Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

CHESAPEAKE — The Chesapeake Panthers don’t seem to know how to score from short distances.

It’s probably because they keep scoring from so far away.

The Panthers scored seven touchdowns from between 25 to 75 yards as they blasted the Gallipolis Blue Devils 48-6 on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“I thought our line did a pretty good job. Gallipolis changed up their defense and we adjusted,” said Panthers’ coach Andy Clark.

“Defensively we did a pretty good job considering how many times they threw the ball. But we can’t turn the ball over two times have three touchdowns called back with penalties away from the ball.”

Quarterback Casey McComas did the most damage with scoring runs of 71, 56 and 72 yards and scoring passes of 25 and 75 yards.

Chesapeake (4-0, 1-0) amassed 595 total yards with 458 coming on the ground. McComas ran seven times for 242 yards and three touchdowns and was 4-of-8 passing for 137 yards and two more scores.

Will Scott added 81 yards on just six carries and a score and Cecil Fletcher had 52 yards on seven attempts with a touchdown. Bartrum caught two passes for 91 yards.

Gallipolis (0-4, 0-1) was playing in its first-ever OVC game and managed just 107 total yards. Quarterback Justin McClelland was 13-of-25 for 82 yards and threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Burns for the Blue Devils only score.

Fletcher put the Panthers up 7-0 on a 37-yard run and then McComas threw 25 yards to Austin Browning for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

McComas broke loose on a 71-yard run to start the second quarter and make it 21-0 before Gallipolis got on the scoreboard with the McClelland-to-Burns pass play.

Scott answered that score with a 46-yard jaunt and it was 28-6.

McComas then ran 56 and 72 yards for touchdowns and it was 41-6.

The Panthers capped the scoring as McComas threw to Bartrum on the 75-yard pass play and it was 48-6 at the half.

Chesapeake hosts Coal Grove next Friday in a pivotal OVC game.

Gallipolis 0 6 0 0 = 6

Chesapeake 14 34 0 0 = 48

First Quarter

Ch — Cecil Fletcher 37 run (Dalton Nida kick) 9:25

Ch — Austin Browning 25 pass from Casey McComas (Dalton Nida kick) 3:58

Second Quarter

Ch — Casey McComas 71 run (Dalton Nida kick) 10:34

Ga — Garrett Burns 29 pass from Justin McClelland (pass failed) 9:49

Ch — Will Scott 46 run (Dalton Nida kick) 8:26

Ch — Casey McComas 56 run (Dalton Nida kick) 9:34

Ch — Casey McComas 72 run (Dalton Nida kick) 3:02

Ch — J.W. Bartrum 75 pass from Casey McComas (kick failed) 1:11

Ga Ch

First downs 6 18

Rushes-yards 22-25 35-458

Passing yards 82 137

Total yards 107 595

Cmp-Att-Int 13-25-1 4-8-1

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1

Penalties-yards 2-20 4-30

Punts-average 8-32.4 0-00.0

Individual Leaders

RUSHING—Gallia: Justin McClelland 12-12, Cade Roberts 2-8, Matt Moreaux 1-3, Boo Pullins 3-3, Wyatt Sipple 2-2, John Stout 1-0; Chesapeake: Casey McComas 7-242, Will Scott 6-81, Cecil Fletcher 7-52, Logan Walsh 7-44, Cole Mills 1-11, Kamren Harless 2-9, Cason Nida 2-7, Josh Ramey 2-15, Ty Wilcoxon 2-8.

PASSING—Gallia: Justin McClelland 13-25-1 82 TD; Chesapeake: Casey McComas 4-8-1 137 2-TD.

RECEVING—Gallia: Garrett Burns 3-34 TD, John Stout 5-32, Cory Call 2-6, Wyatt Sipple 2-5, Case Roberts 1-5; Chesapeake: J.W. Bartrum 2-91 TD, Will Scott 1-21, Austin Browning 1-25 TD.