By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — Anthony Stamper wasn’t short on motivation.

Rock Hill senior running back had a pair of records within his grasp and as a team the Redmen knew a win would clinch a home playoff game.

But there was one more thing that was the driving force in Stamper’s game. He wanted a win for his cousin Chase Sizemore who died last spring in an accident.

Stamper ran 25 times for 225 yards and 5 touchdowns as he set a new single-season record for rushing yardage and touchdowns. The records helped Rock Hill outscore the Chesapeake Panthers 60-49 in an Ohio Valley Conference game Friday on senior night.

“It feels great to not only break one record but two,” said Stamper. “I told the team we were gonna do it for Chase (Sizemore) on senior night and we got it done.”

Stamper said his performance and the win was a team effort.

“I couldn’t have done it without my boys up front,” Stamper said of his offensive line that consists of Grant Bevins, Wyatt “Earp” Jenkins, Gage Clutters, Eli Smith, Ryan Clement, Daniel Medinger and ends Drew Schug, Zack O’Bryant and number Bridger Kerns.

“To think we could have a playoff game is crazy. We have all worked really hard this year for it and we have to keep grinding to see where it takes us.”

Rock Hill (7-2, 3-2) had 367 total yards with 330 coming on the ground. Brody Simpkins added 49 yards on 9 carries with a touchdown and quarterback Dallin Cox ran 5 times for 44 yards and scored twice.

Cox also hit 6-of-7 passes for 37 yards with Stamper catching 5 passes for all 37 yards.

Chesapeake (5-4, 2-3) had plenty of offense of its own as the Panthers amassed 442 total yards with 189 on the ground and 253 through the air.

Drew Plantz ran 17 times for 77 yards and a touchdown while also returning a kickoff for a score. Andrew Isaacs ran 6 times for 32 yards and a TD while catching 5 passes for 105 yards and 2 scores.

Ethan Kerns caught 9 passes for 122 yards and 2 TDs. Quarterback Jacob Harris rushed 10 times for 46 yards and completed 16-of-27 passes for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns with an interception.

The fans were barely in their seats when the action took off as Stamper ran 54 yards on the first play of the game to the 5-yard line. The Redmen scored 2 plays later on a 1-yard run by Cox. Rylan Barker kicked the conversion and it was 7-0.

Chesapeake answered with a 72-yard, 9-play drive capped by an 8-yard pass from Harris to Kerns. Logan Diamond’s conversion kick tied the game at the 6:48 mark.

Rock Hill came right back with a 52-yard, 4-play drive as Stamper dashed 12 yards with 5:30 on the clock and it was 14-7.

But the Panthers tied the game on a 1-yard run by Plantz with 2:30 left in the quarter. A 22-yard run by Isaacs and a 30-yard pass to Kerns keyed the drive.

Rock Hill used 11 plays to cover 522 yards and score on another 1-yard run by Cox and it was 21-14 with 9:21 left in the half.

A miscue by the Panthers set up the next Rock Hill score when a bad snap led to a blocked punt and the Redmen took over at theChesapeake 32.

A 23-yard run by Stamper set up a 1-yard plunge by Simpkins and it was 28-14 with 5:17 left in the half.

It was another bad snap that caused the Panthers’ punter to get tackled for a 13-yard loss. The Redmen had the ball at the 16 and Stamper took care of that with a 15-yard run and then a 1-yard plunge to make it 34-14.

But the 20-point lead was quickly erased as Plantz returned the kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown and the lead was cut down to 34-21.

The Panthers attempted an onside kickoff but up man Gage Clutters returned the kick 29 yards to the Chesapeake 25. Stampers ran 5 yards for the score 6 plays later and the lead was 41-21.

Plantz had a 26-yard run on first down to start the next Chesapeake drive and Harris hit Isaacs with a 9-yard pass to end the drive 4 plays later and the Panthers down 41-28 with 3:34 left in the quarter.

