The Fairfield Trojans opened the 2026 football season in emphatic fashion on Friday, August 28th, defeating Benton 42-14 in their home opener — a statement win for a program that had lost to Benton in each of the previous three meetings, including a pair of lopsided defeats in 2023 and 2024 when the two schools were district opponents.
The all-time series now reads: Benton 38-0 in 2023, Benton 29-14 in 2024, Benton 29-12 in 2025, and Fairfield 42-14 in 2026. When the state realigned conferences after the first two years, Fairfield and Benton kept each other on their schedules as non-district opponents — and Friday night, Fairfield made the most of the fourth meeting.
First Half
Fairfield wasted no time setting the tone. Starting at their own 35-yard line, the Trojans needed just six plays, three first downs, and less than two and a half minutes to find the end zone on their opening drive, capped by a 35-yard rushing touchdown from Ethan Bisgard. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Benton answered quickly, with Kaden Mitchell ripping off a 75-yard touchdown run on just the second play of their opening drive for a 7-6 Bobcat lead with a successful extra point attempt. Fortunately for the Trojans, that would be the last lead Benton would see.
Fairfield responded with an impressive six-minute drive starting at their own 26-yard line, scoring on an 11-yard rushing touchdown by Bisgard with 2:43 left in the first quarter. The two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, leaving Fairfield ahead 12-7.
After a series of punts from both teams, Fairfield got the ball back with 3:34 left in the second quarter at their own 45-yard line. The Trojans drove the length of the field, with quarterback Voss Richardson punching it in on a quarterback sneak with one minute remaining before halftime. Richardson then connected with Bisgard on a two-point conversion pass to make it 20-7 at the break.
Third Quarter Dominance
Fairfield outscored their first-half performance in the third quarter alone, putting up 22 points to blow the game open.
Benton received the second-half kickoff and started at their own 15-yard line but could only hold the ball for two minutes before Bisgard turned a screen pass into a pick-six, returning the interception 35 yards for a touchdown. Richardson found Brady Wigle for the two-point conversion, making it 28-7.
After Benton’s offense stalled again, Fairfield got the ball back with 8:24 remaining in the third quarter. Exactly three minutes later, Bisgard broke loose for a 50-yard touchdown run, with Wigle adding a two-point conversion run to make it 36-7.
With 3:41 left in the third quarter, Fairfield struck again. After starting their drive at their own 30-yard line, Tucker Robertson broke free for a 44-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 42-7. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete.
Benton added another touchdown by Kaden Wright early in the fourth quarter to make the final 42-14, but Fairfield’s defense had largely shut down the Bobcats’ offense all night. A highlight of the fourth quarter came from Blake Burnett, who forced a fumble and recovered it at the 5:11 mark to help seal the victory.
Stats
Bisgard was the star of the evening on both sides of the ball, carrying 12 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns — an average of 14.6 yards per carry — while also recording an interception returned for a score, two forced fumbles, and 5.5 tackles on defense. Robertson complemented him with 12 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown, while Richardson added 62 yards on seven carries and a score. Wigle contributed 39 yards on eight carries. Burnett added a forced fumble and fumble recovery to go along with a team-high 7.5 tackles. Henry Konczal recorded a sack.
Fairfield did not attempt a single pass outside of two-point conversion attempts. Wigle converted two two-point attempts and Bisgard converted one.
Benton’s offense was largely kept in check. Quarterbacks Owen Drahos and Kaiser Townsley combined to complete just three of 11 passes for 27 yards and threw one interception. Mitchell was a bright spot for the Bobcats, rushing 19 times for 182 yards, but he received little support.
Player and Coach Reactions
Bisgard reflected on the team’s performance. “I think our line definitely played a big role,” he said. “They’ve been working really hard in practice and working with different guys playing new positions, so I think they did a great job. What stood out to me was our overall toughness. Lots of guys playing both ways but we had guys stepping up and making plays.” On his interception, Bisgard credited practice preparation. “We practiced that screen pass in practice all week. My job was to blow it up and it just so happened that he bobbled it right into my arms.”
Bisgard said the defense settled in nicely. “We have a motto which is ‘bend, don’t break’ and I think we proved it,” he said. “Gave up a few plays here and there but overall very solid showing.” He added that winning the opener was significant. “I think winning the first game is the ultimate tone setter for the year so being able to do that is great.” The victory was particularly meaningful for a program that had not won its season opener since 2023 — a drought that ended in emphatic fashion Friday night. The 2022 season was the last time Fairfield opened their season at home with a win.
Looking ahead to Centerville, Bisgard said the team is ready for the challenge. “We know that Centerville is a pass-heavy team with some good athletes. We were able to play them really close last year so this game and this week will be a great test for us.”
Head coach Matt Jones praised the offensive line, which features just one returning starter in Hank Konczal at left guard. “Our kids battled up front all night. We have only one returner in Hank Konczal on the offensive line, but we have some tough, hungry kids who are coming together nicely,” Jones said. The line also includes Benji Hunter at center, Jasper Carpenter at right guard, Clayton Greiner at right tackle, and Will Bryant at left tackle. Jones also singled out the tight ends — senior Blake Burnett and juniors Chase Countryman and Corbin Starr. “They worked hard and opened some nice holes. It’s really a team effort because our backs help our line with quick moves and fakes and our line helps our backs with strike, drive, leverage finish.”
On the backfield, Jones said the four backs — Richardson, Robertson, Wigle, and Bisgard — responded to a challenge issued after the scrimmage. “We challenged them after the scrimmage to step up the faking game and they sure did.”
Jones was equally complimentary of the defense. “The defense played so well, only giving up two scores. Also, scoring on defense was a huge momentum swinger and a huge play in the game,” he said. “Ethan Bisgard made a great play on the ball on that interception return. Also, he forced two fumbles from his linebacker spot as well.” On the defensive line, Jones highlighted Chase Countryman and Corbin Starr setting the edge at defensive end, with Konczal, Greiner, Hunter, and Bryant holding their own in the interior. “We covered pretty well in the secondary and got some heat on the quarterback as well, with Hank getting a sack and Owen and others putting heat on the quarterback. Our defensive backs played well, with Benton only completing three passes on 11 attempts.”
Jones was proud of the overall team effort. “We won the explosive play category and the turnover margin. I was super proud of the guys for that! It was also amazing to get every sophomore through senior in the game! They’ve been working hard and it was good to see all of our kids play.” He added: “It was a great night to be a Trojan!”
Looking Ahead
Fairfield, ranked 13th in the preseason by IAFootball — second in their district behind No. 1 Solon and just ahead of district foe Mount Pleasant at No. 15 — came into the season with high expectations after finishing 3-6 last year. Friday’s win was a strong opening statement.
Next up is a road trip to Centerville, ranked ninth in the preseason in Class 2A by IAFootball, which edged Fairfield 44-38 in a memorable game last season before finishing the regular season 7-1 before falling to Mediapolis in the first round of the playoffs. Jones said the Trojans have their work cut out for them. “Centerville returns a lot of players from last year. Their skill kids and line is very good, with their quarterback being their bell cow. We are going to have to build upon this week, prepare well, and be ready to roll on Friday at Centerville. Getting better, and getting ready to play tough at Centerville is all that matters.”
Centerville’s junior quarterback Mack Murdock is currently leading the state in passing with 620 yards throughout their first two games. They also feature two more outstanding athletes to create a sort of three-headed monster with Murdock, Makoa Kaleponi at running back with 182 yards and four touchdowns, and Abram Decena at receiver 304 yards and three touchdowns on 18 receptions in their first two games against Creston and future Fairfield opponent Knoxville.
