Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

CHESAPEAKE — The Rock Hill Redmen love to play keep away.

The Redmen ran the ball 53 times for 289 yards as they downed the Chesapeake Panthers 35-6 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.

Rock Hill (3-4, 2-4) used its 3 yards and a cloud of dust ball control ground game to dominate possession for more of the first and fourth quarters. The Redmen limited the Panthers to just 3 plays in the first quarter and 2 in the fourth quarter.

“The offensive line did a nice job of picking up the right man to block and our backs ran hard and blocked as well as they have all season,” said Rock Hill coach Mark Lutz.

Owen Hankins ran 19 times for 110 yards and scored 2 touchdowns to lead a balanced running game. Hunter Blagg had 9 carries for 42 yards and a TD, Skyler Kidd 7 rushes for 34 yards, Levi Jiles 6 attempts for 53 yards and a score and Chase Delong had 40 yards on 3 tries.

The running game kept the Panthers off the field and the defense limited the Panthers to 85 total yards including 40 on the ground.

Chesapeake (0-7, 0-5) was led by quarterback Dilen Caldwell who was 8-of-10 for 45 yards with an interception. Ben Bragg ran 8 times for 23 yards.

Rock Hill took the opening kickoff and went 37 yards in 8 plays with Hankins going the final 3 yards for a 6-0 lead.

After a 3-and-out, Rock Hill began a drive at its own 41 that spilled over into the second quarter where Hankins ran the final yard on the second play of the quarter and it was 14-0. Hankins also added the conversion run.

Chesapeake shot itself in the foot one the ensuing play with a fumble and Rock Hill’s Brayden Malone recovered at the 19-yard line.

A 14-yard run by Kidd got the ball to 5 but a penalty one 2nd-and-goal caused the threat to bog down and the Panthers held on downs.

“Chesapeake played hard the entire game. Their kids had no quit in them,” said Lutz.

The Redmen forced a punt and got the ball back at the Panthers 45 with 3:49 to play in the half.

A key 8-yard run by Hankins gave the Redmen a first down at the 21 and Trent Williams hit Chanz Pancake inside the pylon with a pass and the junior end made a nice catch for the touchdown with 25 seconds left.

Blagg ran for the conversion and it was 20-0 at the half.

The Panthers showed some of their “no quit” attitude in the third quarter as they took the kickoff and went 61 yards in 10 plays capped by a 4-yard scoring pass from Caldwell to Levi Blankenship and it was 20-6.

The Redmen fumbled the ball away 4 plays into their next possession but halted a Chesapeake drive when Kordell French picked off a pass at the 10-yard line and returned it to the 41 to set up the next scoring drive.

A 31-yard run by Jiles got the ball to the 21 and he ran the final 5 yards for the scored with 8:30 to play. Kidd added the conversion run and it was 28-6.

The Panthers fumbled the ball away 2 plays later and the Redmen went 52 yards in 6 plays that included a 17-yard run by each Hankins and Blagg, the latter for the touchdown with 4:15 left.

Delong kicked the conversion to set the final score.

Next Friday in regular season finales, Rock Hill will host Coal Grove and Chesapeake will entertain Fairland.

Rock Hill         6          14        0          15        =          35

Chesapeake     0          0          6          0          =          6

First Quarter

RH – Owen Hankins 3 run (pass failed) 7:36

Second Quarter

RH – Owen Hankins 1 run (Hankins run) 11:18

RH – Chanz Pancake 21 pass from Trent Williams (run failed) 0:25

Third Quarter

Ch – Ben Bragg 4 pass from Dilen Caldwell (pass failed) 7:11

Fourth Quarter

RH – Levi Jiles 5 run (Skyler Kidd run) 8:30

RH – Hunter Blagg 17 run (Chase Delong kick) 4:15

——

RH      Fa

First downs     18        7

Rushes-yards  53-289 21-40

Passing yards  21        45

Total yards      310      85

Cmp-Att-Int    1-1-0   8-10-1

Fumbles-lost   2-1       5-3

Penalties-yards            6-41     5-51

Punts-average  0-00.0  2-37.0

——

Individual Leaders

RUSHING —Rock Hill: Owen Hankins 19-110 2TD, Hunter Blagg 9-42 TD, Skyler Kidd 7-34, Levi Jiles 6-53 TD, Chase Delong 3-40, Trent Williams 2-minus 12, Anthony Stamper 2-24, Grant Bevans 1-1, Mason Hanners 1-0, team 3-minus 3; Chesapeake: Ben Bragg 8-23, Marcus Burnside 3-4, Levi Blankenship 1-2, Landon Preston 2-4, Dilen Caldwell 7-7.

PASSING — Rock Hill: Trent Williams 1-1-0 21 TD; Chesapeake: Dilen Caldwell 8-10-1 45.

RECEIVING — Rock Hill: Chanz Pancake 1-21 TD; Chesapeake: Dannie Maynard 3-3, Levi Blankenship 4-38, Ben Bragg 1-4.