Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The record doesn’t show it, but to the naked eye the South Point Pointers are showing improvement.
The Pointers are 0-4 and head to Tanks Memorial Stadium on Friday to face the Ironton Fighting Tigers but have begun to improve for first-year head coach James Gifford.
The passing game showed promise last week as quarterback Brody Blackwell (6-1, 200) hit wide receiver Chance Gunther (5-10, 145) with touchdown passes of 55 and 69 yards as the Pointers trailed the defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Coal Grove Hornets just 26-14 with 4:19 left in the first half.
But a 21-yard scoring run by Jalen McKenzie less than a minute later put the lead at 33-14 at the half and it became an uphill battle for the Pointers.
The Pointers lost to unbeaten Portsmouth West, currently ranked fifth in the Division V Associated Press poll.
South Point lost a tough 23-13 decision at Boyd County, Ky., before falling 35-14 to Alexander.
The Pointers’ running game features hard-running junior JoJo Burris (5-11, 195) and is complimented by sophomore Walker Clay (5-9, 170) and freshman Maddox McCallister (5-9, 150).
Junior Larry Fox (6-2, 210) is a big target at tight end and the other wide receiver is senior Joel Morrison (5-10, 140).
The offensive line has massive junior Brody Thompson (6-4,330) along with junior Thomas Duna (5-9, 190), sophomore Bennett McCallister (5-11, 225) and sophomore Kameron Hardy (6-0, 235).
Defensively, the Pointers have Duna, Hardy, junior Brandon Pierson (5-9, 185) and senior Marcus Malone (6-1, 160) across the front backed by linebackers Fox, Burris in the middle and Clay.
The cornerbacks are Gunther on one side while McCallister and sophomore Darryl Taylor (6-1, 165) on the other side. The safety duties are split between senior Adrien Johnson (5-10, 170), sophomore Brenden Dillon (5-8, 135) and freshman Alex Lambert (5-11, 160).
Not only are the Pointers young, the have only eight players on the roster who were members of the team last season.
Ironton (2-2, 1-0) is coming off a 14-7 loss to unbeaten Ashland, Ky., who are currently ranked No. 1 in 4A.
Kickoff is 7 p.m.