By JOSH MORRISON

Tribune Staff

and

JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

OAK HILL — When you open the playoffs on the road against a favored opponent, don’t make mistakes.

Ooops!

Oak Hill’s Jesse Parker blocked a punt and Oak Hill scored two plays later to ignite a 27-0 first half lead and the Oaks went on to beat the Coal Grove Hornets 42-12 Saturday night in the Division V Region 19 quarterfinals.

“When you have a punt blocked early in the game and get down like that, it definitely is a key play in terms of momentum of the game,” said Hornets’ coach Dave Lucas.

Quarteback Jesse Slone threw a 34-yard pass to Devon Davis and Westen Hale ran 2 yards on the next play as Oak Hill jumped in front 7-0 with less than two minutes into the game.

The Oaks (10-1) forced another punt and four plays later they were in the end zone. Slone hit Joey Maynard with a 31-yad pass and then Hale bolted 41 yards for the touchdown and a 13-0 lead at the 6:30 mark.

Coal Grove (8-3) drove to the Oaks’ 25-yard line on the next series, but quarterback Alex Bare had to scramble on fourth down and got only 7 of the 10 yards needed for a first down and the Oaks took over.

Three plays later Slone hit Davie with a 35-yard scoring pass and suddenly the lead was 19-0.

Oak Hill’s lead went to 27-0 just before the end of the half on a 1-yard run by Slone and Hale’s conversion run. The drive went 65 yards in 13 plays.

Hale finished with 265 yards rushing on 37 carries and Slone completed 7 of 11 passes for 104 yards as the Oaks racked up 449 total yards.

Coal Grove had 201 yards — all on the ground — with Bubba Wood getting 10-8 yards on 11 carries and Boo Woods 95 yards on 17 tries.

“Our kids played hard and scrapped and did everything they could to win the game, but we just got b eat by a better football team tonight,” said Lucas.

“I give compliments to Oak Hill. They played a really nice football game. They played a mistake-free game and they’re good. It is really tough to beat a team with they do not make mistakes.”

Oak Hill stretched its lead to 35-0 midway through the third quarter on a 1-yard run by Hale and a conversion pass to Dylan Davis.

Coal Grove answered with a 6-yard scoring run by Wood as he capped off a 64-yard, five-play drive highlighted by Woods with a 39-yard burst.

Hale’s 19-yard scoring run came with 7:33 to play to make it 42-6.

Wood ripped off a 57-yard run that set up his own 2-yard scoring run a minute later to complete the scoring.

Coal Grove 0 0 6 6 = 12

Oak Hill 19 8 8 7 = 42

First Quarter

OH — Westen Hale 2 run (Dylan Lewis kick) 10:16

OH — Westen Hale 41 run (kick failed) 6:30

OH — Devon Davis 35 pass from Jesse Slone (kick failed) 1:59

Second Quarter

OH — Jesse Slone 1 run (Westen Hale run) 0:22

Third Quarter

OH — Westen Hale 1 run (Dylan Davis pass from Jesse Slone) 6:09

CG — Bubba Wood 6 run (run failed) 3:06

Fourth Quarter

OH — Westen Hale 19 run (Dylan Lewis kick) 7:33

CG— Bubba Wood 2 run (run failed) 6:32

CG OH

First downs 11 12

Rushes-yards 35-201 52-345

Passing yards 0 104

Total yards 201 449

Cmp-Att-Int 0-5-2 7-11-1

Punts-average 3-26.3 1-13.0

Penalties-yards 5-55 5-36

Individual Leaders

RUSHING- Coal Grove: Bubba Wood 11-108 2-TD, Boo Woods 17-95, Jake Murphy 1-1, Brandon Hogsten 2-0, Alex Bare 4-minus 3; Oak Hill: Westen Hale 37-265 4-TD, Joey Maynard 8-76, Jesse Slone 3-8 TD, Cody Walter 1- minus 1, team 3-minus 3.

PASSING- Coal Grove: Alex Bare 0-5-2; Oak Hill: Jesse Slone 7-11-1 104.

RECEIVING- Coal Grove: None; Oak Hill: Devon Davis 2-58, Joey Maynard 3-40, Westen Hale 2-6.