Hornets blank Dragons to snap streak, clinch OVC title

COAL GROVE — The Coal Grove Hornets game plan was to run the ball. And run the ball, and run the ball, and run the ball.

Throwing only one pass for a huge gain but was wiped out on a penalty, the Hornets did not throw a pass the rest of the game as they ran the ball 41 times for 322 yards and blanked the Fairland Dragons 30-0 on Friday,

The win was not only the first by the Hornets over the Dragons since 2016, it enabled Coal Grove to clinch the Ohio Valley Conference championship thanks to Chesapeake’s 27-14 upset win over second place Rock Hill.

The running back tandem of Kaden Murphy and Caden Turner combined for 33 carries, 301 yards and all 4 touchdowns. Murphy ran 22 times for 185 yards and 2 scores while Turner ran 11 times for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Hornets’ defense shut down the Fairland offense by holding the Dragons to 96 yards rushing and 63 passing for 159 total. Davin Murray led  Dragons (3-6, 2-3) with 71 yards on 11 carries while quarterback Owen Burcham was 8 of 15.

Coal Grove (7-2, 5-0) drove 65 yards on 8 plays capped by Murphy’s 8-yard touchdown run on the opening series of the game. Murphy ran for the conversion and it was 8-0 with 7:05 on the clock.

Fairland got to the Coal Grove 25 only to turn the ball over on downs.

The Hornets then drove the length of the field in 17 plays with Turner powering his way into the end zone from 3 yards out with 6:39 left in the half to make it 14-0.

The biggest play in the drive was a 27-yarder by Murphy and only 2 other plays went for double digits as Turner ran for 10 yards and Murphy went 13.

Fairland managed to drive to the Coal Grove 35 before the drive stalled and the Hornets took over on downs.

This time it took only 5 plays to score thanks to a 39-yard touchdown run by Turner with 1:39 left in the half. Rylan Smith passed to Landon McKnight for the conversion and it was 22-0.

The Dragons took the second half kickoff and got to the Coal Grove 31 only to have a fourth down pass fall incomplete.

Coal Grove scored 3 plays later thanks to a 23-yard run on the first play and a 34-yard scoring run on the third play. Smith ran for the conversion and it was 30-0 with 6:59 left in the third quarter.

Next Friday, Coal Grove visits Rock Hill and Fairland goes to Chesapeake in a pair of regular season-ending rivalry games.

Fairland 0 0 0 0 = 0

Coal Grove 8 14 8 0 = 30

First Quarter

CG — Kaden Murphy 8 run (Kaden Murphy7:05

Second Quarter

CG — Caden Turner 3 run (run failed) 6:39

CG — Caden Turner 39 run (Landon McKnight pass from Rylan Smith) 1:39

Third Quarter

CG — Kaden Murphy 34 run (Rylan Smith run) 6:59

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Fa CG

First downs 9 12

Rushes-yards 25-96 41-322

Passing yards 63 0

Total yards 159 322

Comp-Att-Int 8-15-0 0-0-0

Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-2

Penalties-yards 3-22 6-54

Punts-average 0-00.0 0-00.0

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING — Fairland: Davin Murray 11-71, Owen Burcham 2-9, Christin Bompus 6-18, Cyrus Cummings 3-minus 2, Kinyon Smith 3-0; Coal Grove: Kaden Murphy 22-185 2-TD, Caden Turner 11-116 2-TD, Rylan Smith 2-9, Case Webb 3-6, Braydon Klaiber 1-1, Braden Schug 1-2, Gauge Craft 1-3.

PASSING — Fairland: Owen Burcham 8-15-0 63; Coal Grove: None.

RECEIVING — Fairland: Wyatt Callicoat 1-2, Conner Black 2-30, Aiden Trimble 1-7, Maddox VonVIlle 1-12, Kylan Blake 2-11, Christian Bompus 1-1; Coal Grove: None.

Missed Field Goals—None.