Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE — Opposing teams are going to have to quit trying to stop the Chesapeake Panthers’ offense and just shoot for slowing it down.
The Coal Grove Hornets were the latest defense to try and stop the Panthers’ high-scoring big play offense to no avail as Chesapeake rallied from a first half deficit and posted a 49-28 win on Friday in a key Ohio Valley Conference game.
“We had to make some defensive adjustments. The kids came out and executed what we wanted them to do,” said Panthers’ coach Andy Clark.
“We took care of the ball and executed on offense for the most part. The kids kind of showed what they were made of.”
Chesapeake is now 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in the conference. And while three teams sit at 2-0 and two at 1-1, the Panthers are beginning to look like the odds-on favorites.
Senior quarterback Casey McComas continued to shred defenses as he ran 13 times for 148 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw a short 3-yard touchdown pass to Will Scott and returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown for good measure.
Coal Grove (3-1, 1-1) led at halftime before the Panthers began their second half comeback. The Hornets turned in an outstanding offensive performance but couldn’t overcome the Panthers’ big plays.
Chesapeake had 420 total yards with 379 coming on the ground and 40 through the air.
Coal Grove amassed 460 total yards including 385 rushing on 59 carries and another 75 through the air.
“I felt like we moved the ball pretty well all night. We turned it over a couple times in the first half. And Coal Grove is pretty good up front,” said coach Clark.
Jacob Clark ran 8 yards for a touchdown and Kimo Baldwin added the conversion as Coal Grove went up 8-0 with 6:57 left in the first quarter.
Chesapeake answered with a scoring drive capped by the McComas to Scott pass. Dalton Nida’s conversion kick made it 8-7.
The Panthers got one of their patented big plays to begin the second quarter as Cecil Fletcher bolted 60 yards for a score and Chesapeake led 14-8.
But the Hornets got a big play of their own as Daniel “Rudy” Rutherford got loose on a 64-yard touchdown scamper and the game was tied at 14.
Clark put Coal Grove ahead 22-14 with 5:26 left in the half on a 1-yard run. Cordle threw to Dylan Malone for the conversion.
Chesapeake took over in the third quarter right after Coal Grove fumbled the ball away.
McComas ran 10 yards for a score to cut the deficit to 22-20. He then kept the ball and dashed 47 yards for a touchdown as Chesapeake took the lead for good with 2:57 on the clock.
“In the second half we adjusted to what they were doing defensively. Our effort was great all night, especially the seniors. Casey kind of put the team on his back the second half running the ball,” said coach Clark.
McComas threw to Fletcher for the conversion and it was 28-22.
A 14-yard scoring run by McComas extended the lead to 25-22 with 10:16 to go. Coal Grove got within 35-28 on a 2-yard run by Cordle with 7:09 left to give them new life.
McComas took the air out of the Hornets by returning the kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and it was 42-28 with 6:58 to play.
McComas added an insurance score with 3:18 left as he ran 24 yards for a touchdown.
Besides McComas, Scott ran 17 times for 130 yards and Fletcher had 91 yards on just eight carried.
The Hornets had three runs gain more than 100 yards led by Clark with 126 yards on 22 carries. Rutherford ran just four times for 114 yards and Baldwin had 102 yards on 24 tries.
Cordle was 5-of-11 passing for 75 yards and Rutherford caught three passes for 61 yards.
Next Friday Chesapeake visits Ironton while Coal Grove hosts Portsmouth.
Coal Grove    8    14    0    6    =    28
Chesapeake    7    7    14    21    =    49
First Quarter
CG — Jacob Clark 8 run (Kimo Baldwin run) 6:57
Ch — Will Scott 3 pass from Casey McComas (Dalton Nida kick) 2:27
Second Quarter
Ch — Cecil Fletcher 60 run (Dalton Nida kick) 10:43
CG — Daniel Rutherford 64 run (kick failed) 9:09
CG — Jacob Clark 1 run (Dylan Malone pass from Matty Cordle) 5:26
Third Quarter
Ch — Casey McComas 10 run (pass failed) 10:39
Ch — Casey McComas 47 run (Cecil Fletcher pass form Casey McComas) 2:57
Fourth Quarter
Ch — Casey McComas 14 run (Dalton Nida kick) 10:15
CG — Matty Cordle 2 run (pass failed) 7:09
Ch — Casey McComas 80 kickoff return (Dalton Nida kick) 6:58
Ch — Casey McComas 24 run (Dalton Nida kick) 3:18
——
CG    Ch
First downs    22    21
Rushes-yards    59-385    41-379
Passing yards    75    41
Total yards    460    420
Cmp-Att-Int    5-11-0    3-6-1
Fumbles-lost    2-2    1-1
Penalties-yards    6-45    2-25
Punts-average    1-26.0    1-32.0
——
Individual Leaders
RUSHING—CG: Jacob Clark 22-126, Daniel Rutherford 4-114, Tanner Henry 5-28, Dylan Malone 1-7, Kimo Baldwin 24-102, Matty Cordle 3-8; Chesapeake: Casey McComas 13-148, Will Scott 17-130, Ty Wilcoxon 1-2, Cecil Fletcher 8-91, J.W. Bartrum 2-8.
PASSING—CG: Matty Cordle 5-11-0 75; Chesapeake: Casey McComas 3-6-1 41 TD.
RECEIVING—CG: Jacob Clark 1-8, Daniel Rutherford 3-61, Tanner Henry 1-6; Chesapeake: Ty Wilcoxon 1-37, J.W. Bartrum 1-1, Will Scott 1-3.