Fans may have known who the starters for the Ironton Fighting Tigers were, but they needed to check the programs the entire second half as coach Bob Lutz played the whole roster in a 71-6 spanking of the South Point Pointers Friday night.

Monday, September 06, 1999

Fans may have known who the starters for the Ironton Fighting Tigers were, but they needed to check the programs the entire second half as coach Bob Lutz played the whole roster in a 71-6 spanking of the South Point Pointers Friday night.

Ironton, 1-1, raced to a 30-0 first quarter lead and was up 44-6 at the half. Lutz did not play the starters at all the second half, but the second and third units managed to score four more touchdowns.

"You don’t try to do that. It was never our intention to make it that bad. We played everybody we had. Some of our younger kids aren’t too bad," said Lutz.

The first group was pretty good, too.

Quarterback Jimmy Peyton turned in an outstanding performance as he hit 7 of 11 for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Peyton had three well-thrown passes dropped.

Halfback Jason Harmon ran just four times for 48 yards but caught four passes for 144 yards and a score. Fullback Michael Henry had 90 yards on eight carries and a touchdown during his short night’s work.

"We knew they were loaded coming in. Their (other) kids want to score as much as the first team. You can’t fault them," said Pointers coach Chris Watts.

"We’re not ready to play them. We’re beat up right now. If we get everybody back, we’ve still got a chance (to win in the Ohio Valley Conference)."

The Pointers, 0-2, were missing starting running backs D. J. Bryant, out with a dislocated shoulder, and Chris Conwell with an intestinal virus.

The 30-point first quarter explosion began after a short South Point. Ironton went 52 yards in eight plays capped by Henry’s 1-yard run. Clark Cooper kicked the first of his six conversions and it was 7-0.

Ironton got the ball back two plays later when Henry made a jarring tackle on quarterback Jarrod Smith to cause a fumble. Brandon Brown jumped on the ball at the Pointers 15-yard line.

Peyton ran 8 yards and then threw the final 7 to Erique Bacon and it was 14-0.

Three incomplete passes forced another Pointer punt, only this time Ironton blocked the kick and it rolled out of the end zone for a safety to make it 16-0.

Harmon ran the ensuing free kick back 56 yards to the Pointers 10, then scored three plays later on a 3-yard run for a 23-0 lead.

A 12-yard punt on the Pointers next possession set up of quick 48-yard, four-play drive that consummated on Henry’s 21-yard tackle-shedding burst.

South Point showed a glimmer of light on a 44-yard pass from Smith to Shawn Terry, but an interception by Peyton halted the drive at the 10.

A sack by Redgie Arden left South Point punting again, this time getting off a 30-yarder to the Ironton 45.

After a 5-yard penalty back to the 40, Harmon ran 28 yards, and five plays later Henry bulled his way into the end zone from 4 yards out and it was 37-0.

The Pointers answered with their only touchdown on an 80-yard, seven-play drive ignited by Shane Holsinger’s 47-yard run on the first play to the Ironton 33. David Chapman ran 14 yards, and Smith passed 14 yards to Justin Eaches and the final 11 yards to Shane Holsinger with 4:02 left in the half.

"We blew our coverage a few times. We’re still not adjusting very well. We’ve got a long way to go. The score of this game doesn’t have anything to do with where we’re at right now," said Lutz.

Ironton didn’t take long to match the score as Peyton hit Harmon for a 67-yard scoring strike on the next play and it was 44-6.

The Fighting Tigers nearly scored again as they worked on their two-minute drill. Ironton started on its own 29 and Peyton hit 4-of-5 passes, the final toss to Harmon covering 23 yards to the 1-yard line as the clock expired.

Backup quarterback Drew Mains engineered Ironton’s next touchdown drive, a 53-yard march that used six plays. Maurice Murphy’s 29-yard run sparked the drive and Mains went the final yard at the 3:54 mark. Tommy Lutz kicked the point after and it was 51-6.

Mains threw a 21-yard scoring strike to Chris Frazer on the second play of the fourth quarter to make it 58-6. A 23-yard punt left Ironton at the Pointers 41, and Tyler Scior bolted 26 yards for a score with 8:21 to go.

A 19-yard punt set Ironton up at the Pointer 46, and just four plays later Hugh Donald Scott dashed 20 yards for the final touchdown.

Holsinger finished the game with 67 yards rushing on seven attempts. Smith was 4 of 17 for 84 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Ironton travels to unbeaten Gallipolis next Friday.