Tyler Hart, Contributor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CIRCLEVILLE — Somewhere, Logan Elm’s Blayton Reid may still be running.
CREDIT: Tyler Hart/SOSA
And it may be in the minds, or nightmares, of Fairfield Union’s defense.
Reid, who’s been magnificent all season long, led his Braves to a 35-14 win over Fairfield Union on Friday and rewrote the school’s record books in the process.
The running back’s 310 rushing yards on 36 carries set a new single-game record, which was previously held by Marcus Paul, who rushed for 305 yards in 2015.
But to Reid, he had little to do with a record-setting night.
“I didn’t realize how close we were, especially with how slow the first half was. But when we got close to the fourth quarter, somebody said that I had like 260 so then I realized that I could get it,” Reid said after the win. “The offensive line kept doing their job and I just kept pushing forward.”
Reid’s appreciation towards his o-line was evident. The “we” in his postgame comment proves that without a doubt.
The 310 yards puts Reid’s season total over 1,000.
“I’m thrilled for him. I can’t say enough about the kid. I believe that he is one of the best players in the area, if not the best player. He’s unbelievable,” Logan Elm coach Terry Holbert said. “His character showed through. As he was breaking the record and getting announced about the record, he was telling the offensive linemen that this was their ball. ‘This is your award, too,’ he told them.”
Going into the matchup against Fairfield Union, the Braves knew it would be a battle in the trenches and a test of psychicality.
The Falcons (2-4, 0-2 MSL-Buckeye) struck first and corralled the only touchdown of the game’s first quarter. Quarterback Hayden Collins logged a 54-yard touchdown run at the 6:36 mark, putting Fairfield Union ahead 7-0.
While the Falcons’ took a lead, their defense came to play as well. In fact, Logan Elm was held to just one first down throughout the first eight minutes.
But Reid then found his rhythm and that storyline quickly disappeared. He’d end the first half with 86 yards on the ground — 47 of which came on back-to-back carries to open the second quarter.
Landon Thompson capped off the Braves’ first scoring drive with a 20-yard touchdown rush and, following Owen Elswick’s extra point, Logan Elm had forced a 7-7 deadlock.
The Braves’ defense then joined the chat.
Since the team’s season-opening loss to Zane Trace, the Braves had come into Friday’s matchup with a four-game winning streak — one in which their defense had held opponents to an average of six points.
“[Fairfield Union] broke one early and really, after that, our defense was shut down again,” Holbert said. “We made adjustments that were needed and the kids stepped up. They played their hearts out and I’m very proud of the way they responded.”
After Fairfield Union was forced to punt, Thompson broke free for 57 yards. That run set up a touchdown pass from Aaron Walters to Camden Redd, giving LE a 13-7 lead — a blocked PAT — at halftime.
The Braves ended the night with 24 first downs. 20 of those came via the ground game, which was put on full display in the second half.
After a three-yard touchdown run from Reid at the 5:01 mark in the third, Walters pitched the ball to Reid on an option to successfully convert a two-point try, putting the Braves ahead 21-7.
The game’s next score came at the 11:20 mark in the fourth when Reid powered his way into the end zone behind senior RJ Weber. Elswick split the uprights and the Braves led 28-7.
“When you run the ball as well as we did, it really enhances everything else,” Holbert said. “We got a great shot on a play action pass and their secondary bit hard, which allowed Keegan [Diehl] to go deep. It was a great ball from Aaron, a great job upfront and a great catch by Keegan.”
As Holbert foretold, when the run game works effectively, it creates big opportunities for Walters to show his arm strength.
On the Braves’ next drive, Walters rolled out of the pocket and found Diehl downfield. The pass hit the receiver in stride, adding a 46-yard score to LE’s tally and putting the Braves ahead 35-7 with 6:14 remaining.
The Falcons scored the game’s final touchdown with 4:10 to play when Jayden Pritchard ran in from six yards out to round out the night’s final.
With a 21-point lead and the single-game rushing record in the crosshairs, Reid went back into the game.
Without hesitation, he was handed the ball on each of the next five plays. After moving the chains twice, he hit his mark and exited to a standing ovation.
Statistically, Walters was 9-of-13 passing for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Reid, alongside his rushing totals, caught three passes for 35 yards while Diehl had two catches for 51 yards.
Fairfield Union was led by Collins, who ended the night with 138 rushing yards on 24 carries.
The Falcons will look to bounce back next week, hosting Bloom-Carroll, while Logan Elm looks to stay on track at home against Liberty Union.
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