FAIRFIELD — To get to Alumni Stadium in Fairfield, one must exit off Dixie Highway and pass, not one, but two restaurants that specialize in chicken. To the left is Popeye's, to the right is Raising Cane's.
On a late afternoon when a young man's belly is empty from sheer metabolism, the scent of fried chicken can be cruel and unusual punishment while running gassers on the adjacent gridiron.
Just ask the Fairfield Indians football team who must play through the picnic-pungent air from summer through fall.
"I know this, we know when they drop a basket of chicken," Fairfield coach Jason Krause said. "You really can smell it. It's been a pretty good competition between those two. Some of our guys will go eat Popeye's and some of our guys go eat Cane's."
It apparently suits them fine. Fairfield is 5-0 and frying opposing offenses with a menacing defense. Offensively, senior JuTahn McClain runs through defenders as if they're covered in Crisco. He tops the GMC with 871 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns with a high game of 222 against Hamilton.
The future Kentucky Wildcat is enjoying being undefeated and hoping to guide the Indians to their first GMC title since 2005. He'd also like a playoff win, something that fell short last year against Milford when McClain left the game injured after gaining 78 yards.
"It means a lot," McClain said of the 5-0 record. "We never did it before. It's exciting."
Fairfield's quarterback is Sawiaha Ellis, who is committed to playing at Toledo as a defensive back. Without him, the Indians defense leads the GMC, so many wonder what they might do if he was also playing on that side of the ball.
As the starting signal-caller, Ellis has used his legs to score seven times and thrown for a pair of touchdowns. The Fairfield offense is far from "Air Krause" but Ellis has been very precise in the throwing game completing 41 of 54.
"We can run the ball, we can throw, we can do it all," Ellis said. "I do miss defense but coach said he needed me at quarterback."
The aggressive defender mentality at the position has helped. Ellis has heard some naysayers through five games and has five Ws in the record books.
"We've got a lot of people each week saying, 'Y'all going to lose this game. I got money and y'all going to lose!'" Ellis said. "We just block out all that and keep beating, keep beating, keep beating."
The GMC schedule is relentless. Fairfield has second-place Lakota East on Friday. Then it's Princeton with their star-studded line-up and Sycamore which knocked off Princeton. Waiting at the end of it all Nov. 1 is Colerain who has won or shared each GMC championship since 2000.
The last coach to beat Colerain in the GMC was Krause when he was at Middletown in 2008. That was also Tom Bolden's last GMC loss prior to Krause's Indians winning 33-7 last Friday against Lakota West.
Under new coach Shawn Cutright, Colerain's only loss is to St. Xavier who is No. 2 in Ohio Division I, according to the latest sportswriters poll. Like Fairfield, they're 3-0 in the GMC.
"It's a good place to be," Krause said of the undefeated record. "It's a tough road. We've got Lakota East coming in and their defense is very good. We'll be tested again. There's no off-nights in this league and we know that."
Friday's opponent, Lakota East, lost on a touchdown with 10 seconds remaining to Princeton, otherwise, they'd be unbeaten in the league as well. Colerain has defeated Princeton. Sycamore has had tight losses to Lakota West and Mason. Because of the GMC schedule, Fairfield doesn't play Mason during the regular season.
In other words, the league race changes weekly and Fairfield controls its destiny.
"We feel our league is as good or better than it's been in the 12 years I've bee coaching in it across the board," Krause said. "There's a lot of parity. There are great coaches and great players. Each week, you have to be ready to play football."
As the tenders are served at Popeye's and Raising Cane's Friday, Fairfield will be in Alumni Stadium looking to continue ruffling feathers in the GMC with Lakota East at 7 p.m.
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