You can't blame the Rock

Hill Redmen if they seem a bit greedy.

Rock Hill has already clinched a least a share of the Ohio Valley Conference football championship by virtue of a 13-12 win over the Chesapeake Panthers last week.

But a win at home over their arch-rivals, the Coal Grove Hornets, would not only give them the title outright but vault them into the Division IV postseason playoffs.

&#8220There is a little more pressure. We want to win outright and it's a big rivalry game, so it's going to be an even bigger ball game,” Redmen coach Todd Knipp said.

&#8220It helps our kids (to be at home). They feel comfortable playing at home, but I've played in these games and coached in them, and I know. You have two school districts who really get fired up when they play each other.”

Rock Hill is 8-1 on the season and 4-0 in the OVC. Coal Grove fell to 6-3 after its second straight heartbreaking loss last week, 27-26 in overtime to South Point. The Hornets lost the previous week 15-12 to Chesapeake.

Coal Grove would like nothing better than to play the spoiler role against Rock Hill.

&#8220We'll be playing for something,” Hornets coach Dave Lucas said.

Both teams virtually avoid the pass. The Hornets quarterback Eric Davidson is 12 of 37 on the season for 132 yards while Redmen quarterback Jarrod Casey is 13 of 32 for 195 yards.

Coal Grove relies on the running of tailback Justin Hyland, a workhorse who has carried 346 times for 1,987 yards. He has scored 30 touchdowns. Also in the backfield are fullback Gary Moore, wingback Chris Chaffin and running back Trent Blankenship.

Rock Hill has more variety in its offense but the main weapon is senior running back K.C. Christian who has 157 carries for 1,193 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Senior T.J. Blagg is Christian's main running mate. Blagg has 486 yards on 98 carries. Josh &#8220Deuce” Moore, who had a 50-yard scoring run last week, has 28 carries for 395 yards and four TDs.

&#8220Both teams are very similar in our approach to the game. We're going to run the football, we're going to be physical, and we're going to play defense. It's going to come down to who can execute and who can take care of the football,” Knipp said.

&#8220You kind of get nervous you feel you have to score because they can eat up a lot of time. But we do the same thing. And it could be a shootout. You look at how you match up in our league. Every team is different.”

Lucas agreed that matchups were a key, but he noted that Rock Hill has been able to match lineups better than any of the league teams.

&#8220Rock Hill is the only team that has beaten any of the (OVC) teams badly,” Lucas said.

While Coal Grove and Rock Hill match each other in many ways, Lucas said there are some differences that the Hornets must overcome.

&#8220The line play is the key to the ball game and our other two backs have to perform. They have to do things to help us win,” Lucas said. &#8220Rock Hill has two quick kids (Christian and Moore) who can make big plays.”

Coal Grove won last season, but the Redmen have won the last three meetings at Rock Hill.

&#8220Last year's game was deceiving because they didn't have Christian, their quarterback was hurt and they didn't have (Moore). It'll be a tough game,” Lucas said.