By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PORTSMOUTH — The playmakers made plays.

The Portsmouth Trojans have plenty of playmakers in their offense and they came up with the big plays as they pulled away in the second half to a 35-21 win over the Rock Hill Redmen in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

With the game tied at 21, quarterback Tyler Duncan hit Jayden Duncan falling backward in the end zone. Leading 28-21, Duncan was being chased and about to go out of bounds, he threw the ball up for grabs and Devon Lattimore out jumped the defensive back for a 38-yard touchdown reception and a 35-21 lead with 7:34 to play.

“Duncan was impressive on film and he was even better live,” said Rock Hill coach Mark Lutz. “He made some big plays and they have some quality athletes and they made some big plays. We played hard and we did. Lot of good things, but Portsmouth just made some big plays.”

Rock Hill (2-2, 0-1) finished with 207 total yards with 75 on the ground while Adams was 8-of-16 passing for 135 yards and a touchdown.

Portsmouth (2-2, 1-0) had 267 total yards with Tyler Duncan hitting 14-of-24 passes for 165 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran 8 times for 63 yards and a score. Heiland had 6 catches for 81 yards and 2 TDs and Jayden Duncan 4 receptions for 50 yards and a score.

A 58-yard kickoff return by J.T. Williams to start the game put Portsmouth at the Rock Hill 21-yard line. It took 4 plays to score with Tyler Duncan hitting Heiland with a 5-yard TD toss and it was 7-0 at the 10:22 mark after Zach Roth’s conversion kick.

Rock Hill answered with a 68-yard, 9-play drive highlighted by a 50-yard pass from Adams to Kordell French to the Trojans 20-yard line. Adams ran the final yard with 4:08 on the clock and Hazley Matthews’ kick tied the game.

But the Trojans came right back on their next possession with a 63-yard 9-play march. Tyler Duncan did most of the work as he completed 2 passes for 14 yards and had a 35-yard run and his 13-yard scamper went for the touchdown and it was 14-7 with 1:05 on the left in the quarter.

The Redmen went 3-and-out on their next possession and Portsmouth had the ball at the Rock Hill 41.

It took just one play for the Trojans to score as Tyler Duncan hits Heiland on a 41-yard scoring strike in the end zone with 11:04 left in the half and it was 21-7.

Although Rock Hill was forced to punt again on its next possession, the defense came up big.

Portsmouth moved the ball from its own 12 to the 46 and Tyler Duncan was looking for another completion only to have defensive end Zach O’Bryant flash his hands in the air and intercept the ball. O’Bryant caught the ball at the 40-yard line and took it to the house as Rock Hill cut the deficit to 21-14 with 5:59 on the clock.

Rock Hill came out in the second half and marched 64 yards in 12 plays to tie the game.

Adams hit Chanz Pancake who made an outstanding shoe top catch for 31 yards to the Portsmouth 31. A 23-yard run by French got the ball to the 13.

On a fourth-and-goal, Adams hit Levi Jiles with a 4-yard touchdown pass and Matthews’ kick tied the game with 4:45 on the clock.

Portsmouth returned the kickoff to the Rock Hill 45 and 8 plays later Tyler Duncan hit a falling Jayden Duncan for a 28-21 lead

Tyler Duncan added the insurance TD on a third down scramble and threw the ball up hoping for something good and he got his wish as Lattimore made his clutch catch.

Rock Hill did drive to the Portsmouth 15-yard line only to have 3 straight passes fall incomplete.

Rock Hill will host Fairland this Friday.

Rock Hill       7     7     7     0     =     21

Portsmouth     14    7     7     7     =     35

First Quarter

Prt — Nolan Heiland 5 pass from Tyler Duncan (Zach Roth kick) 10:16

RH — Brayden Adams 1 run (Hazley Matthews kick) 4:08

Prt — Tyler Duncan 13 run (Zach Roth kick) 1:05

Second Quarter

Prt — Nolan Heiland 41 pass from Tyler Duncan (Zach Roth) 11:06

RH — Zach O’Bryant 46 interception (Hazley Matthews kick) 5:59

Third Quarter

RH — Levi Jiles 4 pass from Brayden Adams (Hazley Matthews kick) 4:45

Prt — Jayden Duncan 24 pass from Tyler Duncan (Zach Roth kick) 1:20

Fourth Quarter

Prt — Devon Lattimore 38 pass from Tyler Duncan (Zach Roth kick) 7:34

———

RH  Prt

First downs     9     16

Rushes-yards  29-77      19-102

Passing yards  135  165

Total yards     207  267

Cmp-Att-Int    8-16-0     14-24-1

Fumbles-lost   0-0  1-1

Penalties-yards       9-79 7-67

Punts-average 3-26.7     1-24.0

Time of possession 29:44      18:16

———

Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Rock Hill: Kordell French 7-29, Levi Jiles 4-14, Chase Delong 10-11, Brayden Adams 5-minus 5 TD, Brock Friend 8-27, Anthony Stamper 1-0; Portsmouth: Tyler Duncan 8-63 TD, Beau Hammond 8-42, Nolan Heiland 1-minus 1, Team 2-minus 2.

PASSING–Rock Hill: Brayden Adams 8-16-0 132 TD; Portsmouth: Tyler Duncan 14-24-1 4TD.

RECEIVING–Rock Hill: Kordell French 3-77, Chanz Pancake 2-33, Chase Delong 1-12, Zach O’Bryant 1-9, Levi Jiles 1-4 TD; Portsmouth: Devon Lattimore 1-38 TD, Jayden Duncan 4-50 TD, Nolan Heiland 6-81 2TD, Reade Pendleton 2-16.