By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

PEDRO — Now, that’s a running game.

The Coal Grove Hornets ran the ball 55 times for 523 yards en route to a 51-28 win over the Rock Hill Redmen on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Greg Bender did most of the damage with 15 carries for 221 yards and three touchdowns. Bender scored on runs of 67, 6 and 47 yards.

Bender’s performance overshadowed a big game by Kyle Estep who ran 13 times for 120 yards and had a 3-yard scoring run.

Brandon Hogsten scored on a 1-yard run to put Coal Grove up 6-0. The lead was 20-0 at the end of the first quarter and 36-14 at the half.

Alex Bare had a 40-yard touchdown run and Isaiah Gunther a 3-yard TD jaunt for the Hornets in the third quarter as the lead went to 51-14.

The Hornets did not have any passing yards as they failed to complete any of their three passing attempts.

Defensively, James Suttles had 10 tackles while Bender and Hogsten had seven each.

Eric Fields had six stops while Jake Jewell, Austin Clark and Estep had five each.

Mason Nance and Bryan Steele each had a pass deflection and Jesse Rigsby had a fumble recovery.

Trey Wilds and Will McColister scored two touchdowns each for the Redmen (1-6, 0-2). Wilds also caught a conversion pass and McCollister ran for another.

Coal Grove travels to River Valley next Friday and Rock Hill hosts South Point in league games.