Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

WEST PORTSMOUTH — The Coal Grove Hornets didn’t play favorites. They made big plays on offense and defense.

Coal Grove (2-0) used some big plays on offense early to take a 14-0 lead and used some big plays defensively in the second half to hold off the Portsmouth West Senators 14-9 on Friday.

The Hornets drove 85 yards in 12 plays on their second possession of the game. Jacob Clark ran 19 yards for the touchdown and Jeb Jones kicked the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Two key plays in the drive were a 10-yard pass from Matty Cordle to Daniel “Rudy” Rutherford and a 12-yard toss to Clark. Both passes resulted in first downs.

After a West punt, Coal Grove used 13 plays to march 90 yards capped by a 4-yard pass from Cordle to Dylan Malone to make it 14-0 in the second quarter.

Clark had a 38-yard run to the West 8-yard line to set up the score.

The Senators were able to get on the scoreboard before the half when T.J. Hoggard kicked a 31-yard field goal and it was 14-3.

The Senators missed a 22-yard field goal but they managed to get within 14-9 in the third quarter on a 65-yard pass play from Dylan Bradford to Josh Berry.

West (1-2) also got the ball near midfield in the third quarter but Kyle Sites came up with an interception at the Hornets’ 29-yard line.

West managed to drive to the Coal Grove 7-yard line in the fourth quarter, but Rutherford came up with an interception in the end zone to end the threat.

Coal Grove drove to the West 43 before turning the ball over on down. The Hornets’ defense then forced the Senators to turn the ball over on downs as a fourth-and-6 pass fell incomplete.

Cordle then took a knee on two straight plays as time ran out.

Coal Grove had 266 total yards including 55 rushing attempts for 230 yards. Clark had 118 yards on 14 attempts while Rutherford ran 10 times for 41 yards and Tanner Henry had nine carries for 36 yards.

Cordle was 5-of-12 passes for 36 yards and a score. Rutherford caught two balls for 24 yards.

West ran for just 99 yards while Bradford was 7-of-13 for 153 yards and two interceptions. Chase Leongar ran 14 times for 108 yards as West finished with 252 total yards.

 

Coal Grove 7 7 0 0 = 14

Ports. West 0 3 0 6 = 9

First Quarter

CG — Jacob Clark 19 run (Jeb Jones kick)

Second Quarter

CG — Dylan Malone 4 pass from Matty Cordle (Jeb Jones kick)

PW — T.J. Hoggard 31 field goal

Fourth Quarter

PW — Josh Berry 65 pass from Dylan Bradford (pass failed)

CG PW

First downs 19 12

Rushes-yards 55-230 28-99

Passing yards 36 153

Total yards 266 252

Cmp-Att-Int 5-12-0 7-14-2

Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1

Penalties-yards 8-75 4-35

Punts-average 5-23.8 3-38.3

Individual Leaders

RUSHING—CG: Jacob Clark 14-118 TD, Daniel Rutherford 10-41, Tanner Henry 9-36, Matty Cordle 14-16, Kimo Baldwin 7-11, Dylan Malone 1-8; PW: Chase Leongar 14-108, Josh Berry 2-14, Cody Staggs 1-1, Wesley Robinson 1-0, Dylan Bradford 10-minus 24.

PASSING—CG: Matty Cordle 5-12-0 36 TD; PW: Dylan Bradford 7-13-2 153 TD.

RECEIVING—CG: Daniel Rutherford 2-24, Jacob Clark 2-8, Dylan Malone 1-4 TD; PW: Josh Berry 2-68 TD, L.T. Maynard 2-35, Derek Carver 1-25, Jacob McCoy 1-22, Wesley Robinson 1-3.