21-point third quarter secures District opener

Fort Scott’s Zarek Fewell (22) uses his blockers, which include Andrew Callahan (76), Mason Couch (55), Aaron Emery and Colby Page, as he looks for a way around the left side of the line during play at Frary Field Friday night. Fewell rushed for 214 yards and five touchdowns in the Tigers’ 42-20 victory over Louisburg in District Three play.

Scott Nuzum/Tribune

Fort Scott High broke a four-game losing streak versus Louisburg and a four-game losing skid in district games with a statement-making 42-20 victory over the Wildcats to open Class 4A-Division I District 3 play at Frary Field Friday night.

It was the first win for the Tigers (5-2) over Louisburg since a 24-14 win in the 2005 playoffs. This was just the second regular-season meeting between the schools in a series that is now even at five wins each. Fort Scott’s last District win came over Labette County, 28-25, in the second District game of the 2015 season.

Senior Zarek Fewell rushed for 214 yards on 23 carries and scored five touchdowns, boosting his league-leading total to 21. He becomes the 23rd player in the history of the Southeast Kansas League to score at least 20 touchdowns in a season. Josh Lattimer is the only other Fort Scott player to have done so, scoring a then-record 25 in the 2000 season.

Paola also won its district opener, defeating Ottawa at home 24-0 after leading just 3-0 at the half. The Panthers (6-1) will host the Tigers Friday while Louisburg (5-2) travels to Ottawa (1-6).

Fewell put the Tigers on the board on their first offensive play of the game. Taking over following a Louisburg punt on their own 40-yard line, Fewell went to left and scampered 60 yards for the score less than 6 minutes into the contest.

Louisburg — whose only loss coming into the game was to undefeated De Soto by a 41-0 score in Week Three — answered back with a 12-yard pass from Madden Rutherford to running back Austin Moore with 4:57 to go, tying the score at 7-7.

Fewell scored his second touchdown with 10 seconds left in the period on a 9-yard run to make it 14-7. That was set up by an 81-yard connection from Jesse Jones to Gunnar Brown on the play before.

Moore scored on a 1-yard run with 9:26 on the clock in the second quarter. But Ty Gorman blocked the extra point to prevent the Wildcats from tying the game.

Jessie Lawrence’s 37-yard punt return late in the half put the ball at Louisburg’s 15. Fewell ran on the next three plays for 5 yards, then 3 and then the last 7 into the end zone with 1:29 on the clock. Juba Foul’s kick made it 21-13.

Louisburg got to the Fort Scott 24 for the final play of the first half but Rutherford’s pass into the end zone was broken up by Lawrence as the half ended.

Fewell scored No. 4 on a 56-yard run with 8:20 to go in the third, breaking a pair of tackles after breaking through the hole created by his teammates at the line of scrimmage. That made it 28-13.

Nick Lawrence made the first of two interceptions to stop the Wildcats’ ensuing drive on the first play. The Tigers then held the ball for 11 plays and over 5 1/2 minutes en route to their next score.

The Tigers gained a first down at the 27 but were hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following a play that had resulted in a short loss. They now faced second-and-28 on the Louisburg 45 and weren’t able to make a gain on the next play.

Jones found Campbell for 18 yards on third down and head coach Bob Campbell called time out to consider what to do on fourth-and-10 from the 27.

It was another pass to Campbell, who ran down the left sideline after the catch and warded off a tackle to get to the end zone with 2:17 on the clock. The PAT made it 35-13.

Louisburg muffed the ensuing kickoff and Levi Bin recovered for the Tigers at the Wildcats’ 34. Fewell gained 6 on the first play. Then Jones connected with Brown for a first down at the 4, from where Fewell scored No. 5 with 1:05 left in the third.

Louisburg got a late score from Rutherford to Desmond Doles from 30 yards out with 2:04 remaining to get within 22. The Wildcats then stopped the Tigers from completely killing the clock, stopping a fourth-down rushing play at their on 48 with 24 seconds left. Hoping to add another score and cut down the deficit in the district tie-breaker points system, they looked for one more score. They were able to advance to the Fort Scott 33 but Lawrence got his second interception of the game at the goal line as time ran out.

Jones completed 5 of 7 passes for the Tigers for 163 yards. Campbell caught 3 for 56 yards and Brown hauled in the other 2 for 107.

Moore rushed for 99 yards on 12 carries for Louisburg. Rutherford completed 10 of 12 passes for 102 yards.

Fort Scott out-gained Louisburg in total offense 394 yards to 272.

LOUISBURG......................... 7 6 0 7 — 20

FORT SCOTT...................... 14 7 21 0 — 42

coring plays

First quarter

FS — Fewell 60 run (Foul kick), 8:56 [1, 60, :12]

L — Moore 12 pass from Rutherford (Varns kick), 4:52 [8, 65, 3:58]

FS — Fewell 9 run (Foul kick), :10 [3, 86, 1:33]

Second quarter

L — Moore 1 run (kick blocked), 9:26 p6, 57, 2:37]

FS — Fewell 7 run (Foul kick), 1:29 [3, 15, 1:14]

Third quarter

FS — Fewell 56 run (Foul kick), 8:20 [2, 59, :58]

FS — Campbell 27 pass from Jones (Foul kick), 2:17 [11, 63, 5:42]

FS — Fewell 4 run (Foul kick), 1:09 [3, 34, 1:05]

Fourth quarter

L — Doles 30 pass from Rutherford (Varnes kick), 2:04 [3, 33, 1:39[

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Louisburg — Moore 12-99, Ridley 7-38, Rutherford 10-32, Minster 1-2, Caplinger 3-minus 1. Fort Scott — Fewell 23-214, J.Lawrence 4-10, Colvin 4-8, Wilson 2-4, Jones 4-minus 2, Brown 2-minus 3.

PASSING: Louisburg — Rutherford 10-20-2-102. Fort Scott — Jones 5-7-0-163.

RECEIVING:Louisburg — Doles 3-45, Minster 2-19, Moore 2-16, Gage 2-9, Caplinger 1-3. Fort Scott — Campbell 3-56, Brown 2-107.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: None.