Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — The Raceland Rams used big plays to win. They had to. The Coal Grove Hornets didn’t give them much time.

Raceland scored fast to overcome Coal Grove’s ball-control offense as the Rams beat the Hornets 42-33 Friday.

Coal Grove (0-4) forced Raceland to a three-and-out on their first possession of the game and then proceeded to drive 83 yards in 15 plays capped by Tanner Murphy’s 2-yard scoring run. Jonathan Joseph’s conversion kick made it 7-0 at the 1:21 mark.

The Rams (4-1) came back to score with 10:54 left in the half on consecutive long pass plays: 27 yards to Connor Messer and 22 to Daylin Beach for the touchdown and it was 7-6.

The Hornets were forced to punt and Messer’s 38-yard return got the ball to the Coal Grove 47. Beach ran for the score on the next play. Adam Elkins threw to Rodney Vance for the conversion and it was 14-7.

Coal Grove fumbled the ball on it next series and the Rams recovered at their own 27. Six plays later Elkins hit Vance with a 10-yard scoring strike and it was 21-7.

The Hornets marched to the Rams’ 23, but Beach picked off a pass at the 10 and returned it for a touchdown and it was 28-7.

It took the Hornets one play to answer as Isaiah Gunther scampered 64 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 28-13.

But the Rams were not done.

A 30-yard pass to Beach got the ball to the Hornets’ 44. Two short passes and a 20-yard run by Kane Snyder put the ball at the 9 where Messer threw to Vance for a touchdown with 34 seconds on the clock and a 34-13 lead at the break.

Neither team scored in the third quarter although the Hornets had a 13-play drive stall at the 20.

Coal Grove started a drive at their own 45 in the third quarter that spilled over into the fourth stanza and lasted 11 plays. Quarterback Jesse Rigsby ran the final 2 yards and it was 34-19 with 8:41 left.

Sparked by a 32-yard run by Beach, the Rams went 64 yards in just seven plays capped by Snyder’s 12-yard run. Elkins threw to Snyder for the conversion and it was 42-19 with 4:47 left.

Two big catches by Conor Markins covering a total of 50 yards got the ball to the Rams’ 14 and two plays later D.J. Miller scored on a 4-yard run and it was 42-25 with 3:38 left.

An interception by defensive lineman Jeff Smith who returned the ball 32 yards to the 15 set up another 4-yard touchdown run by Miller with 25 seconds to play. Miller also ran for the conversion.

Coal Grove racked up 400 total yards including 282 on the ground. Gunther ran 14 times for 140 yards, Murphy had 63 yards on 11 carries and Miller added 57 yards on 14 attempts.

Rigsby was 7 of 18 passing for 118 yards.

Markins caught four passes for 93 yards.

Raceland finished with 312 total yards. Beach ran 16 times for 141 yards and Snyder 10 times for 55 yards as the Rams rushed for 197 as a team.

Elkins was 8 of 14 passing for 106 yards.

Raceland 0 34 0 8 = 42

Coal Grove 7 6 0 20 = 33

First Quarter

CG — Tanner Murphy 2 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 1:21

Second Quarter

Ra — Daylin Beach 22 pass from Adam Elkins (kick failed) 10:54

Ra — Daylin Beach 47 run (Rodney Vance pass from Adam Elkins) 8:19

Ra — Rodney Vance 10 pass from Adam Elkins (David Pennington kick) 2:32

CG — Isaiah Gunther 64 run (kick failed) 2:15

Ra — Rodney Vance 9 pass from Connor Messer (kick blocked) 0:34

Fourth Quarter

CG — Jesse Rigsby 2 run (run failed) 8:41

Ra — Kane Snyder 12 run (Snyder pass from Adam Elkins) 4:47

CG — D.J. Miller 4 run (pass failed) 3:38

CG — D.J. Miller 4 run (Miller run) 0:25

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Ra CG

First downs 14 22

Rushes-yards 31-197 49-282

Passing yards 115 118

Total yards 312 400

Cmp-Att-Int 8-14-1 7-18-1

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1

Penalties-yards 10-95 8-40

Punts-average 3-40.3 2-39.5

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING—Raceland: Daylin Beach 16-141, Kane Snyder 10-55, Rodney Vance 1-minus 4, Adam Elkins 4-5; Coal Grove: Isaiah Gunther 14-140, Tanner Murphy 11-63, D.J. Miller 14-57, Jesse Rigsby 8-16, Sean Paulus 1-6, Sidney Tucker 1-0.

PASSING—Raceland: Adam Elkins 8-14-1 106, Connor Messer 1-1-0 9; Coal Grove: Jesse Rigsby 7-18-1 118.

RECEIVING—Raceland: Connor Messer 2-33, Daylin Beach 2-52, Maverick Dixon 1-7, Kane Snyder 1-8, Rodney Vance 1-minus 2; Coal Grove: Conor Markins 4-93, Sean Paulus 1-15, Isaiah Gunther 2-10.