Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — Just when the Rock Hill Redmen thought they had Ironton bottled up, the Fighting Tigers popped the cork.
Three times Ironton faced a third down play as well as a fourth down play, but the Fighting Tigers would come up with a big play to keep the drive alive.
Making big plays the entire game, Ironton came away with a 41-0 win over the Redmen on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.
Ironton (4-0, 4-0) racked up 500 total yards with 241 coming on the ground and quarterback Tayden Carpenter was 12-of-18 passing for 259 yards and four touchdowns.
Doing more of the ground game work was Reid Carrico who ran 16 times for 172 yards and a touchdown. In the receiving corps, Aaron Masters had three catches for 97 yards and two TDs, Trent Hacker three grabs for 37 yards and a score and Kyle Howell two receptions for 30 yards and a score.
Rock Hill (1-3, 1-3) was limited to just 87 total yards — all coming on the ground. Owen Hankins had 47 yards on 12 carries and Hayden Harper 35 yards on 10 tries.
Ironton had plenty of mistakes to slow down the offense. The Fighting Tigers lost three of five fumbles and were penalized nine times for 75 yards.
Ironton took the opening kickoff and got to the 49 and completed a pass for 30 yards only to fumble the ball at the Rock Hill 21 where Levi Jiles recovered for the Redmen.
After a Rock Hill punt, the Fighting Tigers went 58 yards in five plays with Carpenter hitting Howell for 33 yards and the score with 4:14 left in the first quarter. Jimmy Mahlmeister’s kick made it 7-0.
Rock Hill was forced to punt again and Ironton began a drive at its own 49 that extended into the second quarter and needed seven plays before ending on an 8-yard pass from Carpenter to Masters with 10:20 to go in the half.
Mahlmeister’s kick made it 14-0.
The Redmen got to the Ironton 32 on the strength of a 14-yard run by Hankins and an 18-yard jaunt by Harper. But faced with a fourth down at the Ironton 28, the Redmen were thrown for a 4-yard loss and the drive died.
It took Ironton just five plays to go 68 yards capped by Jaquez Keyes 19-yard run. Mahlmeister’s kick made it 21-0 with 4:16 left in the half.
Following another Rock Hill punt, Carpenter found Masters open on a second-and-long play for a 66-yard touchdown pass play and it was 27-0. The conversion failed due to a bad snap.
Ironton went up 34-0 with 7:41 left in the third quarter on a 19-yard pass to Hacker to cap a 78-yard, seven-play drive. Mahlmeister kicked the conversion to trigger the running clock.
A fumble by Ironton was recovered by Rock Hill’s Brock Friend at the Ironton 24, but the Redmen couldn’t move the ball as a fourth-and-1 play came up inches short at the 15.
Carpenter went to the air and Erickson Barnes made a juggling catch for 51 yards to the Rock Hill 34.
On a fourth down at the Rock Hill 32, Carrico bolted through the Redmen defense for the touchdown and it was 41-0 with 6:30 to play.
Mahlmesiter added his fifth conversion and it was 41-0.
Next Friday, Ironton visits Chesapeake and Rock Hill goes to South Point.
Ironton 7 20 7 7 = 41
Rock Hill 0 0 0 0 = 0
First Quarter
Irn – Kyle Howell 33 pass from Tayden Carpenter (Jimmy Mahlmeister kick) 10:20
Second Quarter
Irn – Aaron Masters 8 pass from Tayden Carpenter (Jimmy Mahlmeister kick) 4:16
Irn – Aaron Masters 66 pass from Tayden Carpenter (run failed) 1:57
Third Quarter
Irn – Trent Hacker 19 pass from Tayden Carpenter (Jimmy Mahlmeister kick) 7:41
Fourth Quarter
Irn – Reid Carrico 32 run (Jimmy Mahlmeister kick) 6:30
——
Irn RH
First downs 20 4
Rushes-yards 24-241 37-87
Passing yards 259 0
Total yards 500 87
Cmp-Att-Int 12-18-0 0-1-0
Fumbles-lost 5-3 2-0
Penalties-yards 9-75 1-5
Punts-average 0-00.0 5-37.6
Individual Leaders
RUSHING — Ironton: Reid Carrico 16-172 TD, Trent Hacker 1-26, Tayden Carpenter 2-6, Kyle Howell 1-2, Aaron Masters 1-0, Cameron Deere 1-11, Gunner Crawford 1-5, Jaquez Keyes 1-9 TD; Rock Hill: Owen Hankins 12-47, Hayden Harper 10-35, Brayden Friend 11-3, Skyler Kidd 1-3, Hunter Massie 3-2.
PASSING — Ironton: Tayden Carpenter 12-18-0 259; Rock Hill: Hunter Massie 0-1-0.
RECEIVING — Ironton: Trent Hacker 3-37RD, Aaron Masters 3-97 2TD, Kyle Howell 2-30 TD, Landen Wilson 2-40, Cameron Deere 1-5, Erickson Barnes 1-51; Rock Hill: None.