The Fairfield Trojans picked up their third win of the season on Friday, October 17th, with a 38-30 victory over Keokuk, improving to 3-5 on the year. The win also marked Fairfield’s second district victory of the season — matching their total from the previous two years combined — and came in a game where the Trojans posted a season-high 412 rushing yards.
This matchup was expected to be a battle between two teams built on contrasting strengths. Keokuk entered the game ranked among the top five in Class 3A for passing touchdowns, passing yards, and yards per catch. Fairfield, on the other hand, sat in the top five for rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, all-purpose yards, and rushing yards per carry.
Game Summary
Fairfield’s offense started slow, turning the ball over on downs on their first drive, but the Trojans struck first late in the opening quarter. A drive fueled by a 14-yard run from Zandrik Allison and another 14-yard gain from Ethan Bisgard set up Bisgard’s 27-yard touchdown run. A two-point pass from quarterback Voss Richardson to Allison made it 8-0 with under a minute left. Keokuk responded quickly, tying the game 8-8 as the first quarter ended.
In the second quarter, Fairfield began to find its rhythm on the ground. A 19-yard run from Tucker Robertson and a key fourth-down conversion set up a 22-yard touchdown by Allison. Allison then connected with Brady Wigle for the two-point pass to make it 16-8. Fairfield’s defense then created a turnover when Nolan Smith recovered a fumble.
“We got a turnover early when Voss got a strip forced fumble and then Nolan recovered the fumble,” Head Coach Matt Jones said. “Our kids really came out tough and did a great job scoring and getting some critical stops in the first half.”
With just seconds left in the half, Bisgard broke free for a 45-yard run before catching a 29-yard touchdown pass from Richardson. “Ethan’s big run as the half ticked down was huge, and then his catch from Voss was a huge touchdown play right before half,” Jones said. “That gave us a 22 to 8 lead at half.”
The Trojans entered halftime with all the momentum, leading 22-8.
Keokuk battled back in the third quarter, capitalizing on an interception to tie the game 22-22. “In the third quarter we came out and Keokuk got some momentum on offense a little bit,” Jones said. “In the third quarter we traded some scores and then we were able to shut them out in the fourth quarter and add one more touchdown.”
A long kickoff return by Allison set up a 35-yard touchdown run by Bisgard, followed by a two-point conversion from Allison to make it 30-22. Later in the quarter, Bisgard and Axl Starr combined for a big fourth-down sack that swung momentum back to Fairfield.
“The defense played awesome with guys getting quarterback pressures and a really key sack on fourth down,” Jones said. “Ethan had a sack and Axl, Calvin, Christian, and Nolan played well on the defensive line overall. Also, we had Chase and Hank come in and play well on the D-line as well.”
Moments later, Bisgard broke free again — this time for a 63-yard touchdown run. Wigle added the two-point conversion to extend the lead to 38-22. “Ethan had a phenomenal game on offense and defense,” Jones said. “He had 232 rushing yards on 11 attempts. Obviously, he sprung some huge runs for us.”
Keokuk found the end zone once more early in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 38-30, but Fairfield’s defense stood tall the rest of the way. The Chiefs turned the ball over on downs late in the game, and Fairfield ran out the clock to seal the win in victory formation.
“It was a great high school football game,” said Coach Jones. “After being so close against teams like Mediapolis, Washington and Centerville, it was great to see our kids make the critical plays to win the game.” He included, “It was a sweet feeling to be able to run out the clock and kneel down in victory formation at the end. The boys played extremely tough and focused and were resilient the entire game.”
Jones praised the balance between the offense and defense and the teamwork across the field. “I know Ethan would say that our offensive line and tight ends and his backfield teammates deserve some credit because our backfield kids really do a good job carrying out fakes. Ethan is so shifty and fast and explosive. It really takes everybody to make the offense click.”
He also credited the unit’s consistency this season. “We are leading Class 3A in yards per carry and second overall in rush yards, so the boys are doing a great job!” Jones said. “We seem to be pretty healthy overall. We do have some injuries that ended the season for a few kids, but they are still supporting their teammates, and the guys who are playing have a ‘next man in’ mentality.”
Stat Leaders
Voss Richardson completed 3 of 8 passes for 48 yards, including one touchdown and two interceptions. Bisgard led the rushing attack with 232 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Allison added 98 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, while Wigle rushed for 56 yards on 10 carries. Robertson contributed 25 yards on three attempts. Through the air, Bisgard had one catch for 29 yards and a touchdown, while Wigle caught one pass for 17 yards. Allison recorded a 40-yard kickoff return, as well as two successful two-point conversions along with Wigle.
Defensively, Bisgard led the Trojans with 11 total tackles. Starr added 5.5 tackles, and Smith recovered a fumble.
Fairfield’s victory over Keokuk not only showcased its rushing dominance but also reflected the team’s resilience and steady improvement. With two district wins and momentum building, the Trojans will look to close out the regular season strong against rival Mount Pleasant on Friday, October 24th at home.
You can rewatch the game here: Fairfield Football vs Keokuk: October 17, 2025
