Locke Starts Quickly to Eliminate Fairfax, 36-0

Locke High scored two touchdowns before Fairfax took an offensive snap, and Nelson James rushed for four scores as the Saints routed Fairfax, 36-0, in a first-round playoff game Friday night at Westchester High.

Locke (7-3) will play Dorsey in the City 4-A Division quarterfinals Wednesday night. Fairfax finishes the season with an 8-2 record.

The Saints scored on their first possession of the game with a six-play, 62-yard drive that was capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by quarterback Akili Roberson. The big play in the drive was a 27-yard run by Courtney Bell.

On the ensuing kickoff, Locke recovered a fumble by Fairfax’s Nathaniel Haywood on the Lions’ 20-yard line. Two plays later, Locke scored again on a 14-yard run by James.

“They were playing outside, which left the inside open, and the coaches made the right calls,” James said.

With a 14-0 lead, Locke’s defense took over in shutting down the Lions’ offense whenever they threatened to score.

Twice in the first half, Fairfax drove deep into the Saints’ territory but did not score, thanks to a fumbled snap by quarterback Hasan Muhammad and a defensive stand.

In the second half, Locke got another break when Fairfax fumbled a punt snap at its one-yard line early in the third quarter. The Saints scored on the next play on a run by James.

James scored twice more in the fourth quarter on runs of 35 and two yards.

“We are ready to play anyone in the 4-A Division,” James said about Locke’s playoff chances after moving up to the major division this season. “We know that if we lose, we did our best, but we think we can compete.”

For the second consecutive season, Fairfax has failed to reach the City finals after an outstanding regular season. Last year, Fairfax finished the regular season undefeated but lost in the 3-A Division semifinals.

This season, the Lions won their second consecutive Coastal Conference title with an 8-1 record but lost standout quarterback Rahim Muhammad because of a shoulder injury.

“We anticipated this being a tough game,” said Fairfax co-coach Earl Smith, who only had 20 players in uniform for the game because of injuries. “Losing (Rahim Muhammad) was a major difference because he also was our safety on defense. We knew we were short-handed.”