COAL GROVE — It is supposed to be the wide-open offense of the Oak Hill Oaks against the ball-control attack of the Coal Grove Hornets.

As it turns out, both teams like to mix it up.

The Coal Grove Hornets will visit the Oak Hill Oaks in the first round of the Division V Region 19 playoffs Saturday for the second straight year and the scenario is eerily similar.

Oak Hill (9-1) has the big three in quarterback Jesse Slone, running back Westen Hale and wingback Joey Maynard who give the Oaks a variety of ways to attack the opposition.

Slone and Maynard have suffered injuries during the season and Hale has carried most of the load. He has 191 carries for 1,595 yards and 24 touchdowns. He set an Oak Hill single-game rushing record against Symmes Valley with 327 yards.

Despite missing the Minford game — a 13-0 loss — Slone has thrown for 1,351 yards and seven touchdowns. Maynard has caught 33 passes for 426 yards and three scores while rushing 38 times or 236 yards and two touchdowns.

Jesse Parker had 22 receptions for 392 yards and five scores.

“Maynard and Parker are good receivers. The big job we have is we have to stop Hale,” said Hornets’ coach Dave Lucas. “They have a good team and some nice players, but if we don’t stop Hale we’ll have a long nigh.”

But the Oaks aren’t the only team with a balanced offense. The Hornets (8-2) have shown to be a more balanced offense the past two seasons as well.

Last year, Evan Ferguson gave the Hornets a passing game to loosen up the defenses, but he broke his wrist four plays into the playoff game against Oak Hill and the inability to throw the ball allowed the Oaks to stack the line of scrimmage and shut down Coal Grove’s offense.

The season, sophomore Alex Bare is the new quarterback and he is 34 of 57 passing for 755 yards and five touchdowns with just four interceptions.

But the offense is built on the running game the Hornets have four weapons at their disposal.

Senior tailback Sebastian “Boo” Woods leads the team with 112 carries for 942 yards and 15 touchdowns. Fullback Bubba Wood has 625 yards on 101 attempts with 14 scores.

Junior Greg Bender has 54 rushes for 356 yards and seven scores while wingback Jake Murphy has 135 yards on 26 tries with two touchdowns.

“We have to control the football. We have to move the ball down the field,” said Lucas.

Bryan Steele leads the Hornets with 13 receptions for 305 yards and two TDs. Woods is next with 10 catches for 161 yards and a score while Murphy has 259 yards on just eight grabs with two touchdowns.

For the Hornets to control the football and keep it out of the Oaks’ hands, they have to avoid the problems last season when they fumbled eight times and lost five.

“We can’t turn the ball over. Last year we fumbled the ball away five times. We have to eliminate our mistakes. We can’t keep giving them the ball,” said Lucas.

Coal Grove will have to move the ball against an Oak Hill first team defense that has allowed no more than eight points in any game.

In a 29-22 win over Wheelersburg, Brandon Schankweiler returned two kickoffs for scores and the backups allowed 26 points in the fourth quarter in a 43-33 win over Green.

“They’re pretty good up front. They have two good linebackers,” Lucas said of Devon Davis and Wes Harden. “They have good balance on both sides of the ball. They’re quick.”

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Coal Grove Hornets Offense

Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Gr.

LE 11 Shawn Morrison 5-09 165 Sr.

LT 74 Brandon Pratt 6-00 270 Sr.

LG 61 Eli Pennington 5-10 160 Sr.

C 72 Brady Burton 6-02 265 Sr.

RG 53 Eric Fields 5-11 170 Jr.

RT 54 Austin Cochran 6-00 290 Jr.

RE 33 Bryan Steele 6-00 160 So.

1 T.J. Barrett 5-08 150 Jr.

WB 5 Jake Murphy 6-01 170 Sr.

QB 4 Alex Bare 5-07 140 So.

FB 40 Bubba Wood 6-00 230 Sr.

22 Greg Bender 6-01 195 Jr.

TB 2 Boo Woods 5-09 150 Sr.

PK 40 Bubba Wood 6-00 230 Sr.

Coal Grove Hornets Defense

Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Gr.

DE 44 Austin Clark 5-10 165 Jr.

DT 70 Steven Boyd 6-02 230 Sr.

NG 58 Justin Hildreth 5-10 165 Sr.

DT 59 James Suttles 6-00 230 Jr.

DE 42 Brandon Hogsten 5-10 180 So.

LB 61 Eli Pennington 5-10 160 Sr.

LB 22 Greg Bender 6-01 195 Jr.

LB 34 Kyle Estep 5-09 150 So.

CB 2 Boo Woods 5-09 150 Sr.

CB 5 Jake Murphy 6-01 170 Sr.

S 10 Rye Goodwin 5-10 135 Sr.

4 Alex Bare 5-07 140 So.

P 5 Jake Murphy 6-01 170 Sr.

Oak Hill Oaks Defense

Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Gr.

DT 56 Chris Fairchild 6-2 280 Jr.

NG 24 Cody Walter 5-10 185 Sr.

DT 78 Drew Cannon 6-3 255 Sr.

OLB 57 Cory Kuhn 5-10 175 Sr.

ILB 34 Devon Davis 6-0 190 So.

ILB 44 Wes Harden 5-10 185 So.

OLB 21 Daniel Woods 6-0 215 Jr.

CB 2 Joey Maynard 6-1 180 Sr.

CB 10 Jesse Slone 6-4 200 Sr.

FS 13 Jesse Parker 6-0 160 Sr.

SS 32 Westen Hale 6-0 205 Sr.

Oak Hill Oaks Offense

Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Gr.

TE 21 Daniel Woods 6-0 215 Jr.

LT 56 Chris Fairchild 6-2 280 Jr.

LG 59 Kurtis Dunaway 6-0 225 Sr.

C 54 Gabe Hall 6-0 210 So.

RG 57 Cory Kuhn 5-10 175 Sr.

RT 78 Drew Cannon 6-3 255 Sr.

SE 13 Jesse Parker 6-0 160 Sr.

WB 2 Joey Maynard 6-1 180 Sr.

FB 34 Devon Davis 6-0 190 So.

TB 32 Westen Hale 6-0 205 Sr.

QB 10 Jesse Slone 6-4 200 Sr.

Coal Grove Hornets

2010 Football Scores

Hornets 53 Meigs 13

Hornets 18 Athens 13

Hornets 21 Lucasville Val. 49

Hornets 49 Trimble 12

Hornets 20 Greenup Co. 7

Hornets 49 South Point 26

Hornets 42 Rock Hill 14

Hornets 52 River Valley 6

Hornets 52 Fairland 12

Hornets 22 Chesapeake 25

Record: 8-2

Computer: 8th Region 19 of Division V

Head Coach: Dave Lucas

Coshocton Redskins

2010 Football Scores

Oak Hill 35 Chesapeake 7

Oak Hill 29 Wheelersburg 22

Oak Hill 37 Rock Hill 0

Oak Hill 21 Wellston 8

Oak Hill 0 Minford 13

Oak Hill 65 Sciotoville East 8

Oak Hill 27 Notre Dame 7

Oak Hill 40 Sym. Valley 13

Oak Hill 28 New Richmond 7

Oak Hill 43 Green 33

Record: 9-1

Computer: 1st Region 19 of Division V

Head Coach: Greg Phillips