Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — In winning the Ohio Valley Conference football title outright, the Coal Grove Hornets were not only unbeaten in the league but virtually unchallenged.

The Hornets (7-3) beat Rock Hill 40-8 Friday to go 4-0 in the OVC as they outscored their opponents 161 to 37.

The only negative in the season finale was finishing five-hundredths of a point shy of qualifying for the postseason playoffs.

Isaiah Gunther put an exclamation point in his career as the senior running back carried just seven times for 126 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the ground game.

Coal Grove rushed 34 times for 336 yards as a team and had 366 total yards.

Senior Tanner Murphy ran five times for 61 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Jesse Rigsby was 2 of 5 for 30 yards and a score. He also ran once for 23 yards.

The Hornets’ defense limited Rock Hill to 152 total yards including 132 on the ground.

Senior Joe Akers got the scoring started as he scooped up an onside kickoff to start the game and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown and it was 6-0.

After a Rock Hill punt, Gunther broke free on a 69-yard scoring jaunt and Daniel Rutherford’s conversion run made it 14-0.

Murphy had a 30-yard run to set up his own 2-yard TD run and Jonathan Joseph’s conversion kick extended the lead to 21-0.

Rock Hill (2-8, 1-3) fumbled on its next possession and Murphy recovered. Rigsby hit Jacob Clark with a 23-yards pass and then threw 7 yards to Sean Paulus for a touchdown and it was 27-0.

Nose guard Josh Waulk stripped the ball from a Rock Hill ballcarrier and rumbled 43 yards to the Redmen 14-yard line.

Moments later, Gunther scooted 5 yards for the touchdown and Joseph’s kick opened up a 34-0 lead.

After two Rock Hill punts and a Coal Grove fumble, the Hornets got the ball back and went to work again.

Gunther ran 20 yards an Murphy 23 more. Jacob Myers then got the call and ran through the Rock Hill defense for a 27-yard scoring run to make it 40-0.

Rock Hill avoided the shutout as Tanner Martin hit Austin Collins with a 7-yard scoring pass. Martin ran for the conversion.

Coal Grove capped the victory when Joey Workman intercepted a pass.

Rock Hill 0 0 0 8 = 8

Coal Grove 27 7 6 0 = 40

First Quarter

CG — Joe Akers 50 kickoff return (kick failed)

CG — Isaiah Gunther 69 run (Daniel Rutherford run)

CG — Tanner Murphy 2 run (Jonathan Joseph kick)

CG — Sean Paulus 7 pass from Jesse Rigsby (kick blocked)

Second Quarter

CG — Isaiah Gunther 5 run (Jonathan Joseph kick)

Third Quarter

CG — Jacob Myers 27 run (kick failed)

Fourth Quarter

RH — Austin Collins 7 pass from Tanner Martin (Martin run)

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RH CG

Rushes-yards 36-132 34-336

Passing yards 20 30

Total yards 152 366

Cmp-Att-Int 3-7-1 2-7-0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING —Rock Hill: NA; Coal Grove: Isaiah Gunther 7-126 2TD, Austin Ruggles 1-1, Tanner Murphy 5-61 TD, Jesse Rigsby 1-23, Jacob Myers 1-27 TD, Jacob Clark 5-45, Greg Carter 3-12, Kimo Baldwin 2-9, Tanner Henry 1-4, Jordan Lucas 2-2, Tanner Dolen 3-11, Ranze Large 3-15.

PASSING — Rock Hill: NA; Coal Grove: Jesse Rigsby 2-5-0 30 TD, Jordan Lucas 0-1-0, Maty Cordle 0-1-0.

RECEIVING — Rock Hill: NA; Coal Grove: Jacob Clark 1-23, Sean Paulus 1-7 TD.