Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — After losing a tough, physical game last week, the Coal Grove Hornets could relax since they were playing the winless Fairland Dragons.

Vacation time didn’t last very long.

The Hornets found the Dragons not ready to take the night off. Coal Grove scored late and then held off a final scoring threat by Fairland to escape with a 20-13 Ohio Valley Conference win on Friday.

Sydney Tucker’s 3-yard scoring run with 9:31 to play capped a 10-play, 85-yard drive that put the Dragons up 13-12.

Tucker’s 44-yard run on the first play of the drive was the key play.

But the Hornets (4-4, 3-1) answered as backup quarterback Matty Cordle engineered a 64-yard, 11-play drive that ended on an 11-yard run by Kimo Baldwin.

Cordle threw to Sam Angelo for the conversion and it was 20-13 with 4:34 to play.

Cordle took over for starter Daniel Rutherford who was injured on the previous series. It was Cordle’s only series in the game at quarterback.

The Dragons (0-8, 0-4) had one final threat as they used 10 plays to get to the Hornets’ 39 aided by a defensive holding call on Coal Grove on a fourth-and-11 play.

On third-and-10 with 32 seconds to play, Angelo intercepted a Lambiotte pass at the 17-yard line and returned it to the 44 with 23 seconds on the clock and sealed the win.

The Hornets took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on a 5-yard pass from Rutherford to Jacob Clark.

The 7-play, 63-yard march was ignited by Tanner Dolen’s 39-yard run to the Fairland 13. Dolen appeared stopped for no gain but made three tacklers miss and reversed his field and headed down the sideline.

Fairland came back to take a 7-6 lead when Lambiotte hit Collin Damron on a 21-yard scoring pass. Damron kicked the conversion with 5:33 on the second quarter clock.

Keedrick Cunningham had runs of 23 and 30 yards to start the drive and helped get the ball to the Hornets’ 6-yard line.

But the Dragons had a personal foul and motion penalty that pushed the ball back to the 23. On fourth and goal, Lambiotte was able to hit Damron for the score.

Coal Grove came right back with a 65-yard, 8-play drive to regain the lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Clark with 23 seconds on the clock and it was 12-7 at the half.

The Hornets ran the ball 58 times for 287 yards and had just the one pass for 5 yards.

Clark had 87 yards on 13 carries, Baldwin 73 yards on 15 tries, Tanner Henry 60 yards on 17 attempts and Dolen 54 yards on five rushes.

Fairland had 228 yards on the ground as Cunningham ran 12 times for 78 yards and Tucker had 76 yards on 11 attempts. Lambiotte added 35 yards and Damron 31.

Lambiotte was 3-of-14 passing for 20 yards – all to Damron.

Next Friday, Coal Grove visits Portsmouth in a league game while Fairland travels to Portsmouth West for a non-league game.

Fairland 0 7 0 6 = 13

Coal Grove 6 6 0 8 = 20

First Quarter

CG — Jacob Clark 5 pass from Daniel Rutherford (run failed) 8:42

Second Quarter

Fa — Collin Damron 21 pass from Joel Lambiotte (Collin Damron kick) 5:33

CG — Jacob Clark 2 run (run failed) 0:23

Fourth Quarter

Fa — Sydney Tucker 3 run (run failed) 9:31

CG — Kimo Baldwin 11 run (Sam Angelo pass from Matty Cordle) 4:34

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Fa CG

First downs 12 8

Rushes-yards 37-228 58-287

Passing yards 20 5

Total yards 248 292

Cmp-Att-Int 3-14-1 1-7-0

Fumbles-lost 4-2 1-1

Penalties-yards 5-50 9-74

Punts-average 4-32.3 3-36.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING —Fairland: Keedrick Cunningham 12-78, Sidney Tucker 11-76 TD, Joel Lambiotte 8-35, Collin Damron 3-31, Austin Christian 2-5, Chase Fisher 1-3; Coal Grove: Jacob Clark 13-87 TD, Kimo Baldwin 15-73 TD, Tanner Henry 17-60, Tanner Dolen 5-54, Daniel Rutherford 5-6, Matty Cordle 1-5, Isaac Howard 1-3, team 1-minus 1.

PASSING — Fairland: Joel Lambiotte 3-14-1 20 TD; Coal Grove: Daniel Rutherford 1-6-0 5 TD, Tanner Dolen 0-1-0.

RECEIVING — Fairland: Collin Damron 3-20 TD; Coal Grove: Jacob Clark 1-5.

MISSED FIELD GOALS — Fairland (Collin Damron) 23 yards, 2:44 first quarter.