Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — Life doesn’t get any easier in the Ohio Valley Conference this season.
The Coal Grove Hornets were at unbeaten Chesapeake last week and return home this week to play the once-beaten Portsmouth Trojans who are unbeaten in the OVC.
Coal Grove is 3-1 after last week’s 49-28 free-scoring affair at Chesapeake. Portsmouth (4-1, 2-0) is coming an easy win over winless Gallipolis after upsetting Rock Hill the previous week.
The game will be a match-up of running games
Portsmouth mainly relies on speedy freshman Talyn Parker (5-9, 170) and the versatility of quarterback Luke Purdy.
Parker ran for 105 yards on 12 carries last week with a touchdown. Purdy ran for 148 yards on 16 attempts and scored on a pair of 1-yard runs. He also went 3-of-6 passing for 42 yards and two scores.
Asutin Lansing added 65 yards on nine tries as the Trojans ran for 321 yards.
Ryan Williams is the top receiver for the Trojans. Last week he caught two passes for 41 yards and a touchdown.
Coal Grove rolled up 460 total yards against the Panthers with 385 coming on the ground.
Three Hornets ran for more than 100 yards as Jacob Clark carried 22 times for 126 yards, Daniel Rutherford four tries for 114 yards and Kimo Baldwin 24 rushes for 102 yards.
Quarterback Matty Cordle was 5-of-11 passing for 75 yards with Rutherford catching three passes for 61 yards.
In other area games, Chesapeake travels to Ironton in a key OVC game, Rock Hill visits South Point to face the Pointers and newly-named interim head coach Chase Kratzenberg, Fairland is at Gallipolis in a battle of winless teams, Symmes Valley hosts Beaver Eastern in a Southern Ohio Conference game, and Green goes to Portsmouth Notre Dame in an SOC game.
Other area games of interest have Portsmouth West at Minford, Waverly at Lucasville Valley, Oak Hill at home against Wheelersburg, and — in Kentucky — Russell is at Fleming County, Boyd County visits Ashland and Raceland entertains Lawrence County.