By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — There was some give and take for Kaden Murphy. But Murphy was more about what he gave the Coal Grove Hornets.

Murphy was given a fluke touchdown but had a 61-yard run for a touchdown taken away due to a penalty. But in the end the sophomore running back ran 23 times for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns and caught 3 passes for 62 yards and a score as he helped the Hornets beat the Chesapeake Panthers 44-30 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

The Hornets kept control of the Battle for the Little Brown Jug rivalry game as they rolled up 333 total yards with 254 on the ground thanks to a balanced running game.

Besides Murphy, Gavin Gipson ran 10 times for 91 yards and 2 TDs while fullback Caden Turner ran 9 times for 64 yards.

Quarterback Whyatt Mannon was 4-of-4 passing for 79 yards and a score. He also ran 5 times for 12 yards and a TD.

Chesapeake had 237 total yards as Camron Shockley carried 14 times for 92 yards and 2 TDs while also catching 3 passes for 32 yards. Quarterback Jacob Harris was 8-of-12 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown.

Coal Grove took the opening kickoff and drove to the 19 before the drive stalled. But the Hornets forced a 3-and-out and then went 50 yards in 7 plays with Mannon running 16 yards for the score on a bootleg keeper. Gipson ran for the conversion and an 8-0 lead.

After a short Chesapeake punt, Coal Grove went 68 yards in just 3 plays as Murphy broke free on a 49-yard scoring jaunt. Gipson added the conversion and it was 16-0.

The Panthers (3-2, 0-2) came back with a 65-yard, 8-play drive capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Thacker. Harris hit Mason Giles on the conversion pass and it was 16-8 with 5:50 left in the half.

But Coal Grove (4-1, 1-1) came right back with a 64-yard, 11-play scoring drive.

Murphy scored when Mannon’s pass hit a Panthers’ defensive back in the chest and bounced forward into the air and into Murphy’s hands for a 31-yard scoring play. Murphy ran for the conversion and it was 24-8 at the half.

Chesapeake got within 24-16 when Shockley ran 2 yards for the score and then caught the conversion pass to make it 24-16.

Coal Grove answered with a 54-yard, 11-play march that culminated on a 3-yard run by Gipson and it was 30-16 with 17 seconds left in the quarter.

The Panthers went 61 yards in 7 plays aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty and Shockley scored from 4 yards out and it was 30-22 with 10:24 to play.

It took the Hornets 6 plays to go 61 yards for a touchdown as Murphy ran 8 yards and it was 36-22.

Chesapeake recovered a Hornets’ fumble at the 33-yard line and then cut the deficit to 36-30 on a 7-yard run by Thacker and a Harris-to-Shockley conversion pass with 5:14 to play.

But the Hornets sealed the outcome with a 61-yard, 9-play drive highlighted by Gipson 38-yard run. Gipson went the final 4 yards for the TD and Turner ran for the conversion.

This Friday, Coal Grove goes to Portsmouth and Chesapeake hosts Ironton.

Chesapeake 0 8 8 14 = 30

Coal Grove 8 16 6 14 = 44

First Quarter

CG — Whyatt Mannon 16 run (Gavin Gipson run) 0:52

Second Quarter

CG — Kaden Murphy 49 run (Gavin Gipson run) 9:58

Ch — Philip Thacker 13 pass from  Jacob Harris (Mason Giles pass from Jacob Harris) 5:50

CG — Kaden Murphy 31 pass from Whyatt Mannon (Kaden Murphy run) 0:24

Third Quarter

Ch — Camron Shockley 2 run (Camron Shockley pass from Jacob Harris) 6:25

CG — Gavin Gipson 3 run (run failed) 0:17

Fourth Quarter

Ch — Camron Shockley 4 run (pass failed) 10:24

CG — Kaden Murphy 8 run (run failed) 7:04

Ch — Philip Thacker 7 run (Camron Shockley pass from Jacob Harris) 5:14

CG — Gavin Gipson 4 run (Caden Turner run) 0:48

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ChCG

First downs 16 18

Rushes-yards 31-150 47-254

Passing yards 87 79

Total yards 237 333

Cmp-Att-Int 8-12-0 4-4-0

Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-1

Penalties-yards 7-57 6-71

Punts-average 2-25.0 0-00.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Chesapeake: Camron Shockley 14-92 2-TD, Philip Thacker 6-11 TD, Jacob Harris 5-21, Andrew Daniels 5-25, Dannie Maynard 1-1; Coal Grove: Kaden Murphy 23-87 2-TD, Gavin Gipson 10-91 2-TD, Caden Turner 9-64, Whyatt Mannon 5-12 TD.

PASSING–Chesapeake: Jacob Harris 8-12-0 87 TD; Coal Grove: Whyatt Mannon 4-4-0 79 TD.

RECEIVING–Chesapeake: Dannie Maynard 2-16, Philip Thacker 2-21 TD, Ethan Kerns 1-9, Jackson Spitler 1-17, Camron Shockley 3-32; Coal Grove: Devin Bloomfield 1-17, Kaden Murphy 3-62 TD.