4th quarter comeback keeps Redmen atop OVC

Photo by Josh Wilson

Photo by Josh Wilson

Photo by Josh Wilson

PEDRO — Hopefully, this isn’t what they mean by flag football.

The Rock Hill Redmen and Gallia Academy Blue Devils combined for 32 penalties totaling 325 yards in Friday’s Ohio Valley Conference game. Of these penalties, 3 went for 15 yards each on the winning drive as the Redmen rallied past the Blue Devils 23-21.

Trailing 21-20, Rock Hill faced a fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line after a procedure penalty moved the ball back from the one-yard line.

Cameron Howard came on to kick a 23-yard field goal with 55 seconds to play that gave the Redmen the win.

But the game did not end there and neither did the excitement.

Rock Hill was called for a 15-yard penalty after the field goal, possibly for excessive celebration. The penalty meant the Redmen would kick off from their own 25-yard line instead of the 40. The Blue Devils were able to make a good return to the Rock Hill 47.

Max Canaday hit Grant Owens for a 31-yard reception to the Rock Hill 11-yard line. Canaday killed the clock with a pass into the ground, Gunnar Peterson ran up inside but went for no gain but put the ball into the middle of the field. Canaday had to kill the clock again and Gallia hurried its field goal team onto the field.

But a 28-yard field goal attempt by Nathan Shockey was long enough but drifted wide right as time expired and the Redmen had held on to win.

Gallia Academy (2-5, 1-2) took the lead midway through the first quarter by driving 61 yards in 6 plays capped by Max Candy’s 11-yard scramble for the touchdown at the 6:11 mark. Nathan Shockey kicked the conversion and it was 7-0.

The Redmen (6-1, 3-0) came back and scored twice in the quarter to take a 12-0 lead.

On a second and 10 at the Blue Devils’ 39, Dallin Cox threw a bubble screen to Braylon McClellan who took it 39 yards for the score and it was 7-6 at the 4:13 mark.

The Blue Devils faced a fourth and one at the 44 and gambled by going for the first down. Canaday was stopped for a 5-yard line and Rock Hill took over at the 39.

Yaden Bailey ran for 2 yards and then McClellan took a pop pass and raced 37 yards for the touchdown and the Redmen took a 12-7 lead with 1:15 left in the quarter.

The Blue Devils recovered a Rock Hill fumble at the 49 and went the distance in 10 plays to regain the lead as Brock Shelton went 2 yards for the score.

Shockey’s kick put the lead at 14-12 with 6:29 on the clock.

Rock Hill failed to convert on a fourth down and short at their own 40 and Gallia had one more chance before the half.

A 22-yard run by Canaday and runs of 9 and 6 by Gunnar Peterson got the ball to the 5-yard line. Canaday rolled to his right and threw a pass to Alex Blair who made a leaping catch falling backwards in the end zone for the score with just 11 seconds left in the half.

Shockey kicked the conversion for a 21-12 lead.

Neither team scored in the third quarter but Rock Hill reached the 16-yard line only to be stopped on a fourth down and 4 play.

The Redmen had a balanced offense with 139 yards rushing and 130 passing for a 269 total. The Blue Devils ran for 224 yards and threw for only 84 yards which gave the Blue Devils 308 total yards.

Cox ran 14 times for 70 yards and a score while hitting 8 of 18 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. McClellan caught 5 passes for 113 yards and 2 scores.

Canaday ran 18 times for 90 yards and a touchdown while completing 10 of 19 passes for 84 yards and a score. Peterson ran 5 times for 53 yards.

Next Friday, Rock Hill will host Portsmouth and Gallia Academy entertains Chesapeake in OVC games.

Gallia Acad. 7 14 0 0 = 21

Rock Hill 12 0 0 11 = 23

First Quarter

GA — Max Canaday 11 run (Nathan Shockey kick) 6:11

RH — Braylon McClellan 39 pass from Dallin Cox (kick blocked) 4:13

RH — Braylon McClellan 37 pass from Dallin Cox (kick failed) 1:15

Second Quarter

GA — Brock Shelton 2 run (Nathan Shockey kick) 6:29

GA — Alex Blair 5 pass from Max Canaday (Nathan Shockey kick) 0:11

Fourth Quarter

RH — Dallin Cox 37 run (Cox run) 11:48

RH — Cameron Howard 24 field goal

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GA RH

First downs 13 16

Rushes-yards 36-224 34-139

Passing yards 84 130

Total yards 308 269

Cmp-Att-Int 10-19-0 8-18-1

Fumbles-lost 0-0 3-2

Penalties-yards 19-208 13-117

Punts-average 6-28.7 2-39.5

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Gallipolis: Max Canaday 18-90 TD, Brock Shelton 3-26, Gunnar Peterson 5-53, Parker Burris 9-30, Enoch Patterson 1-15; Rock Hill: Dallin Cox 14-70 TD, Raden bailey 9-43, Brady Murrell 10-27.

PASSING–Gallipolis: Max Canaday 10-19-0 84 TD; Rock Hill: Dallin Cox 8-18-1 .

RECEIVING–Gallipolis: Gunnar Peterson 2-23, Grant Owens 1-31, Brock Shelton 3-14, Jaxon Angel 1-5, Alex Blair 2-11; Rock Hill: Braylon McClellan 5-113 2-TD, Aaron Workman 2-18, Brady Murrell 1-3.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.