Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — The Coal Grove Hornets have always relied on their running game, rarely throwing a pass.

But that wasn’t the case on Friday night as the Hornets got a strong performance from quarterback Whyatt Mannon to help beat the rival Rock Hill Redmen 20-13 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Mannon was 6-of-7 passing for 113 yards and two touchdowns as Coal Grove built a 20-7 lead and then held off the Redmen in the second half.

Coal Grove (5-4, 4-3) didn’t abandon its running game.

The Hornets rushed for 161 yards as Chase Hall had 99 yards on 25 carries and a TD while Steven Simpson rushed 13 times for 71 yards.

Rock Hill (3-5, 2-5) ran for 113 yards and Trent Williams was 4-of-9 passing for 90 yards to give the Redmen 203 total yards.

Owen Hankins ran 11 times for 49 yards and a score while Skyler Kidd had 32 yards on 6 carries and a TD.

Coal Grove took the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards in 11 plays that was capped by a 22-yard TD pass from Mannon to Jarren Hicks and it was 6-0 at the 5:44 mark.

Rock Hill came right back with a 64-yard drive 10 plays that ended on the first play of the second quarter as Kidd ran the final 11 yards.

Blake Wilson added the conversion and Rock Hill led 7-6 just 4 seconds into the second quarter.

The Hornets went 66 yards on their next possession with Mannon completing passes of 36 yards to Hicks, 11 yards to Clay Ferguson and 17 yards to Perry Kingery for the touchdown with 8:15 left in the half.

Hall ran for the conversion and it was 14-7.

Wilson got off a 50-yard punt that backed the Hornets up to the 8-yard line.

But a big 32-yard run by Simpson helped the Hornets drive to the Rock Hill 6-yard line when Hall scored with 50 seconds left on the clock for a 20-7 lead.

Rock Hill was looking  to tighten the score to begin the second half but fumbled on the third play and Josh Wheeler recovered at the 41.

The Hornets drove to the 13-yard line but a 4-yard loss on fourth down ended the threat.

The Redmen came right back with the aid of a 36-yard pass to Hunter Blagg for a first down at the Hornets’ 7-yard line.

Hankins scored on the next play and it was 20-13 with 2:01 on the clock.

After a Coal Grove punt, Rock Hill had the ball at its own 23 and got a first down on a fourth down play. But a second fourth down play came up empty and the Hornets had the ball at the Redmen 40.

But the Redmen held on a fourth-and-3 at the 5-yard line and went to a hurry-up offense.

Hankins made a one-handed over-the-shoulder catch for 18 yards. Williams then clicked with Brayden Malone on a 30-yard catch and run to the Hornets’ 22. But a no gain and incompletion set up a third down and Hall intercepted a pass with 1:11 to play and seal the win.

Coal Grove will await its official playoff destination for the Division 6 first round next Saturday, probably a trip to Barnesville for the second straight year.

Coal Grove 6 14 0 0 = 20

Rock Hill 0 7 6 0 = 13

First Quarter

CG – Jarren Hicks 22 pass from Whyatt Mannon (run failed) 5:44

Second Quarter

RH – Skyler Kidd 11 run (Blake Wilson kick) 11:56

CG – Perry Kingery 17 pass from Whyatt Mannon (Chase Hall run) 8:15

CG – Chase Hall 6 run (pass failed) 0:50

Third Quarter

RH – Owen Hankins run (kick failed) 2:01

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CG RH

First downs 14 16

Rushes-yards 50-161 30-113

Passing yards 113 90

Total yards 274 203

Cmp-Att-Int 6-7-0 4-9-1

Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1

Penalties-yards 10-83 8-36.5

Punts-average 1-36.0 1-50.0

Individual Leaders

RUSHING —Coal Grove: Chase Hall 25-99 TD, Steven Simpson 13-71, Gavin Gipson 6-18, Jarren Hicks 1-minus 5, Whyatt Mannon 3-minus 20, team 2-minus 2; Rock Hill: Owen Hankins 11-49 TD, Skyler Kidd 6-32 TD, Hunter Blagg 7-28, Chase Delong 2-3, Levi Jiles 4-1.

PASSING — Coal Grove: Whyatt Mannon 6-7-0 113 2TD; Rock Hill: Trent Williams 4-9-1 90.

RECEIVING — Coal Grove: Jarren Hicks 2-58 TD, Clay Ferguson 3-38, Perry Kingery 1-17 TD; Rock Hill: Hunter Blagg 1-3, Chanz Pancake 1-6, Owen Hankins 1-18, Brayden Malone 1-30.