South Point pulls away from Fairland
Published 12:00 am Friday, November 3, 2006
PROCTORVILLE -These are the South Point Pointers that many expected to see at the beginning of the year.
With many of the players that had been injured throughout the year back, the Pointers used a balanced attack coupled with eight Fairland turnovers in a 42-7 Ohio Valley Conference win.
“We kind of caught fire in the second quarter, and we put some points on the board,” South Point coach Dan McDavid said.
After a scoreless first quarter, the two teams traded turnovers to start the second quarter.
Jordan Kersey came up with an interception at the Dragons 44, but Fairland was unable to move the ball and had to punt. A bad snap forced punter Justin Laprad to scramble and he was tackle for a 14-yard loss.
That set up the Pointers first score with 6:05 to go in the half when quarterback Chris Smith found Beau Weed on a 25yard pass and it was 7-0.
The Dragons moved the ball again inside Pointer territory only to fumble the ball back to South Point. The Pointers moved 43 yards in six plays and Justin Thacker ran it in from 15 yards out to give the Pointers a 14-0 lead with 1:39 remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, Fairland’s Matt Bloomfield returned it 86 yards for a touchdown and the score was 14-7 with 1:24 to go.
The Pointers got the ball back with 1:17 to go. On third down, Smith found Weed again, this time for a 40-yard touchdown. Weed finished with 3 catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
The half ended with the Pointers leading 21-7.
South Point (4-5, 3-1) got the ball to open the third quarter and the Dragons forced a punting situation.
However, on fourth-and-8, the Pointers used a fake punt and Jacob Orlando took a handoff around the end for an 18-yard gain.
The Pointers again faced a fourth down and again converted when Smith found Todd Mayo for a 19-yard gain down to the 5. Two plays later, Thacker scored his second touchdown of the game and it was 28-7 with 8:02 remaining.
Fairland (1-8, 1-3) got the ball and on the second play quarterback Cole Hatfield found Jake Lucas for a completion, but the ball popped out and the Pointers recovered at the Dragons 31. South Point moved it down to the 2 and Smith snuck in to give the Pointers a 35-7 lead with 4:56 to go.
The drive saw Smith hit Jerrell Dean on a third down pass for a 17-yard gain.
Smith finished the game 9-of-16 for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 7 times for 26 yards and a score.
After two more Fairland turnovers, the Pointers opened the fourth quarter on a long drive that started at their own 15. The drive covered 85 yards in 10 plays, and ended with Jacob Orlando racing down the sideline for a 36-yard score and the Pointers lead was 42-7 with 7:53 to go in the game.
Orlando ended with 6 carries for 81 yards and a score.
South Point got the ball with 3:51 remaining, and ran out the clock.
Hatfield was 13-of-32 for 118 yards. Kersey led the Dragon’s with 7 rushes for 46 yards before leaving in the second quarter with an injury.
South Point will host Rock Hill next Friday with the winner clinching at least a share of the OVC title.
Not only will it be senior night for South Point, but it will also be the final game at Pointer Stadium.
The new schools and athletic complex are scheduled to open next year.