Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

SOUTH POINT — When you control the line of scrimmage, you usually control the game.

Coal Grove controlled the line of scrimmage so, needless to say, the Hornets controlled the game as they rolled past the South Point Pointers 56-14 Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

The Hornets’ linemen Austen Pleasants, Logan Berry, Dakota Willis, Jacob Pierce, Jeff Smith and Ike Pennington were dominating on both sides of the ball and helped the offense amass 637 total yards.

Coal Grove (5-5, 4-1) ran the ball a 61 times for 465 yards and quarterback Jesse Rigsby was 7-of-10 for 97 yards and a touchdown. He also ran seven times for 113 yards and two scores.

Backup quarterback Travis Carey was 2-of-2 for 75 yards and a TD.

Besides Rigsby, the Hornets’ running game had D.J. Miller with 94 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. Sidney Tucker 13 carries for 87 yards and three scores, and Isaiah Gunther had 84 yards on 11 carries.

South Point (7-3, 3-2) finished with 166 total yards with 104 coming on the ground. James Leonard ran eight times for 65 yards and a TD.

Quarterback Gage Townson was 5-of-20 for 62 yards including a 39-yard scoring strike to Audric Harlow.

Coal Grove showed what kind of night it was going to be on the first possession of the game. The Hornets went 80 yards on 13 running plays capped by Tucker’s 1-yard run with 6:26 on the clock and it was 6-0.

After forcing a three-and-out, Coal Grove needed just four plays to score as Tucker ripped 39 yards for a touchdown. Rigsby hit Sean Paulus with the conversion and a 14-0 lead.

South Point used the running of Leonard to get back in the game. The Pointers went 59 yards with a 31-yard run by Leonard the key play. Leonard also ran 4 yards for the score and Alex Whitt’s conversion kick made it 14-7.

But the Hornets took total control in the second quarter by outscoring the Pointers 22-0 to make it 36-7 at the break.

A drive that started at their own 32 in the first quarter spilled over into the second quarter. Tucker ran 1-yard on the first play of the second quarter and Jonathan Joseph’s kick put the lead at 21-7.

The Pointers made matters worse when they fumble the ball on their next play and the Hornets recovered at the South Point 42. Six plays later, Rigsby ran 9 yards and Miller’s conversion run pushed the lead to 29-7 with 7:42 left in the half.

South Point was forced to punt and pinned the Hornets at their own 1-yard line with 6:58 to go in the half.

No problem.

The Hornets went on a 99-yard, 8-play drive capped by Miller’s 1-yard run. Rigsby’s 38-yard scamper was the key play while Miller ran five times for 49 yards in the march.

Joseph’s kick extended the lead to 36-7.

South Point came out firing in the second half as Townson and Harlow hooked up on a 39-yard scoring play and Jordan Overstreet’s kick made it 36-14.

But Coal Grove answered as Rigsby ran 32 yards on a fourth-and-6 and it was 43-14 with 7:22 left in the quarter.

The Hornets’ second unit added two fourth quarter touchdowns. Austin Ruggles had a 1-yard run and Carey hit Thomas Ghee with a 26-yard scoring pass.

Coal Grove 14 22 7 13 = 56

South Point 7 0 7 0 = 14

First Quarter

CG — Sidney Tucker 1 run (pass fail) 6:26

CG — Sidney Tucker 39 run (Sean Paulus pass from Jesse Rigsby) 3:44

SP — James Leonard 4 run (Alex Whitt kick) 1:40

Second Quarter

CG — Sidney Tucker 1 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 11:09

CG — Jesse Rigsby 9 run (D.J. Miller run) 7:42

CG — D.J. Miller 1 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 3:25

Third Quarter

SP — Audric Harlow 39 pass from Gage Townson (Jordan Overstreet kick) 9:44

CG — Jesse Rigsby 32 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 7:22

Fourth Quarter

CG — Austin Ruggles 1 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 8:38

CG — Thomas Ghee 26 pass from Travis Carey (pass fail) 1:01

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CG SP

First downs 30 7

Rushes-yards 61-465 19-104

Passing yards 172 62

Total yards 637 166

Cmp-Att-Int 9-12-1 5-20-1

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1

Penalties-yards 5-35 3-21

Punts-average 1-13.0 4-36.5

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING—Coal Grove: Jesse Rigsby 7-113 2TD, D.J. Miller 13-94 TD, Sidney Tucker 13-87 3TD, Isaiah Gunther 11-84, Austin Ruggles 7-44 TD, Jacob Clark 6-22, Sean Paulus 1-20, Daniel Rutherford 2-1, Travis Carey 1-0; South Point: James Leonard 8-65 TD, Jacob Damron 5-19, Gage Townson 3-14, Tyler Branch 1-6, Isaiah Jones 2-0.

PASSING—Coal Grove: Jesse Rigsby 7-10-1 97 TD, Travis Carey 2-2-0 75 TD; South Point: Gage Townson 5-20-1 62 TD.

RECEIVING—Coal Grove: Conor Markins 3-50, Greg Carter 1-49, Joe Akers 2-32, Thomas Ghee 1-26 TD, Isaiah Gunther 1-12, Sean Paulus 1-3; South Point: Audric Harlow 1-39 TD, Trent Allen 1-12, Josh Browning 1-9, James Leonard 2-2.