By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Springfield Catholic Fightin’ Irish are coming to crash your homecoming party.
For the second time this season – and another opportunity looming next week – Catholic soured another school’s homecoming festivities with an impressive road win.
The Irish had their best all-around outing of the season Friday night, beating Fair Grove 36-15 in a game with big conference and district seeding implications.
“We had to make a statement right here,” said Catholic senior Easton Gifford, who scored a pair of offensive touchdowns and provided another spark with big plays on defense and special teams late in the first half. “We knew (Fair Grove) was ranked ahead of us coming into tonight. We just had to do something.”
It’s another remarkable feat for a Catholic team that’s feeling exuberant amid a breakout season. The Irish are having their best run since 2018, when they went 10-3 overall and won a district title.
But the program fell into hard times in recent years, winning just six combined games in four seasons (2021-24). This year, three schools (Reeds Spring, Fair Grove and Buffalo) designated the Irish as their homecoming opponent.
“When you do that, you’re going to get scheduled for some homecomings,” said Catholic coach Wes Page. “Luckily, we’re not that team anymore.”
Certainly not. Catholic now sits alone atop the Mid-Lakes Conference standings. The 6-0 record could also vault the Irish into the Class 2 state rankings next week.
“These guys fight,” Page said. “We’re young, we’re not the biggest team out there. But they fight with everybody. It’s been amazing to watch how much they’ve grown.
“I think we’ve all surprised ourselves this year with what we’re capable of.”
The Irish started Friday night with a bang, scoring on their first two plays from scrimmage. Gifford, who sat out the past two weeks while recovering from a concussion, had both scores.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
He hauled in a 70-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jett Lewis, then took a jet sweep up the left sideline for a 40-yard score that put the Irish up 14-0 just five minutes into the game.
“I was hyped, I was ready,” Gifford said. “That first play, we ran it because we knew their safeties were going to crash down. Throw it over the top, touchdown.”
“Second play, it was ‘Rocket.’ That’s my go-to play. Touchdown. It’s just how it worked out. It was great.”
Page joked that he’ll need to consider giving Gifford another two-week break if it means more performances like that.
“He was shot out of a cannon tonight,” Page said. “He’s a big-play machine.”
Catholic’s defense allowed its lowest point total yet, against a Fair Grove squad that was averaging 27 points per game.
Gifford made a pivotal play on defense late in the first half as Fair Grove was driving for the tying score. He was the last man in on a gang tackle and stripped the Fair Grove ballcarrier for a takeaway.
“Going in for the tackle, I see that ball hanging out… it was mine. I just wanted to take it,” Gifford said. “Man, I thought I had a touchdown on that, too.”
Two plays later, Michael Heredia’s 9-yard touchdown run put Catholic up 21-7. Heredia is another Catholic player on a hot streak – he tallied seven touchdowns in Gifford’s two-game absence.
Catholic delivered a backbreaking blow on the final play of the first half, which came moments after a long punt return by Gifford.
On a rollout to the right side, Lewis’ pass went through the hands of at least two Fair Grove defenders and into the waiting arms of Catholic receiver Conner Feske as time expired. The Irish led 28-7 at halftime.
Fair Grove utilized a run-heavy offense with quarterback Gage Bailey and running back Harrison Martin. Martin finished with 30 carries for 126 yards and one touchdown.
“It was a lot different than what we game-planned for, when they started trying to ground-and-pound us like that,” Page said. “Our guys stepped up. We took a big step forward last week and took an even bigger step forward tonight.”
In addition to the Mid-Lakes Conference race, Friday night’s win gives Catholic a leg up on Fair Grove in the Class 2 District 3 Tournament bracket. Catholic or Mountain View-Liberty are on pace to be the top seed.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
Catholic travels a bit farther up Highway 65 next week to play Buffalo (1-4 overall). Fair Grove will play at Reeds Spring (0-5 overall).
The Irish hope to be homecoming spoilers again.
“It’s good to have something with a chip on our shoulder,” Page said. “That’s how these guys play their best. Especially the guys that have been here long. They’ve never been anything other than the underdog.”
The Irish have seven seniors on the team this year. Only two of them – Noah Whiteley and Wyatt Cartwright – have been around for all four years. They endured a 17-game losing streak at one point.
“They were so sick of losing going into this year,” Page said of the senior duo. “They weren’t going to let anything stop them going into this year. They drug all our young guys up and they’ve done a great job leading the team.”
Springfield Catholic 36, Fair Grove 15
Springfield Catholic 14 14 0 8 — 36
Fair Grove 0 7 8 0 — 15
First quarter
Springfield Catholic – Gifford 73 catch from Lewis (Corbett kick)
Springfield Catholic – Gifford 40 run (Corbett kick)
Second quarter
Fair Grove – Martin 12 run (Brock kick)
Springfield Catholic – Heredia 9 run (Corbett kick)
Springfield Catholic – Fenske 10 catch from Lewis (Corbett kick)
Third quarter
Fair Grove – Bailey 1 run (Highfill catch from Bailey, 2-point conversion)
Fourth quarter
Springfield Catholic – Boster 72 run (Hartman run, 2-point conversion)
Springfield Catholic stat leaders (unofficial)
Passing: Lewis 5-for-10 for 115 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing: Boster 6/90, 1 TD; Gifford 3/41, 1 TD; Heredia 4/26, 1 TD
Receiving: Gifford 1/73, 1 TD; Fenske 3/40, 1 TD
Fair Grove stat leaders (unofficial)
Passing: Bailey 5/13 for 57 yards, 1 INT
Rushing: Martin 30/126, 1 TD; Bailey 14/57, 1 TD
Receiving: Gooding 1/39; Austin 1/19
Turnovers: Fair Grove 3, Springfield Catholic 1
