Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

SOUTH POINT — The Chesapeake Panthers just keep doing what they need to do.
The Panthers continued to win in Ohio Valley Conference play and keep their postseason playoff status in tact as they beat the South Point Pointers 41-3 on Friday.
Chesapeake is 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the OVC, alone in second place just one game behind Ironton.
The Panthers are currently fourth in the Division VI Region 23 computer ratings and should finish in the top four if they win their final two games, thus giving them a first round home game.
“We came out without a lot of emotion and we had too many penalties. We played hard, though,” said Panthers’ coach Andy Clark. “Give credit to South Point. They played hard.”
The Pointers — who trailed just 20-3 at the half — are now 0-8 and 0-5.
Casey McComas again led the Panthers as he ran 13 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns and was 5-of-7 passing for 94 yards including a score.
Chesapeake had 425 total yards with 312 coming on the ground. Cecil Fletcher added 44 yards on six carries and Ty Wilcoxon caught three passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.

South Point had 146 net yards — all on the ground. Owen Chafin ran 21 times for 133 yards including a 67-yard run in the fourth quarter to lead the offense.
McComas got the Panthers on the scoreboard early with a 20-yard run at the 9:13 mark of the first quarter. Dalton Nida added the conversion.
It was McComas again with a 7-yard touchdown run at the 2:50 mark that extended the lead to 13-0.
South Point got on the scoreboard with 2:50 left in the half when Drew Smith booted a 22-yard field goal on his first varsity attempt.
But the Panthers answered with a quick drive that culminated on a 15-yard touchdown pass from McComas to Austin Browning and it was 20-3.
Bartrum’s 2-yard run late in the third quarter pushed the lead to 27-3 and his 10-yard scoring run on the first play of the fourth quarter extended the lead to 34-3.
After catching a touchdown pass earlier, Browning threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Wilcoxon with 2:47 to play to complete the scoring.
Next Friday Chesapeake plays a key OVC game at Rock Hill while South Point hosts Portsmouth in a league game.
Chesapeake    13    7    7    14    =    41
South Point    0    3    0    0    =    3
First Quarter
Ch — Casey McComas 20 run (Dalton Nida kick) 9:13
Ch — Casey McComas 7 run (kick failed) 2:50
Second Quarter
SP — Drew Smith 22 field goal 2:50
Ch — Austin Browning 15 pass from Casey McComas (Dalton Nida kick) 0:08
Third Quarter
Ch — J.W. Bartrum 2 run (Dalton Nida kick) 4:51
Fourth Quarter
Ch — J.W. Bartrum 10 run (Dalton Nida kick) 11:56
Ch — Ty Wilcoxon 19 pass from Austin Browning (Dalton Nida kick) 2:47
—————
Ch    SP
First downs    19    8
Rushes-yards    34-312    39-146
Passing yards    113    0
Total yards    425    146
Com-Att-Int    6-8-0    0-1-0
Fumbles-lost    2-1    1-1
Penalties-yards    12-90    3-40
—————
Individual Leaders
RUSHING—Chesapeake: Casey McComas 13-159, J.W. Bartrum 5-27, Ty Wilcoxon 4-36, Cecil Fletcher 6-44, Will Scott 3-9, Austin Browning 3-37; South Point: Owen Chafin 21-133, Jared Whitt 4-7, Drew Adams 3-4, Zy’on Sloan 1-13, Brandin Jackson 7-minus 4, John Kuhn 3-minus 7.
PASSING—Chesapeake: Casey McComas 5-7-0 94 TD, Austin Browning 1-1-0 19 TD; South Point: Brandin Jackson 0-1-0.
RECEIVING—Chesapeake: Shamarr Morris 1-9, Ty Wilcoxon 3-70, Austin Browning 1-15 TD, Cecil Fletcher 1-19.