Pointers rally back behind ground attack, special teams

SOUTH POINT — In a game dominated by the running game, it might have been the kicking game that proved to be the deciding factor.

The South Point Pointers used the running duo of Landon “Batman” Vance and Robert “Robin” Napier to rally in the second half and beat the Coal Grove Hornets 48-36 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday in a game full of onside kick-offs.

Vance ran 11 times for 193 yards and 4 touchdowns while Napier carried 15 times for 94 yards. The Pointers (7-1, 4-0) had 412 total yards as quarterback Ethan Hunt was 7 of 12 passing for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Coal Grove (2-6, 2-2) was without the league’s leading rusher Gauge Craft due to a concussion sustained last week. Craft has already surpassed 1,000 yards rushing this season.

Case Webb stepped in and ran 24 times for 182 yards and 3 touchdowns. Liam White carried 17 times or 90 yards and a score with quarterback Truitt Fields running 4 times for 86 yards and a TD.

The Hornets had 364 total yards with 374 coming on the ground behind the offensive line of center Karder Keaton, guards Wade Delong and Justin Lunsford, tackles Nathaniel Wheeler and Elijah Douglas, and tight ends Easton Mader and Braylon Shope.

After forcing a punt to start the game, the Pointers found themselves going backwards on their first possession.

But on a third and 32 play, Vance took a pitchout on an option and ran 63 yards for the score. Ezra Young kicked the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Coal Grove came right back with a long scoring drive that ended on an 11-yard run by White. Webb added the conversion run and the Hornets led 8-7.

The Hornets squib kickoff gave the Pointers the ball at the 32-yard line. On the ensuring play, Vance bolted 62 yards for a touchdown and the lead was 13-8 with 4:55 on the clock.

Coal Grove answered yet again with another scoring drive capped by Webb’s 10-yard run. Webb also ran for the conversion and the Hornets were back in front 16-13.

Another squib kickoff bounced off a Pointer player and the Hornets recovered.

The Hornets took advantage of the short field and scored on an 8-yard run by Webb and the lead was 22-13.

South Point used a 31-yard kickoff return by Napier to create a short field. The Pointers went to the air for a touchdown on its next possession as Hunt hit Caesyn Pope who made an acrobatic catch in the end zone for a 30-yard completion.

The conversion run failed and the Pointers trailed 22-19 with 6:01 left in the half.

But Coal Grove answered with a time-consuming drive that consummated on a 5-yard scoring run by Webb. Fields ran for the conversion and it was 30-19 with 51 seconds on the clock.

But the Pointers were able to take command in the second half and avoid the upset.

Pointers’ coach Brian Wroten reminded his team at halftime not to let all they have accomplished this season be negated.

“What it comes down to, we worked too hard. We had to reiterate that sometimes you forget how hard you worked. We talked about how much time we spent,” said Wroten.

“We made some adjustments defensively. We couldn’t stop them the first half. We beefed up their gaps. We took some chances. We’re here to win, not just to play. We knew our offense would get it going.”

Following another short kickoff, the Pointers started the second half at the 37-yard line. A 17-yard catch-and-run by Vance set up a 6-yard scoring run by Hunt and the lead was sliced to 30-25.

The run by Hunt was his only positive game. He lost 23 yards in 3 quarterback sacks, all by Delong.

The Pointers took a page out of the Hornets’ playbook with an onside kick-off and they recovered at the Coal Grove 45.

The Pointers capitalized on the possession as Hunt hit Elyjah Patterson on a 10-yard scoring play. Hunt passed to Pope on the conversion and South Point led 33-30 with 6:12 on the third quarter clock.

Coal Grove gambled on a fourth down play at its own 49 and failed to convert. The Pointers acted quickly and connected on a 36-yard pass to a leaping Marcus Hanshaw to set up a 12-yard scoring run by Vance.

Hunt threw to Davon Lewis on the conversion and the Pointers led 41-30 with 2:26 left in the quarter.

The Pointers added an insurance score with 5:34 to play when Vance ran 11 yards for his fourth touchdown and a 48-30 lead.

The touchdown proved to be valuable as Fields bolted 74 yards on a keeper with 3:56 to play as Coal Grove cut the deficit to 48-36.

But the Pointers covered the onside kick-off and ran out the clock.

Next Friday, the Pointers will host Portsmouth while Coal Grove visits Fairland.

Coal Grove 8 22 0 6 =  36

South Point 13 6 22 7 =  48

First Quarter

SP — Landon Vance 63 run (Ezra Young kick) 8:38

CG — Liam White 4 run (Case Webb run) 5:17

SP — Landon Vance 62 run (kick failed) 4:55

Second Quarter

CG — Case Webb 10 run (Case Webb run)

CG — Case Webb 8 run (pass failed) 8:08

SP — Caesyn Pope 30 pass from Ethan Hunt (run failed) 6:01

CG — Case Webb 5 run (Truitt Fields run) 0:51

Third Quarter

SP — Ethan Hunt 6 run (run failed) 9:03

SP — Elyjah Patterson 10 pass from Ethan Hunt (Caesyn Pope pass from Ethan Hunt) 6:12

SP — Landon Vance 12 run (Davon Lewis pass from Ethan Hunt) 2:26

Fourth Quarter

SP — Landon Vance 11 run (Ezra Young kick) 5:34

CG — Truitt Fields 74 run (run failed) 3:56

———————

         CG    SP

First downs  18      14

Rushes-yards         47-364 31-270

Passing yards        10      142

Total yards           374    412

Cmp-Att-Int         1-4-0 7-12-0

Fumbles-lost         1-1    1-1

Penalties-yards      3-25   5-25

Punts        1-33.0 0-00.0

———————

Individual Leaders

RUSHING — Coal Grove: Case Webb 24-182 3-TD, Liam White 17-90 TD, Truitt Fields 4-86, Braden Schug 2-5; South Point: Landon Vance 11-193 4-TD, Robert Napier 15-94, Ethan Hunt 5-minus 17.

PASSING — Coal Grove: Truitt Fields 1-4-0 10; South Point: Ethan Hunt 7-12-0 142 TD.

RECEIVING — Coal Grove: Braden Schug 1-10; South Point: Elyjah Patterson 3-31, Caesyn Pope 1-29, Landon Vance 1-17, Davon Lewis 1-29, Marcus Hanshaw 1-36.