By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

SOUTH POINT — It was a typical game for Chase Hall, but it was a play by a couple of defensive backs that put the Coal Grove Hornets into high gear.

The Hornets had a 7-point and were driving only to fumble the ball away. But moments later, defensive back Kaden Murphy stripped a South Point receiver after a 3-yard gain and fellow DB Landon Roberts scooped up the ball and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.

Hall ran for the conversion and a 22-7 lead that shifted the momentum and the Hornets continue to build on it in the second half en route to a 43-7 Ohio Valley Conference win over the Pointers on Friday.

Chase Hall ran 32 times for 272 yards and scored 5 touchdowns for the third straight game.

The Hornets (4-0, 1-0) had 289 rushing yards as a team and Whyatt Mannon was 2-of-6 passing for 14 yards for 303 total yards.

South Point (2-2, 0-1) could never get its running game going against the Hornet’s defense and finished with minus 19 yards on the ground due mainly to the pressure applied to Pointers’ quarterback Jordan Ermalovich.

The Pointers did manage 167 yards passing as Ermalovich was 21-of-30 for 158 yards and a touchdown. Braydon Hanshaw had 6 catches for 87 yards and the score.

Coal Grove took the opening kickoff and drove to the 10-yard line before the Pointers stopped the Hornets at the 5-yard line on a fourth-and-7.

After a punt, the Hornets went 33 yards in 7 plays as Hall ran 10 yards to cap the drive and it was 6-0.

The Hornets got the ball back at the Pointers’ 37 and it took 7 plays again to score with Hall running the final 6 yards. He also ran for the conversion and a 14-0 lead.

South Point then put together a 65-yard, 11-play drive and scored as Ermalovich hit Hanshaw with a 38-yard strike. Braylon Balandra kicked the conversion and the lead was sliced in half at 14-7.

Coal Grove drove to the 28 only to fumble the ball away, but 2 plays later Murphy and Roberts teamed up to get the defensive score. Hall ran for the conversion and it was 22-7 at the half.

The Hornets scored on all 3 possessions in the second half.

After a South Point penalty moved the ball to the Pointer’ 36, the Hornets went the distance in 6 plays as Hall scored on a 2-yard run. Murphy ran for the conversion and it was 30-7.

Coal Grove got the ball at its own 35 and ran 8 plays as the drive spilled over into the fourth quarter and Hall ran 3 straight times including the final 10 yards for a 36-7 lead.

Following a Pointers’ punt, Coal Grove needed just 3 plays to get 63 yards as Hall ran 28 yards on first down and then ran the final 25 yards and it was 42-7.

John Turner booted the extra point to set the final score.

Next Friday, Coal Grove visits Chesapeake and South Point goes to Ironton.

Coal Grove     6     16    8     13    =     43

South Point     0     7     0     0     =     7

First Quarter

CG — Chase Hall 10 run (run failed) 1:48

Second Quarter

CG — Chase Hall 6 run (Hall run) 9:47

P — Braydon Hanshaw 38 pass from Jordan Ermalovich (Braylon Balandra kick) 4:28

CG — Landon Roberts 34 fumble return (Chase Hall run) 0:45

Third Quarter

CG — Chase Hall 2 run (Kaden Murphy run) 6:19

Fourth Quarter

CG — Chase Hall 10 run (run failed) 10:21

CG — Chase Hall 35 run (John Turner kick) 7:43

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CG  SP

First downs     19    13

Rushes-yards  44-289    15-(-) 19

Passing yards  14    167

Total yards     303  148

Cmp-Att-Int    2-6-0       22-35-1

Fumbles-lost   1-1  2-2

Penalties-yards       7-85 12-96.5

Punts-average 0-00.0     3-26.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Coal Grove: Chase Hall 32-272 5TD, Steven Simpson 6-10, Kaden Murphy 5-13, Whyatt Mannon 1-minus 6; South Point: Blaine Freeman 6-8, Gage Chapman 4-12, Jordan Ermalovich 5-minus 39.

PASSING–Coal Grove: Whyatt Mannon 2-6-0 14; South Point: Jordan Ermalovich 21-30-0 158 TD, Xathan Haney 1-5-1 9.

RECEIVING–Coal Grove: Gavin Gipson 2-14; South Point: Braydon Hanshaw 6-87 TD, Eli Wilburn 4-16, Jalyn Anderson 1-8, Blaine Freeman 2-10, Kamren Wilkerson 2-12, Owen Frederik 2-14, Xavier Haney 4-17, Rece Craft 1-3.