Defense keys Panthers rout
Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 14, 2004
SOUTH POINT - Chesapeake coach Phil Davis was worried about facing a two-dimensional team.
The Panthers defense made it no dimensional.
Turning in a stellar defensive effort that held the South Point Pointers to a net 3 yards offense, Chesapeake breezed to a 55-0 Ohio Valley Conference win Friday.
"We had great effort. Our defense played extremely well," Davis said. "South Point didn't throw as much as Fairland. I was worried more about them because they were more balanced."
Chesapeake had 405 total yards including 301 on the ground. Jackson Caynor ran seven times for 58 yards, Mark Roby six for 46, Kerstin Harris four for 45. Caleb McComas was 3 of 6 passing for 104 yards.
"The kids played pretty hard," Davis said.
South Point (2-5, 1-1) took a severe blow on offense early in the first quarter when quarterback Chris Smith was injured and never returned.
Smith was taken to a nearby hospital for X-rays. He was diagnosed with a cervical strain and could possibly return before the end of the season.
Chesapeake is now 5-2 and 2-0 in the OVC. Next week the Panthers host Coal Grove in a showdown for first place and a game that could possibly determine the playoff fate for both teams as well.
"It was important to win a league game. Now we just have to play one game at a time. The rest will sort itself out," Davis said.
The Panthers scored first when McComas hit Dustin O'Brien with a 35-yard touchdown pass with 5:04 left in the first quarter and it was 7-0.
Smith was injured causing a delay, but when play resumed the Panthers Matt Whitmore blocked a punt and ran it to the 1-yard line. Cody Methax went the final yards and the lead was 13-0.
Chesapeake put the game out of reach with three touchdowns in the second quarter to build a 34-0 halftime lead.
Jeff Thornburg caught a 34-yard scoring pass from McComas to up the lead to 19-0 and Kerstin Harris had 21-yard gallop for a touchdown with 5:06 left in the half. Cody Methax hit O'Brien with the conversion pass and it was 27-0.
A 34-yard pass play from McComas to Whitmore
and Methax's conversion kick set the halftime score.
Roby had a 30-yard touchdown run and Chris Dempsey returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter.
The final Panthers touchdown was a 25-yard run by backup Terry Brown with 7:31 to play. Aaron Ross added the conversion.
Chesapeake1321128-55
South Point0000-0
First Quarter
Ch - Dustin O'Brien 35 pass from Caleb McComas (Cody Methax kick) 5:04
C - Cody Methax 1 run (kick failed) 2:58
Second Quarter
Ch - Jeff Thornburg 34 pass from Caleb McComas (pass failed) 9:13
Ch - Kerstin Harris 21 run (Dustin O'Brien pass from Cody Methax) 5:06
Ch - Matt Whitmore 34 pass from Caleb McComas (Cody Methax kick) :06
Third Quarter
Ch - Mark Roby 30 run (kick failed) 7:06
Ch - Chris Dempsey 34 interception return (kick failed) 1:01
Fourth Quarter
Ch - Terry Brown 25 run (Aaron Ross run) 7:31
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ChSP
First downs152
Rushes-yards44-30120-minus 27
Passing yards10430
Total yards4053
Cmp-Att-Int3-6-03-12-2
Fumbles-lost2-21-1
Punts-average1-439-22.6
Penalties-yards445
Individual Leaders
RUSHING – Chesapeake: Jackson Caynor 7-58, Mark Roby 6-46, Kerstin Harris 4-45, Cody Methax 7-30, Aaron Ross 6-37, Terry Brown 3-30, Jason Caynor 4-21, Justin Moore 2-9, Cory Methax 1-7, Brenden Medley 2-7, Ryan Maynard 2-11, ; South Point: Chris Smith 3-minus 22, John Crager 4-12, Tommy Hayner 5-minus 9, Beau Weed 4-minus 5, Wes Patterson 2-minus 3, Jacob Orlando
1-minus 1, Tyler Smith 1-1.
PASSING – Chesapeake: Caleb McComas 3-6-0
104; South Point: Chris Smith 0-3-1, Tommy Hayner 2-7-1
6, Beau Weed 1-2-0 24.
RECEIVING – Chesapeake: Dustin O'Brien 1-35, Matt Whitmore 1-35, Jeff Thornburg 1-34; South Point: John Crager 2-6, Chris Smith 1-24.