By Jesse Swafford | CSwaff Media
CLAYTON — An entire half of football. Not one offensive snap for Northmont.
That’s what unfolded Friday night during Fairmont’s 27-0 victory over Northmont — and it’s every bit as unusual as it sounds.
CSwaff Media reviewed the second half of the game and charted every Fairmont possession. The result: 37 offensive plays, 158 yards and exactly 24:00 of possession.
Northmont’s offense never took the field.
And there was no running clock.
Fairmont began the second half with the football and proceeded to put together a remarkable 19-play, 71-yard drive that consumed 12:04.
Yes, 12:04.
The possession lasted the entire third quarter and carried four seconds into the fourth. Fairmont converted two fourth downs along the way before finishing the marathon possession with a touchdown.
Normally, that’s when Northmont’s offense finally gets its opportunity.
It didn’t.
On the ensuing kickoff, Fairmont’s kick bounced off a Northmont front-line player. The Firebirds recovered the live ball and their offense went right back onto the field.
This time, Fairmont marched 46 yards in nine plays, consuming another 5:53 before scoring its second touchdown of the half.
Surely Northmont would get the football now.
Once again, it didn’t.
Fairmont’s ensuing kick again struck a Northmont front-line player, and again the Firebirds recovered.
Nine more plays followed.
Fairmont moved 41 yards and drained the final 6:03, eventually taking a knee at the Northmont 5-yard line to finish the 27-0 victory.
The second-half drive chart tells the story:
| Fairmont possession | Plays | Yards | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drive 1 | 19 | 71 | 12:04 | Touchdown |
| Kickoff | — | — | — | Fairmont recovery |
| Drive 2 | 9 | 46 | 5:53 | Touchdown |
| Kickoff | — | — | — | Fairmont recovery |
| Drive 3 | 9 | 41 | 6:03 | Kneel-down at Northmont 5 |
| TOTAL | 37 | 158 | 24:00 | Northmont: 0 offensive plays |
The official GWOC statistics underscore just how lopsided the possession became. Fairmont finished with 35:12 of possession to Northmont’s 12:48 and held a 371-108 advantage in total offense. The Firebirds rushed 51 times for 277 yards while attempting only three passes.
But none of those numbers are quite as striking as this one:
0.
That’s how many offensive plays Northmont ran after halftime.
Fairmont didn’t simply dominate time of possession. For an entire 24-minute half of high school football, it prevented the opposing offense from taking a single snap.
37 plays. 158 yards. 24:00. Two kickoff recoveries. Zero Northmont snaps.
That’s something you don’t see every Friday night.
It Caught Our Eye.
We Saw It. You Should Too.
