runs after Fairfield scores.

Junior running back Latrael Snyder also added to the V/G pain with a punishing four carries and 45-yards.

The Eagles had one lone bright spot for the day as senior wide receiver Ian Sopczak achieved a milestone.

The 6-2, 175 end caught 12-passes for 140-yards and the only V/G score of the game.

With those totals, Sopczak now ranks second all-time for Black Diamond Conference single season receiving yards with 1,140-yards.

His total is in between the two top seasons by Sesser-Valier/Waltonville/Woodlawn wide receiver Ross Owens from back-to-back seasons in 2014-15 (1,161) and 2015-16 (1,044).

That, unfortunately, was the only highlight for Coach Womack as his team was over-matched.

Sophomore quarterback Charlie Woodrome ended up 16-of-32 for 193-yards and one TD.

However the Mules intercepted five of his passes while they were pressuring him.

Junior linebacker Bronson Rilea and senior Payton Allen each sacked Woodrome twice each for minus-18-yards.

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Fairfield scored on its second play with Snyder plowing into the endzone from 15-yards out.

The two-point conversion run by Mason put the Mules in front with just :33 gone.

Vienna/Goreville's first drive ended with a Rodgers' interception at the Fairfield 35.

Four plays later the Mules had their second score on a 49-yard run by Sork.

Snyder took care of the two-point PAT and it was 16-0 with 7:47 left in the brutal opening quarter for the hosts.

The second pass interception thrown by Woodrome was returned by senior Brandon Wood to the Eagles' 38 to set up the Mules for their third TD.

Rodgers ran twice in the four-play drive, finishing with a three-yard run into the right side of the endzone.

Another conversion by Snyder put the score at 24-0.

A fumble by Vienna's Noah Green was covered by Fairfield's Rilea at the Eagles' 37 on the next possession.

Then Rodgers connected on his only pass, an eight-yard completion into the right corner of the endzone to senior Reegan Taylor, who went high into the air for the reception with 3:31 before the half.

Snyder's two-point conversion completed the drive for a 32-0 spread.

Fairfield added another score to finish off the first quarter.

It took just one play, a 31-yard run by Sork, after a short V/G punt to end the first quarter scoring at 40-0 after an Israel Sargent PAT run.

Vienna did manage to pick up a couple of first downs on its next possession but they were stopped on fourth-and-12 on its own 42.

A long Rodgers' run to the nine-yard line set up Sork for his fourth touchdown.

With 10:10 left in the half, the Mules led 48-0.

The only scoring by Vienna/Goreville came on an eight-play, 65-yard drive.

The combination of Woodrome to Sopczak totaled 44 of the yards.

The combo covered the last 26-yards on a pass down the left sideline for a score with 5:54 left in the half.

A two-point conversion didn't work and the score read 48-6.

Two more drives by the Mules closed out the scoring in the dominating first 24-minutes.

Mason tallied a TD on a 31-yard run that closed a 56-yard drive that took just 1:25 of clock.

Rodgers intercepted another Woodrome pass, returning it to the Vienna eight.

Sork ran in on the first play to close the half at 64-6.

Sargent produced the only score in the continuous clock second half, busting through the Eagles' line for a 30-yard TD.

Although the two-point conversion failed, Fairfield led 70-6 with 6:52 left in the third quarter.

Five of the completions by Sopczak occurred in the final quarter against the Fairfield reserves.

But the final pass of the day from Woodrome was intercepted by junior defensive back Scotty Cuff with 1:31 left.

The Mules ran out the remainder of the clock as they now will prepare for the IHSA playoffs for the third consecutive season.

“We don't mind playing Saturday afternoon games and we were blessed today with beautiful weather and we might not get that next week in central Illinois,” added Coach Townsend.