By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

CHESAPEAKE — It was business as usual for the Chesapeake Panthers.

Faced with a possible letdown situation, the Panthers showed no signs of letting up as they blanked the South Point Pointers 48-0 on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Chesapeake is now 7-2 on the season and 4-0 in the OVC, setting up next week’s showdown at Coal Grove for the league title.

South Point fell to 1-8 and 0-4 in the league.

“We played the way we should,” said Panthers’ coach Andy Clark. “We blocked well, our backs ran hard and they blocked well for each other. We didn’t let down.”

The Panthers scored on every possession in the first half as they built a 42-0 lead at the break.

Dylan Nichols had 99 yards on seven carries to lead a balanced running game that racked up 420 yards. Nate Jones had 87 yards on six carries, Patrick Hintz 63 yards on five tries and Brandon Noble 59 yards on six attempts.

Chesapeake jumped in front 7-0 on an 18-yard run by Nichols and Jacob Wells’ conversion kick at the 8:50 mark.

Tommy Noble caught a 12-yard scoring pass from Austin McMaster to put the lead at 14-0 and Brandon Noble went 2 yards just before the end of the quarter to make it 21-0.

Hintz scored on a 9-yard run early in the second quarter for a 28-0 lead. Chad Meadows then ran 13 yards for a score and Taylor Banaei kicked the conversion and it was 35-0.

Hintz squirted through the Pointers’ defense for a 21-yard touchdown run with just 34 seconds left in the half and it was 42-0.

Jones’ 35-yard run at the 9:46 mark of the third quarter capped the scoring as the Panthers’ backups finished the game.

South Point was held to 80 total yards — 13 in the first half — and just two first downs for the game.

South Point 0 0 0 0 = 0

Chesapeake 21 21 6 0 = 48

First Quarter

Ch – Dylan Nichols 18 run (Jacob Wells kick) 8:50

Ch – Tommy Noble 12 pass from Austin McMaster (Jacob Wells kick) 5:24

Ch – Brandon Noble 2 run (Jacob Wells kick) 1:15

Second Quarter

Ch – Patrick Hintz 9 run (Jacob Wells kick) 9:12

Ch – Chad Meadows 13 run (Taylor Banaei kick) 4:01

Ch – Patrick Hintz 21 run (Taylor Banaei kick) 0:34

Third Quarter

Ch – Nate Jones 35 run (kick failed) 9:46

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SP Ch

First downs 2 19

Rushes-yards 31-49 45-420

Passing yards 31 70

Total yards 80 490

Cmp-Att-Int 2-6-2 3-3-0

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 1-5 2-30

Punts-average 6-28.0 0-00.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–South Point: Adrock Harlow 11-13, Austin Majher 8-11, Gage Townsend 2-minus 6, R.J. McCarty 3-23, Mason White 3-3, James Leonard 4-5; Chesapeake: Patrick Hintz 5-63, Nate Jones 6-87, Brandon Noble 6-59, Dylan Nichols 7-99, Chad Meadows 3-22, Jacob Collins 6-23, Brandon Clagg 4-44, Josh Browning 8-23.

PASSING–South Point: Austin Majher 2-6-2 31; Chesapeake: Austin McMaster 3-3-0 70.

RECEIVING–South Point: Jacob Perdue 1-26, San Clark 1-5; Chesapeake: Javon Thompson 1-34, Tommy Noble 2-36.