By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Ironton Fighting Tigers have found a new variant from COVID-19. It’s called fumble-its.

Ironton fumble 5 times and lost 4 that all led  to Cabell Midland touchdowns which helped the Knights post a 34-21 win on Saturday in the first high school game ever played at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

The lost fumbles not only led to Knights’ touchdowns, but their scoring drives covered just 21, 11, 14 and 29 yards.

Ironton (3-1) jumped on the Class 3-A powerhouse Knights in the first quarter. After forcing a punt to start the game, Shaun “Mr, Electric” Terry returned the punt 70 yards for a touchdown and Braden Schreck ran for the conversion and it was 8-0 at the 7:50 mark.

Midland (3-0) then drove to the Ironton 22 but the Ironton defense held and took over the ball at its own 22.

But 2 plays later Ironton fumbled and the Knights recovered at the 21. It took the Knights 4 plays to score with West Virginia recruit Curtis Jones powering his way 16 yards to the end zone.

Tony Hornbuckle kicked the conversion as they trailed 8-7.

The teams exchanged punts but then Ironton fumbled 3 plays into the drive and the Knights had the ball at the 14.

Jones ran 10 yards to the 4 and then carried the rest of the way for a touchdown and the lead was 14-8.

Ironton drove from its own 33 to the Midland 20 only to have a pass to Aris Pittman covered 19 yards to the one-yard line when he was stopped as time expired.

The Fighting Tigers displayed some of their quick-strike ability 3 plays into the second half as quarterback Bailey Thacker threw to Tyler Roach on a 64-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass play and Ironton regained the lead at 15-14 with 10:40 on the clock.

Midland drove from its own 16 to the Ironton 2 only to fumble and Terry recovered to halt the threat.

Ironton punted on its next possession and a 15-yard penalty on the play got the ball to the Fighting Tigers 45

Starting a drive in Ironton territory once again, the Knights used 7 plays to reach the end zone as quarterback Robert Shockley went the final 3 yards for the score and it was 21-15 with 34 seconds left on the clock.

The Fighting Tigers were faced with a fourth down at their own 45 and decided to go for the first down only to be stopped short.

The Knights used a 26-yard pass from Shockley to Miles Meadors on third-and-4 to reach the Ironton 24 and then Shockley hit Caden Pauley with an 8-yard TD pass with 7:23 to play and the lead was now 28-15.

Another fumble gave Midland the ball at the Ironton 29 and Jones carried 4 straight plays including the final yard for the score and it was 35-15 with 3:49 to play.

Ironton fumbled the ball away one more time at Midland 48 only to have the Knights fumbled it back 3 plays later as Maddix Markel returned the ball to the Midland 21.

Schreck threw to Terry for a touchdown on second down and it was 35-21 with 1:03 to play.

Midland ran out the clock to win the meeting of unbeatens.

Jones was the workhorse with 33 carries for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns. Shockley — who played in the state championship game last season for Parkersburg South — ran 15 times for 51 yards and a score while hitting 9-of-12 passes for 83 yards and a TD.

Playing in their own backyard much of the first half and coupled with the fumble, Ironton finished with just 2 net yards rushing.

Thacker was 9-of-12 passing for 143 yards and a touchdown with Schreck 3-of-7 for 35 yards and a score.

Roach had 3 catches for 78 yards and a TD while Terry had 6 receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Ironton will host South Point next Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Midland 0 14 7 13 = 34

Ironton 8 0 7 6 = 21

First Quarter

Irn — Shaun Terry 70 punt return (Braden Schreck run) 7:50

Second Quarter

CN — Curtis Jones 16 run (Tony Hornbuckle kick) 10:38

CM — Curtis Jones 4 run (Tony Hornbuckle kick) 4:00

Third Quarter

Irn — Tyler Roach 64 pass from Bailey Thacker (David Fields kick) 10:40

CM — Robert Shockley 3 run (Tony Hornbuckle kick) 0:34

Fourth Quarter

CM — Caden Pauley 8 pass from Robert Shockley (Tony Hornbuckle kick) 7:23

CN — Curtis Jones 1 run (Tony Hornbuckle kick) 3:49

Irn — Shaun Terry 21 pass from Braden Schreck (pass failed) 1:03

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CMIrn

First downs 18 9

Rushes-yards 55-257 23-2

Passing yards 83 178

Total yards 340 180

Cmp-Att-Int 8-12-0 13-19-0

Fumbles-lost 2-2 5-4

Penalties-yards 6-52 5-40

Punts-average 2-50.0 2-42.5

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Midland: Curtis Jones 33-156 3-TD, Robert Shockley 15-51 TD, Jayden Branch 2-38, Logan Hobbs 2-24, Team 3-minus12; Ironton: Zayne Williams 6-20, Gavin Hart 4-13, Jesse Copas 1-1, Bailey Thacker 11-minus 13, Team 1-minus 19..

PASSING–Midland: Robert Shockley 9-12-0 83 TD; Ironton: Bailey Thacker 9-12-0 143 TD, Braden Schreck 3-7-0 35 TD.

RECEIVING–Midland: Jayvee Goodrich 1-24, Curtis Jones 1-minus 2, Cameron Wallace 2-1, Caden Bowen 1-15, Miles Meadors 3-37, Caden Pauley 1-8 TD; Ironton: Shaun terry 6-65 TD, Zayne Williams 2-11, Aris Pittman 1-19, Tyler Roach 3-78 TD, Nick Sites 1-5.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.