Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — One goal down, another on the horizon.

The Coal Grove Hornets clinched at least a share of the Ohio Valley Conference championship with a 44-17 win over the South Point Pointers on Friday.

Coal Grove (6-2, 3-0) also kept its Division VI Region 21 playoff hopes alive.

The Hornets are currently 10th in the region, but No. 8 Oak Hill has 2-7 Green and No. 9 Belpre has 2-7 Waterford this week.

Coal Grove stands to gain as many as 27 points this week with a win. Belpre’s schedule won’t produce half that total and Oak Hill’s qualifying may come down to whether Northwest beats River Valley.

Coal Grove jumped in for 7-0 on a 5-yard run by Tanner Murphy with 9:41 left in the first quarter. Jonathan Joseph kicked the conversion.

South Point (2-7, 0-3) got within 7-3 with Jordan Overstreet kicked a 31-yard field goal at the 7:30 mark, but Coal Grove answered with a 3-yard scoring run by Tanner Dolen less than two minutes later and it was 13-3.

Isaiah Gunther ran 19 yards for a touchdown 35 seconds into the second quarter and Coal Grove was up 20-3.

Hornets’ quarterback Jesse Rigsby then threw a 13-yards scoring pass to Isaac Fields and followed that with a 33-yard scoring strike to Dolen as the lead grew to 34-3 with 3:14 left in the half.

Coal Grove stretched the lead to 41-3 on a 9-yard scoring run by Murphy with 3:09 left in the third quarter.

Davon Leonard ran 9 yards for a touchdown with 50 seconds on the third quarter clock and the Pointers trailed 41-10.

Coal Grove ended its scoring when Joseph drilled a 33-yard field goal with 4:20 to play.

The Pointers capped the night’s scoring on a 49-yard pass from Adams to Mason White with 2:29 to play.

South Point was limited to 108 yards rushing on 25 carries but Adams was 15 of 20 passing for 239 yards and a touchdown.

Stephen Wagoner had six receptions for 101 yards while White caught three passes for 67 yards including a touchdown.

James Leonard had 36 yards on four catches and Davon Leonard had four grabs for 35 yards.

White led the ground game with 58 yards on 12 carries and Adams ran six times for 23 yards.

Reed Murnahan had 11 tackles and Jacob Damron eight to lead the South Point defense.

The Pointers play at Fairland next Friday.

South Point 3 0 7 7 = 17

Coal Grove 13 21 7 3 = 44

First Quarter

CG — Tanner Murphy 5 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 9:41

SP — Jordan Overstreet 31 field goal 7:30

CG — Tanner Dolen 3 run (kick failed) 5:51

Second Quarter

CG — Isaiah Gunther 19 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 11:25

CG — Isaac Fields 13 pass from Jesse Rigsby (Jonathan Joseph kick) 7:49

CG — Tanner Dolen 33 pass from Jesse Rigsby (Jonathan Joseph kick) 3:14

Third Quarter

CG — Tanner Murphy 9 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 3:09

SP — Devon Leonard 9 run (Jordan Overstreet kick) 0:50

Fourth Quarter

CG — Jonathan Joseph 33 field goal 4:20

SP — Mason White 49 pass from Drew Adams (Jordan Overstreet kick) 2:29