Realizing the game was now “tag, you’re it,” the Redmen came right back with a score as Stamper ran 8 yards for the touchdown to culminate a 55-yard, 7-play drive and to push the lead to 47-28 with 50 seconds on the clock.

Chesapeake came back with a 67-yard drive that began in the third quarter and ended with 9:30 left in the fourth quarter as Evans and Harris connected on a 23-yard scoring pass and it was 37-35.

The Panthers forced Rock Hill’s only punt and took over at their own 18. But Stamper came up with an interception on first down — his seventh pick of the season — and the Redmen had the ball at the 12.

Stamper had a pair of 6-yard runs as he scored with 6:30 left and it was 53-35.

The Panthers wouldn’t quit as they went 65 yards in 8 plays with a 34-yard pass to Kerns setting up a 4-yard scoring run by Isaacs and it was 53-43 after Harris ran for the conversion with 3:52 to go.

Rock Hill recovered the onside kickoff at the 44 and Stamper promptly ran 20 yards to the 36. Stamper carried 3 more times and went the final 8 yards for the TD and Cox kicked the conversion and it was 60-43 with 2:11 left.

Chesapeake answered in just 4 plays as Harris had a 17-yard run and he then threw to Isaacs for a 20-yard scoring play and it was 60-49 with 1:07 left.

But the Redmen ran a couple of plays to kill the final minute and seal the win.

Both teams close out the regular season next Friday as Rock Hill visits Coal Grove and Chesapeake goes to Fairland.

Chesapeake    14 0 14 21 = 49

Rock Hill 14 14 19 13 = 60

First Quarter

RH — Dallin Cox 1 run (Rylan Barker kick) 10:24

CH — Ethan Kerns 8 pass from Jacob Harris (Logan Diamond kick) 6:48

RH — Anthony Stamper 12 run (Rylan Barker kick) 5:30

CH — Drew Platz 1 run (Luke Diamond kick) 2:30

Second Quarter

RH — Dallin Cox 1 run (Rylan Barker kick) 9:21

RH — Brody Simpkins (Rylan Barker kick) 5:17

Third Quarter

RH — Anthony Stamper 1 run (kick failed) 9:38

CH — Drew Plantz 86 kickoff return (Logan Diamond kick) 9:23

RH — Anthony Stamper 5 run (Rylan Barker kick) 7;04

CH — Andrew Isaacs 9 pass from Jacob Harris (Logan Diamond kick) 3:34

RH — Anthony Stamper 8 run (kick failed) 0:50

Fourth Quarter

CH — Ethan Kerns 23 pass from Jacob Harris (Logan Diamond kick) 9:30

RH — Anthony Stamper 6 run (kick failed) 6:30

CH — Andrew Isaacs 4 run (Jacob Harris run) 3:52

RH — Anthony Stamper 8 run (Dallin Cox kick) 2:11

CH — Andrew Isaacs 31 pass from Jacob Harris (pass failed) 1:07

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CHRH

First downs 21 18

Rushes-yards 42-189 41-330

Passing yards 253 37

Total yards 442 367

Cmp-Att-Int 17-28-1 6-7-0

Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0

Penalties-yards 10-95 6-35

Punts-average 2-16.5 1-43.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Chesapeake: Drew Plantz 17-77 TD, Jacob Harris 10-46, Andrew Isaacs 6-32 TD, Andrew Daniels 9-34; Rock Hill: Anthony Stamper 25-225 5-TDs, Brody Simpkins 9-49 TD, Dallin Cox 5-44 2-TDs, Mason Hanners 1-9, Logan Hopper 1-3.

PASSING–Chesapeake: Jacob Harris 16-27-1 239 4-TDs, Drew Plantz 1-1-0 14; Rock Hill: Dallin Cox 6-7-0 37.

RECEIVING–Chesapeake: Ethan Kerns 9-122 2-TDs, Andrew Isaacs 5-105 2-TDs, Drew Plantz 2-19, Andrew Daniels 1-7; Rock Hill: Anthony Stamper 5-37. Sam Rusk 1-0.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.