Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE — Ironton quarterback Gage Salyers very quietly had a really good game that seemed to go unnoticed.
That’s because Reid Carrico was having an even better game.
Carrico ran 13 times for 141 yards and scored five touchdowns — one on defense — as the Ironton Fighting Tigers routed the Chesapeake Panthers 50-6 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.
Salyers carried just six times for 126 yards and a touchdown while also hitting 4-of-8 passes for 55 yards as Ironton had 457 total yards including 402 on the ground.
“We’re taking steps in the right direction,” said Ironton coach Trevon Pendleton.
“The game up front is different. The 7-diamond look is different. There’s a lot of guys in the box and a lot of guys to block. It wasn’t as clean as we like it, but if we can block that, then we should be able to block against anything.”
The Fighting Tigers’ defense turned in a stellar performance by limiting the Panthers to 103 yards rushing and 42 passing. Ironton was able to shut down all phases the Panthers’ offense and made it hard to find a play that would work.
“It just boils down to staying focused for four quarters. We got up 28-0 and playing very sound football early, then we started doing some very uncharacteristic things like putting the ball on the ground,” said Pendleton.
After a three-and-out, Ironton got the ball at its own 23 and eight plays later Salyers kept the ball and bolted 47 yards for a touchdown.
Avery Book’s conversion kick made it 7-0 at the 5:31 mark.
The defense came up with a big play on the next series. On a second and 10, Jordan Grizzle stripped the ball and Carrico got a scoop-and-score covering 33 yards and it was 14-0 with 4:40 on the clock after Book’s conversion kick.
Grizzle also recovered a fumble later in the game that set up an Ironton touchdown.
It didn’t take long for Ironton to score again thanks to a hit and fumble recovery by Seth Fosson at the Panthers’ 15.
Carrico had a 13-yard run and — after a penalty — he went 5 yards for the touchdown on the first play of the second quarter to make it 21-0.
Chesapeake picked up its initial first down and moved to the Ironton 48 before having to punt again.
Ironton (5-1, 3-0) got the ball at its own 37 after a 15-yard punt return by Kyle Howell.
Salyers hooked up with Carrico on a 20-yard pass play to the Panthers’ 43 and then Carrico raced up the middle through a huge hole created by the offensive line and scored his third touchdown of the game.
Book’s fourth conversion kick made it 28-0 with 7:36 left in the half.
Chesapeake (3-3, 1-2) put together its best drive of the half, going 84 yards in 15 plays aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty.
Quarterback Donald Richendollar hit Kamren Harless with a 4-yard touchdown pass with 1:12 to go in the half. Carrico blocked the conversion and it was 28-6.
The Panthers missed out on a golden opportunity late in the half when they recovered an Ironton fumble at the 31-yard line.
A 28-yard pass from Richendollar to Harless got the ball to the 3.
Chesapeake lost 11 yards when Jordan Grizzle sacked Richendollar and two passes went incomplete. A 30-yard field goal attempt failed but a roughing the kicker gave the Panthers one more play from the 8-yard line.
Richendollar was forced to scramble and came up 2 yards short as the clock ran out.
It was all Ironton in the second half as the defense continued to dominate.
Ironton went 79 yards in five plays to begin the half as Carrico ran 42 yards for the score at the 10:13 mark.
The teams traded fumbles and Ironton went 35 yards in five plays as Carrico scored from 2 yards out and it was 42-6.
Chesapeake was forced to punt from deep in its own territory and a bad snap went out of the end zone for a safety to make it 44-6.
The backups scored the final touchdown as Kameron Browning went 4 yards with 33 seconds to play.
The Ironton players ran onto the field carrying a No. 36 jersey prior to the opening kickoff.
The jersey was similar to the jersey former Ironton fullback and defensive end Jared Murphy wore during his playing days. Murphy, 31, died unexpectedly earlier in the week.
Next Friday, Ironton host Rock Hill and Chesapeake visits Portsmouth.
Ironton 14 14 16 6 = 50
Chesapeake 0 6 0 0 = 6
First Quarter
Irn — Gage Salyers 47 run (Avery Book kick) 5:31
Irn — Reid Carrico 33fumble recovery (Avery Book kick) 4:40
Second Quarter
Irn — Reid Carrico 5 run (Avery Book kick) 11:55
Irn — Reid Carrico 43 run (Avery Book kick) 7:36
Ch — Kamren Harless 4 pass from Donald Richendollar (kick blocked) 1:12
Third Quarter
Irn — Reid Carrico 42 run (Avery Book kick) 10:13
Irn — Reid Carrico 2 run (Avery Book kick) 3:40
Irn — Safety (ball snapped out of end zone) 0:33
Fourth Quarter
Irn — Kameron Browning 4 run (kick failed) 4:56
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Irn Ch
First downs 16 10
Rushes-yards 30-402 46-103
Passing yards 55 42
Total yards 457 145
Cmp-Att-Int 4-8-0 4-7-0
Fumbles-lost 3-3 3-3
Penalties-yards 7-62 3-40
Punts-average 0-00.0 4-39.8
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Individual Leaders
RUSHING —Ironton: Reid Carrico 13-141, Gage Salyers 6-126, Kyle Howell 4-35, Cameron Deere 4-4, Gunnar Crawford 1-4, Trevor Carter 2-27, Kameron Browning 4-32, DeAngelo Weekly 1-6, Jacob Slone 1-minus 8; Chesapeake: Kamren Harless 15-36, Logan Walsh 7-24, Donald Richendollar 12-27, Will Todd 10-11, Carson Nida 2-5.
PASSING — Ironton Gage Salyers 4-8-0 55; Chesapeake: Donald Richendollar 4-7-0 42.
RECEIVING — Ironton: Kyle Howell 2-25, Reid Carrico 1-20, Junior Jones 1-10; Chesapeake: Kamren Harless 2-32, Will Todd 1-9, Carson Nida 1-1.