Middletown's Barnitz Stadium, the site of tonight's Division I playoff between Elder and Fairfield, geographically is much closer to Fairfield. But Barnitz is much closer to the hearts of the Elder players — it's where they pulled off a 49-42 miracle comeback over Centerville in last year's playoffs.

        “That's the first thing the kids said when we told them we'd be playing there,” Elder coach Doug Ramsey said.

        The Panthers beat Centerville because they were able to make one more big play than the Elks at the end of the game. Fairfield coach Tom Grippa thinks tonight's game will be settled similarly.

        “Games like this come down to making three or four big plays,” Grippa said.

        The teams appear evenly matched. Elder comes in 7-3, Fairfield 8-3. Both teams beat Moeller; both lost to Colerain and St. Xavier.

        Both mix the pass and the run. Each has a star running back — Kyle Koester for El der and Earl Haynes for Fairfield.

        And you have the added twist that Grippa came to Fairfield after 10 years as Elder's coach, and there are all kinds of relationships among the assistant coaches.

        “I don't think there are any secrets,” Grippa said. “They have to tackle Earl Haynes and defend our passing game. We have to do the same thing.”

        But the teams seem to be going in different directions. Fairfield put together a three-game winning streak to make the playoffs, then knocked off top-seeded Moeller 14-7 in the first round.

        Elder lost two of its last three regular-season games before beating previously unbeaten Lebanon 42-12 in the first round of the playoffs.

        “They're playing with a lot of confidence,” Ramsey said. “They think they can beat anybody.”

        Fairfield's late surge came mainly because the Indians finally were healthy. Haynes, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior, was slowed by an ankle injury early but has rushed for 157 and 180 yards in his last two games.

        “The last three or four weeks we've had everyone practicing,” Grippa said. “Before that, we had guys out with nagging things. They were playing in games, but they couldn't practice. That really hurts you.”

        Fairfield quarterback Brett Pogozalski, a 5-11, 200-pound senior, led the Greater Miami Conference in passing. He was 119-of-236 (50.4 percent) for 1,822 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season.

        Fairfield's top receiver is John Spurlock, who caught 41 passes for 732 yards and four TDs.

        Elder also has gotten healthy over the last few weeks. Tight end Kevin Sullivan and tackle Zack Fugman should return after missing two games with injuries.

        Koester, at 6-1, 250 pounds, is the premier power runner in town. He has rushed for 1,628 yards and 15 TDs and is nimble for a big man, averaging more than 6 yards a carry.

        Elder quarterback Matt Scholl has completed 106 of 190 passes for 1,473 yards and 13 TDs and has been intercepted only six times. His top receiver is Eric Renzenbrink, a 6-5 senior, who has 36 catches for 448 yards and five TDs.

Elder-Fairfield Scouting Report
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