By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — Steven Simpson had a really good game. He ran 12 times for 150 yards and scored a touchdown.

The problem is Simpson shares the backfield with Chase Hall.

The Hornets senior record-setting running back had another huge game with 29 carries for 318 yards and scored 6 touchdowns as Coal Grove rallied in the second half to beat the Malvern Hornets 67-43 in the opening round of the Division 6 playoffs Friday.

Coal Grove (7-4) will now host West Jefferson in the second round next Friday.

The tandem of Hall and Simpson helped Coal Grove rack up 487 yards rushing on 52 attempts. Quarterback Whyatt Mannon was 2-of-2 passing for 42 yards to give Coal Grove 529 total yards.

Malvern (8-3) had 331 total years with 171 on the ground and 160 through the air. The big key was turnovers as Malvern had 4 interceptions and lost a fumble. Gavin Gipson had 2 interceptions while Wesley Runyon and Devin Bloomfield one each.

Coal Grove used a 33-yard pass from Mannon to Runyon to get the ball to the 10-yard line and Hall scored. Hall also ran for the conversion and it was 8-0 on the first series of the game.

But Malvern got an 87-yard kickoff return by K.J. Wafler and Ryan Runyon’s conversion kick cut the deficit to 8-7 with 9:18 on the clock.

Coal Grove fumbled 2 plays later and Malvern had the ball at the 32. It took 9 plays as quarterback Jared Witherow capped the drive with a 2-yard keeper. Runyon’s kick put Malvern up 14-8 with 4:37 left in the quarter.

The next score came when Ryan Runyon blocked a punt and Drake Hutchison picked up the ball and returned it 25 yards for the touchdown. Runyon added the conversion and it was 21-8 with 2:25 on the clock.

Coal Grove came right back and with an 8-play drive covering 51 yards and it was Simpson going 3 yards for the second. The conversion run failed and it was 21-14 at the 10:44 mark.

Malvern drove to the Coal Grove 34 but a pass into the end zone was fumbled and accidentally kicked into the air by the wide receiver Rodney Smith and Gipson grabbed the rebound.

Coal Grove then went the distance in 8 plays aided by a running into the kicker penalty and Hall ran 5 yards for the TD. The conversion run ailed again and Malvern was left clinging to a 21-20 lead with 3:14 to go in the half.

Malvern extended its lead just before the half as Witherow hit Phillips for 35 yards and Smith for 11 and 21 yards, the second reception for the score and it was 28-20 with one minute left I the half.

Malvern scored just 2 plays into the second half when Phillips took a handoff and hit Wafler on a 52-yard scoring pass and it was 35-20.

But Coal Grove answered in just 2 plays. Simpson ran 42 yards and then Hall went the final 8 for the TD. He also ran for the conversion and it was 35-28.

Malvern drove to the Coal Grove 16 but Gipson picked off a pass at the 9-yard line and returned it to the 38 and Coal Grove was back in business.

It took 4 plays to get to the Malvern 11-yard line and that’s where Mannon kept the ball and scored. Hall ran for the conversion and Coal Grove was back on top at 36-35.

A 40-yard TD pass from Witherow to Smith with 3:08 on the third quarter clock put Malvern back on top. Witherow passed too Phillips for the conversion and it was 43-36.

It didn’t take Coal Grove long to regain the lead. With Hall getting a 36-yard run, Coal Grove reached the 10-yard line where Hall scored with just 1:39 left in the quarter. His conversion run put Coal Grove up 44-33.

Malvern was stopped inches short of a first down on a fourth down play at the Coal Grove 41. The drive only need 5 plays as Hall rambled 44 yards for the score and added the conversion to make it 52-43 with 9:23 to play.

An interception by Bloomfield gave the ball back to Coal Grove at the Malvern 46. This time it took only 3 plays with Hall running 15 yards and the 31 for the score with 6:29 on the clock. Hall added his fifth conversion run and it was 60-43.

Malvern went to the air on first down only to be picked off by Runyon. Simpson carried twice for 8 and 33 yards, the latter for a touchdown, and it was 66-43. John Turner kicked the conversion through the uprights to set the finals score.

Hutchison ran 14 times for 101 yards while Witherow was 8-of-17 for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns to go with the four picked.

Malvern         21    7     15    0     =     43

Coal Grove     8     12    24    23    =     67

First Quarter

CG — Chase Hall 10 run (Hall run) 9:33

Ma — K.J. Wafler 87 kickoff return (Ryan Runyon kick) 9:18

Ma — Jared Witherow 2 run (Ryan Runyon kick) 4:37

Ma — Drake Hutchison 25 blocked punt return (Ryan Runyon kick) 2:25

Second Quarter

CG — Steven Simpson 3 run (run failed) 10:44

CG — Chase Hall 5 run (run failed) 3:14

Ma — Rodney Smith 21 pass from Jared Witherow (Ryan Runyon kick) 1:00

Third Quarter

Ma — K.J. Wafler 52 pass from Dyan Phillips (Ryan Runyon kick) 11:07

CG — Chase Hall 8 run (Hall run) 10:43

CG —Whyatt Mannon 11 run (Chase Hall run) 4:45

Ma — Rodney Smith 40 pass from Jared Withrow (Dylan Phillips pass from Jared Witherow) 3:55

CG — Chase Hall 10 run (Hall run) 1:39

Fourth Quarter

CG — Chase Hall 44 run (Hall run) 9:23

CG — Chase Hall 31 run (Hall run) 6:29

CG — Steven Simpson 33 run (John Turner kick) 5:20

———

Ma  CG

First downs     17    24

Rushes-yards  26-171    52-487

Passing yards  160  42

Total yards     331  529

Cmp-Att-Int    10-19-4   2-4-0

Fumbles-lost   1-1  2-1

Penalties-yards       10-98      11-97

Punts-average 0-00.0     2-20.0

———

Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Malvern: Drake Hutchison 14-101, Jared Witherow 9-20 TD, Clayton Abel 2-45, Brodie Powers 1-5; Coal Grove: Chase Hall 29-318 6TD, Steven Simpson 12-150 TD, Whyatt Mannon 6-8 TD, Gavin Gipson 1-8, Mason Wheeler 1-2, Landon Riley 2-1, Isaac Hankins 1-0.

PASSING–Malvern: Jared Witherow 8-17-4 91 2TD, Dylan Phillips 1-1-0 52 TD, Clayton Abel 1-1-0 16; Coal Grove: Whyatt Mannon 2-2-0 42, Chase Hall 0-1-0, Leland McKnight 0-1-0.

RECEIVING–Malvern: Dylan Phillips 4-59 TD, K.J. Wafler 2-58 TD, Rodney Smith 3-27 TD, Owen Ball 1-16; Coal Grove: Wesley Runyon 1-33, Chase Hall 1-9.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.