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PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Gearhart Sports Photos
CHESAPEAKE — Coal Grove has built its reputation on its stout running attack. But on Friday, the Hornets’ defense was the early star of the show.
The Hornets (3-1, 1-0 OVC) forced three first quarter turnovers, turned them all into points and never looked back, earning a 44-14 victory over Chesapeake in OVC action.
“We had a tough week of practice, and we take this game very personal since we want to keep that brown jug on our side,” Coal Grove’s Kaden Murphy said. “We hadn’t lost to them for a few years and we weren’t going to let that happen.”
On the game’s first play from scrimmage, Chesapeake (3-1, 0-1 OVC) mishandled a snap and Coal Grove’s Caden Turner jumped on the fumble. He was rewarded for his efforts on defense by finishing off the team’s ensuing drive in the end zone, plunging in from a yard out to make it 8-0 following the two-point try.
It was then Kaden Murphy’s turn to make a play.
On Chesapeake’s next possession, Murphy intercepted a pass, and on the very next play, he took a handoff 57 yards to the house, doubling the lead to 16-0.
The Hornets continued putting on defensive pressure, forcing another fumble that turned into a nine-yard score from Murphy, pushing the lead to 24-0.
At that point, in the simplest terms possible, the game was over.
“Our defense is pretty dangerous, and that just leads to our offense being equally as dangerous,” Murphy said. “Getting all of those turnovers just fuels us even more to find the end zone and get that momentum. Caden and I are like a thunder-and-lightning-type of 1-2 punch. I’ll run on the outside and he runs up the middle, but it puts the defense in a bind about what to do.”
Chesapeake managed to get on the board at the end the first quarter when Jacob Harris dropped back and hit Ethan Kerns on a 68-yard pass for a touchdown, cutting the Hornets’ lead to 24-8.
But Coal Grove’s ground game proved to be too much for the Panthers to handle.
Turner found the end zone on a one-yard plunge and, later, Rylan Smith called his own number on a quarterback keeper, sprinting 56 yards for a touchdown and a 38-8 halftime lead.
In the second half, Chesapeake scored on a one-yard sneak from Kerns before Murphy notched his third score of the night with a 30-yard rushing touchdown, putting a cap on a 30-point victory.
“It’s been an emotional week and our team has really rallied around one another in a time of tragedy,” Coal Grove coach Jay Lucas said. “We had two kids lose their dad unfortunately. So we really wanted to get this win for them, and I really felt like our guys were focused from the start with the intent of playing fast and winning. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”
Coal Grove returns to OVC action on Friday, hosting Portsmouth. Meanwhile, Chesapeake rebounds on Friday at Grandview Heights in non-league action.
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