Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WEST PORTSMOUTH — The Chesapeake Panthers dug themselves a hole and didn’t have a ladder to climb out.
The Panthers fell behind 20-0 at the half and never recovered as they fell to the Portsmouth West Senators 34-14 in the first-round Division 5 Region 19 playoffs on Saturday.
West (5-2) had 305 yards of total offense with 159 on the ground and quarterback Mitchell Irwin was 10-of-17 for 146 yards and a touchdown.
Ryan Sissel ran 10 times for 87 yards and Brandon Potter had 57 yards on 18 carries to pace the West ground game.
Donald Richendollar was the biggest bright spot in the Panthers’ offense as he ran 14 times for 88 yards and a touchdown while he also completed 5-of-10 passes for 79 yards and a score.
Chesapeake (2-5) had 212 yards of offense with 133 coming on the ground and 79 through the air.
Irwin hit Jeffery Bishop with an 18-yard scoring pass and Bishop added a 29-yard touchdown run as the Senators took a 14-0 first quarter lead.
Sissel had a 6-yard TD run in the second quarter to make it 20-0.
The Panthers got their offense going in the third quarter when Richendollar hit Thomas Sentz with a 7-yard touchdown strike and Lucas Shepherd’s conversion kick made it 20-7.
But Sissel had a 9-yard touchdown run to put the lead back to 27-7.
Richendollar had a 5-yard TD run to get the Panthers within 13 points again at 27-14, but Irwin scrambled for a 4-yard touchdown run and the lead was a comfortable 34-14.
Chesapeake 0 0 7 7 = 14
Ports. West 14 6 0 14 = 34
First Quarter
PW – Jeffery Bishop 18 pass from Mitchell Irwin (Caleb Hazelbaker kick)
PW – Jeffrey Bishop 29 run (Caleb Hazelbaker kick)
Second Quarter
PW – Ryan Sissel 6 run (kick failed)
Third Quarter
Ch – Thomas Sentz 7 pass from Donald Richendollar (Lucas Shepherd kick)
Fourth Quarter
PW – Ryan Sissel 9 run (kick failed)
Ch – Donald Richendollar 5 run (Lucas Shepherd kick)
PW – Mitchell Irwin 4 run (Caleb Hazelbaker kick)
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Ch PW
First downs 13 21
Rushes-yards 29-133 41-159
Passing yards 79 146
Total yards 212 305
Cmp-Att-Int 5-10-1 10-17-0
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 4-47 2-25
Punts-average 3-32.7 2-26.0
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Individual Leaders
RUSHING — Chesapeake: Zach Stepp 3-17, Marcus Burnside 1-0, Dilen Caldwell 7-23, Levi Best 1-2, Jacob McCloud 2-3, Donald Richendollar 14-88; Portsmouth West: Mitchell Irwin 6-minus 21, Jeffery Bishop 7-36, Brandon Potter 18-57, Ryan Sissel 10-87.
PASSING — Chesapeake: Donald Richendollar 5-10-1 79 TD; Portsmouth West: Mitchell Irwin10-17-0 146 TD.
RECEIVING — Chesapeake: Dilen Caldwell 1-38, Nick Ferguson 1-17, Thomas Sentz 2-7 TD, Justice Hutchison 1-17; Portsmouth West: Luke Bradford 4-70, Jeffery Bishop 3-53 TD, Brandon Potter 1-9, Ryan Sissel 1-5, Andrew Jones 1-9.