Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — Who says the Coal Grove Hornets are one-dimensional?

Known for their smashmouth offensive running style, the Hornets showed they can throw the ball as they rolled past the Chesapeake Panthers 53-14 Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

The Hornets won the “Battle for the Little Brown Jug” with 535 total yards. They were their old selves with 350 rushing yards as Isaiah Gunther ran seven times for 154 yards and D.J. Miller had 93 yards on seven attempts.

But quarterback Jesse Rigsby was 9 of 12 passing for 185 yards and five touchdowns. His main target was the gifted hands of Conor Markins who caught five passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns.

Chesapeake (1-8, 1-3) had 298 total yards with 178 coming on the ground. Nate Smith ran 17 times for 97 yards and a scored and also caught an 8-yard scoring pass. Chad Meadows added 50 yards on 13 attempts.

Coal Grove (4-5, 3-1) jumped out to a 26-0 lead and was never threatened.

Rigsby hit Markins with a 30-yard scoring strike five minutes into the game and Jonathan Joseph’s kick made it 7-0.

A 59-yard run by Miller got the ball to the 1-yard line and Rigsby scored on the next play and it was 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Austin Ruggles returned an interception 45 yards that gave Coal Grove the ball at the Panthers’ 17. Two plays later, Rigsby hit Markins with a 17-yard scoring pass with 9:19 left in the half and it was 20-0.

Coal Grove used a leaping catch by Sean Paulus for 14 yards, a 21-yard pass to Joe Akers and a 20-yard run by Rigsby to set up with a 13-yard scoring strike to Mason Nance and it was 26-0 with 4:55 left in the half.

The Panthers got on the scoreboard on a 1-yard run by Smith with 52 seconds left. Wesley Stephens kicked the extra point.

Coal Grove returned the second half kickoff to the 46 and Gunther bolted 54 yards on the first play for a touchdown and it was 32-7.

Chesapeake then drove 62 yards in 13 plays capped by a 9-yard pass from Austin Oldaker to Smith that cut the deficit to 32-14.

A 46-yard run by Gunther sparked the Hornets’ next possession and Miller went the final 9 yards and it was 39-14.

Coal Grove finished the scoring on a pair of touchdown passes covering 5 yards to Akers and 56 yards to Markins.

Chesapeake 0 7 7 0 = 14

Coal Grove 14 12 13 14 = 53

First Quarter

CG — Conor Markins 30 pass from Jesse Rigsby (Jonathan Joseph kick) 7:01

CG — Jesse Rigsby 1 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 1:36

Second Quarter

CG — Conor Markins 17 pass from Jesse Rigsby (kick failed) 9:19

CG — Mason Nance 13 pass from Jesse Rigsby (kick failed) 4:55

Ch — Nate Smith 1 run (Wesley Stephens kick) 0:52

Third Quarter

CG —Isaiah Gunther 54 run (kick failed) 11:44

Ch — Nate Smith 9 pass from Austin Oldaker (Wesley Stephens kick) 6:21

CG — D.J. Miller 9 run (Jonathan Joseph kick) 4:37

Fourth Quarter

CG — Joe Akers 5 pass from Jesse Rigsby (Jonathan Joseph kick) 9:37

CG — Conor Markins 56 pass from Jesse Rigsby (Jonathan Joseph kick) 4:06

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Ch CG

First downs 17 19

Rushes-yards 43-178 28-350

Yards passing 120 185

Total yards 298 535

Cmp-Att-Int 7-16-1 9-12-1

Fumbles-lost 2-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 6-40 7-85

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING—Chesapeake: Nate Smith 17-97 TD, Chad Meadows 13-50, Austin Oldaker 5-9, Casey McComas 1-4, Maccoy Brown 6-3, J.W. Bartrum 2-3, Shaden White 1-2, Steven Singson 1-1; Coal Grove: Isaiah Gunther 7-154, D.J. Miller 7-93, Jesse Rigsby 7-48, Austin Ruggles 1-20, Jacob Clark 2-19, Sidney Tucker 3-10, Daniel Rutherford 1-6.

PASSING—Chesapeake: Austin Oldaker 5-14-1 78 TD, Casey McComas 2-2-0 42; Coal Grove: Jesse Rigsby 9-12-1 186 5TD.

RECEIVING—Chesapeake: Aaron Thompson 1-24, Chad Meadows 1-21, Casey McComas 1-26, Brad Meadows 2-30, Andrew Saunders 1-10, Nate Smith 1-9 TD; Coal Grove: Conor Markins 5-133 3TDs, Joe Akers 2-26 TD, Sean Paulus 1-14, Mason Nance 1-13 TD.