Tyler Harris, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
COAL GROVE — Offense? Mandatory. Defense? Optional.
CREDIT: Baylee Harris/SOSA
That was the case on Friday night as Portsmouth and Coal Grove gae the scoreboard operator overtime hours, combining for 85 points in an instant classic.
When the dust had settled, the Trojans were able to bounce back from a tight loss one week ago and win their own close one, edging the Hornets in a 43-42 shootout.
“We’ve had some really close games this year and our kids are just battle-tested,” Portsmouth coach Bruce Kalb said. “When you look at our schedule, we’ve been in some tough games and tonight, our kids dug deep once again.”
Portsmouth (3-3, 2-1 OVC) took the lead with just under five minutes left in the game.
Kalb’s group needed a defensive stop, but thanks to Coal Grove’s Chase Hall, that didn’t happen — thanks to Hall, it didn’t happen much throughout the night’s entirety.
The Hornets (5-1, 2-1 OVC) answered right back to bring the deficit to a single point and decided to go for two on the next play to take a lead of their own. However, the Trojans, who have been on the wrong side of a few close ones this year already, got the one stop they needed at the most crucial point of the game to seal a win.
“We were able to pull out a win and it showed in the way they kept their poise and got a huge stop at the end,” Kalb said.
This affair was back and forth all night long while neither defense made much of an impact, despite Portsmouth picking off three passes.
Coal Grove couldn’t do anything to stop the Trojans’ passing game while Portsmouth had no answer for Chase Hall and the Hornets’ running game.
Coal Grove started the scoring early with an 80-yard drive that was capped by a nine-yard touchdown run from Hall, which made it an 8-0 game after a successful two-point try. Portsmouth quickly took control after that as its senior quarterback, Tyler Duncan, led a surgical seven-play, 68-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to his cousin Jayden Duncan from 15 yards out.
Following interceptions on the next two Hornet drives, the Trojans scored on their next two possessions — a 28-yard pass from Duncan to Reade Pendleton and a one-yard run from Beau Hammond.
PHOTOS: Images from Portsmouth’s win over Coal Grove
It looked like the Trojans’ defense was gaining traction and starting to pull away. But one thing everyone learned Friday was that if you have Chase Hall on your team, you’re never out of it.
After falling behind 21-8 in the second quarter, Hall took the ensuing kickoff 82 yards to the house and converted the two-point try, closing the gap to 21-16.
On the next drive, after a false start and a sack, the Trojans faced 3rd and 27 from Coal Grove’s 38-yard line. That’s when Duncan and Duncan decided to hook up again. Jayden Duuncan came down with a spectacular leaping grab to stretch the lead back to two scores at 28-16.
While the Hornets looked like they might answer immediately, Portsmouth’s Chase Heiland came up with an interception at his own one-yard line to keep the Trojans ahead at halftime.
Keep in mind, Chase Hall had just 80 yards at the half, which isn’t a bad stat line to begin with. But the second half was about two things, Portsmouth’s passing game and number 21 for Coal Grove.
Hall and the Hornets scored the second half’s first 16 points. Hall tallied two rushing touchdowns, from six and 22 yards out, to give the Hornets control at 30-28.
But the Trojans found a way to answer as Tyler Duncan made a pair of nifty plays with his legs to set up a Brenden Truett six-yard scamper that was capped off with a successful two-point conversion, making it 36-30 midway through the fourth.
“This is a young man [Duncan] who committed as a junior to be a backup quarterback,” Kalb said of his signal caller. “He has learned the offense and we are starting to see what he’s capable of. It’s helpful to know he’s going to make those right decisions when you need them.”
He wasn’t the only one making the right plays.
Coal Grove turned again to Hall, who galloped 32 yards to pay dirt for his fifth score of the night. A failed PAT would leave the score tied at 36-36 with just over seven minutes left.
Duncan then once again found cousin Jayden, this time from five yards out — the duo’s third hookup — for a score to make it 43-36.
This was the moment. It felt right. Your team needs a play and you want to be the one to make it in a seven-point game with just four minutes left. Duncan and Duncan did that.
The Hornets needed a defining moment of their own, and they got it. After a 34-yard gallop from Steven Simpson set up a 1st and goal at the three-yard line, Hall finished off his night with a sixth touchdown, making it a one-point game with a PAT pending.
Rarely in life do you get a second chance at something, but after failing to get a stop to end the game on the Hornets’ scoring drive, Portsmouth’s defense got one more try to do what they hadn’t done all night: stop the running game.
As Coal Grove has done all year, they elected to go for two and a win. While everyone knew who the ball was going to, Portsmouth stepped up and stuffed the Hornets’ two-point attempt, which put the game away with a 43-42 final.
Hall ended the night with 34 carries for 288 yards and six total touchdowns. Simpson added 10 touches for 82 yards.
Leading the Trojans statistically was Tyler Duncan, who was 20-of-27 through the air for 319 yards and four scores. He also carried the ball 11 times for 62 yards. His favorite target was Jayden Duncan, who finished with a team-high seven catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Heiland had four catches for 79 yards and Pendleton caught five balls for 62 yards and a score.
While Coal Grove attempts to bounce back next week while hosting undefeated Gallia Academy, Portsmouth heads to Chesapeake to continue its conference slate.
“Hats off to Coal Grove and Chase Hall. He’s a great running back,” Kalb said, “We knew they do what they do extremely well and we just had to get one stop. Our kids dug deep and came through for us on that two-point conversion and I’m so proud of our guys.”
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