Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PORTSMOUTH — In a game of making plays, Casey McComas made a whole bunch.

The Chesapeake junior quarterback ran 16 times for 219 yards and four touchdowns — he also threw for a score — as the Panthers rolled past the Portsmouth Trojans 49-18 on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“Offensively, we played pretty well the whole game. Defensively, they tried to establish the run, but when they got behind they had to throw and we defended the pass pretty well. We just made some plays,” said Panthers’ coach Andy Clark.

“They have some athletes and they can make plays. You have to make plays and we were able to do that.”

There were other Panthers making plays.

Chesapeake had 330 yards rushing as Maccoy Brown ran 10 times for 72 yards and a touchdown. Running back Ty Wilcoxon had just 10 yards rushing, but he had two interceptions on defense including one he returned for a touchdown.

Portsmouth (3-5, 2-2) got big plays from Austin Hollins who ran 24 times for 172 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Cole Lowery was 7-of-11 for 93 yards but he suffered four picks.

Chesapeke had 372 yards of offense and Portsmouth had 321.

The win keeps the Panthers OVC title hopes and playoff chances alive. Chesapeake is now 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the OVC.

The Panthers host Ironton next Friday and Coal Grove the following week in must-win games.

Chesapeake took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as McComas kept the ball for a 32-yard touchdown run. Wesley Stephens kicked the first of seven conversions.

McComas went to the air and connected with Blake Ashworth on a 30-yard scoring pass and it was 14-0 in the second quarter.

McComas got this second touchdown on a 21-yard run later in the quarter and it was 21-0 at the break.

Portsmouth rallied in the second half.

Hollins got loose and ran 61 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-6. Lowery then threw 6 yards to tight end Zach Delotell and it was 21-12.

But McComas shook free on a 70-yard scoring jaunt and the lead was a 28-12.

“We had a little lull in the third quarter when we didn’t play with the same intensity we did the other three quarters and they made some plays,” said Clark.

Lowery tossed a 20-yard touchdown strike to Ryan Williams to start the fourth quarter and cut the Panthers’ lead to 10 points.

But Brown burst 22 yards for a touchdown and it was 35-18.

McComas added a 45-yard jaunt to make it 42-18 and Wilcoxon picked off his second pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown to complete the scoring and seal the win.

 

 

Chesapeake 7 14 7 21 = 49

Portsmouth 0 0 12 6 = 18

First Quarter

Ch — Casey McComas 32 run (Wesley Stephens kick)

Second Quarter

Ch — Blake Ashworth 30 pass from Casey McComas (Wesley Stephens kick)

Ch — Casey McComas 21 run (Wesley Stephens kick)

Third Quarter

Prt — Austin Hollins 61 run (pass failed)

Prt — Zach Delotell 6 pass from Cole Lowery (pass failed)

Ch — Casey McComas 70 run (Wesley Stephens kick)

Fourth Quarter

Prt — Ryan Williams 20 pass from Cole Lowery (run failed)

Ch — Maccoy Brown 22 run (Wesley Stephens kick)

Ch — Casey McComas 45 run (Wesley Stephens kick)

Ch — Ty Wilcoxon 50 interception return (Wesley Stephens kick)

——

Ch Prt

First downs 15 12

Rushes-yards 36-330 40-218

Passing yards 42 103

Total yards 372 321

Cmp-Att-Int 2-5-0 8-12-4

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0

Punts-average 2-25.5 2-38.0

——

Individual Leaders

RUSHING —Chesapeake: Casey McComas 16-219 4-TD, Maccoy Brown 10-72 TD, J.W. Bartrum 6-29, Ty Wilcoxon 4-10; Portsmouth: Austin Hollins 24-172 TD, Darray Richardson 2-15, Austin Mullins 5-32, Cole Lowery 9-1.

PASSING — Chesapeake: Casey McComas 2-5-0 39 TD; Portsmouth: Cole Lowery 7-11-4 92 2-TD, Blake Wedebrook 1-1-0 11.

RECEIVING — Chesapeake: Blake Ashworth 1-30 TD, Maccoy Brown 1-12; Portsmouth: Ryan Williams 4-61 TD, Luke Purdy 2-36, Zach Delotell 1-6 TD.