Ground game leads Hornets to shutout win over Redmen in season finale

COAL GROVE — As Bruce Springsteen sang in his song, “Baby, we were born to run.”

Fans could almost hear those lyrics coming out of the Coal Grove huddle as the Hornets used the running of Gauge Craft and Case Webb to help run past the Rock Hill Redmen 32-0 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.

Behind the offensive line of center Karder Keaton, guards Wade Delong and Justin Lunsford, tackles Nathaniel Wheeler and Elijah Douglas, ends Easton Mader and Braylon Shope and blocking back Max Klaiber, the Hornets racked up 446 yards rushing on only 40 attempts.

Craft did the biggest damage as he ran 15 times for 218 yards and all 4 touchdowns. Webb had 14 carries for 155 yards with Liam White getting 53 yards on 6 attempts and quarterback Truitt Fields adding 20 yards on 5 carries.

The only pass the Hornets attempted was incomplete.

The defense did its job as Coal Grove limited the Redmen to just 129 total yards. Rock Hill (2-8, 1-5) ran for 93 as Colton Lewis got 77 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Jarrod Bridges was harassed all night and was 6 of 14 for 36 yards.

Coal Grove (3-7, 3-3) took control from the opening kick-off by driving 80 yards in 13 plays capped by Craft’s 3-yard scoring run. Craft ran for the conversion and it was 8-0 with 4:12 on the clock.

The defense forced a 3-and-out as Rock Hill had the ball for just 1:48 of the first quarter.

Coal Grove then began another march from the 21-yard line that spilled over into the second quarter where Craft broke free on a 38-yard touchdown run 3 plays into the stanza.

Craft ran for the conversion again and it was 16-0 with 11:02 on the clock.

The Redmen began their next possession at the 38 and got to the Hornets’ 39-yards line.

But a no-gain and 3 incomplete passes stalled the drive and Coal Grove began another scoring drive.

However, this time the drive didn’t take as long as Craft shot through the defense and ran 39 yards for a touchdown on the fifth play of the drive and it was 22-0. Klaiber ran for the conversion and it was 24-0 with 5:38 left in the half.

Rock Hill took a short second half kick-off at its own 44 and began to threaten. Lewis ran for 12 yards, Zander Addis ran for 19 more and a 15-yard penalty on the Hornets helped give the Redmen a first down at the 13.

But the Hornets’ defense stiffened and forced a turnover on downs at the 5-yard line.

Runs by Craft and White got the ball to the 30 where took a handoff and ran through a huge hole and took off on a 70-yard scoring run.

Klaier added the conversion and it was 32-0 with 7:47 left in the third quarter.

Rock Hill 0      0    0    0  =  0

Coal Grove 8 16    8    0  =  32

First Quarter

CG — Gauge Craft 3 run (Gauge Craft run), 4:12

Second Quarter

CG — Gauge Craft 38 run (Gauge Craft run), 11:02

CG — Gauge Craft 39 run (Max Klaiber run), 5:38

Third Quarter

CG — Gauge Craft 70 run (Max Klaiber run) 7:47

———————

         RH    CG

First downs           9       17

Rushes-yards         18-93 40-446

Passing yards        36      0

Total yards           129    446

Cmp-Att-Int         6-14-0 0-1-0

Fumbles-lost         0-0    0-0

Penalties-yards      3-25   6-45

Punts-average       1-31.0 0-0.0

———————

Individual Leaders

RUSHING — Rock Hill: Colton Lewis 12-77, Zander Addis 3-21, Jarrod Bridges 3-minus 5; Coal Grove: Gauge Craft 15-218 4-TD, Case Webb 14-155, Liam White 6-53, Truitt Fields 5-20.

PASSING — Rock Hill: Jarrod Bridges 6-14-0 36; Coal Grove: Truitt Fields 0-1-0.

RECEIVING — Rock Hill: Cash Lyons 2-19, Braylon McClellan 1-9, Rhenin Russell 1-3, Colton Lewis 2-5; Coal Grove: None.