Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — Dueling banjos? How about dueling tailbacks?

The Coal Grove Hornets’ tandem of Isaiah Gunther and Austin Ruggles combined for 20 carries, 192 yards and four touchdowns as they routed the Finneytown Wildcats 42-6 on Friday.

Gunther ran 10 times for 91 yards and three touchdowns — all in the first half — as the Hornets (2-1) built a 28-0 halftime cushion.

Ruggles finished with 101 yards on 10 carries and a score as Coal Grove racked up 340 yards rushing on 34 attempts. Daniel Rutherford added 74 yards on just five attempts and Tanner Murphy rushed six times for 54 yards and a score.

The Hornets’ defense limited Finneytown to just 115 total yards and a mere 13 net yards rushing.

Coal Grove took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as Gunther ran 1-yard for the score and Jonathan Joseph kicked the first of six extra points with 8:42 on the clock.

The Hornets scored again on a 1-yard run by Gunther less than a minute into the second quarter and it was 14-0. The run capped an 87-yard, 9-play drive highlighted by Ruggles’ 39-yard gallop.

Quarterback Jesse Rigsby ran 11 yards on a keeper two minutes later to finish off a short 35-yard, 4-play drive and it was 21-0.

A 47-yard run by Gunther set up his own 7-yard scoring run and it was 28-0 with 5:55 left in the half.

Rutherford’s 32-yard run got the Hornets to the 2-yard line where Ruggles scored with 8:08 left in the third quarter.

Finneytown avoided the shutout when Jordan Smith hit Deishon Watson with a 7-yard touchdown pass with 11:42 left in the game.

Coal Grove answered with a 68-yard, 7-play march capped by Murphy’s 32-yard blast through the defense with 8:12 to go.

Finneytown 0 0 0 6 = 0

Coal Grove 7 21 7 14 = 42

First Quarter

CG — Isaiah Gunther 1 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 8:42

Second Quarter

CG — Isaiah Gunther 1 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 11:13

CG — Jesse Rigsby 11 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 9:13

CG — Isaiah Gunther 7 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 5:55

Third Quarter

CG — Austin Ruggles 2 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 8:08

Fourth Quarter

Fin — Deishon Watson 7 pass from Jordan Smith (pass failed) 11:42

CG — Tanner Murphy 32 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 8:12

——

Fin CG

First downs 6 18

Rushes-yards 15-13 34-340

Passing yards 102 28

Total yards 115 368

Cmp-Att-Int 14-23-1 4-12-2

Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 8-50 4-35

——

Individual Leaders

RUSHING —Finneytown: Jordan Smith 7-8, Turner Alston 1-minus 4, Dante Goodwin 6-minus 6, Terry Scott 1-15; Coal Grove: Austin Ruggles 10-101, Isaiah Gunther 10-91 3TD, Daniel Rutherford 5-74, Tanner Murphy 6-54, Jesse Rigsby 2-14, Jacob Clark 1-6.

PASSING — Finneytown: Jordan Smith 13-21-2 101, Dante Goodwin 1-2-0 1; Coal Grove: Jesse Rigsby 4-12-2 28.

RECEIVING — Finneytown: Deishon Watson 4-32, Terry Scott 4-32, Bryce Butler 2-35, Dante Goodwin 1-minus 3, Jordan Smith 1-1, Turner Alton 1-0; Coal Grove: Joe Akers 1-23, Jacob Clark 1-6.