CHESAPEAKE — What a difference a halftime makes.
Tied 21-all after the first 2 quarters, the Chesapeake Panthers scored 36 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 57-21 Ohio Valley Conference win over the Gallia Academy Blue Devils on Friday.
The Panthers racked up 324 total yards with 279 coming on the ground led by the tandem of Drew Plantz and Jacob Harris.
Plantz carried 20 times for 142 yards and scored 4 touchdowns along with a conversion. Harris ran for 129 yards on just 9 carries and scored 2 touchdowns while also completing 3-of-4 passes for 45 yards, all to Ethan Kerns.
Gallia Academy had 300 total yards with 185 coming through the air as Braydon Rathburn hit 12-of-20 passes for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns with an interception. Wyatt Warren ran 13 times for 55 yards and Max Canaday had 41 yards on 7 attempts.
The Blue Devils (0-8, 0-5) scored first when Rathburn hit Enoch Patterson on a 2-yard toss that capped a 53-yard, 12-play drive. The key play was a 15-yard pass to Canaday on a fourth-and-7 play.
Cory Mock kicked the conversion and it was 7-0 at the 5:21 mark.
Chesapeake (5-3, 2-2) answered with a 68-yard, 9-play march with Harris going 2 yards for the score. Harris had a 26-yard run to highlight the drive.
Logan Diamond’s conversion kick tied the game with 1:22 left in the quarter.
Gallia came right back to take a 14-7 lead as Warren bolted 22 yards for the score with 10:09 on the clock. The 5-play drive began with a 16-yard pass from Rathburn to Enoch Patterson and covered 60 yards.
The Panthers got the ball at their own 31 and Andrew Isaacs ran for 4 yards. But a 15-yard penalty on Gallia moved the ball to midfield and a 27-yard pass from Harris to Kerns got the ball to the Blue Devils’ 6-yard line.
Plantz scored on the next play but the conversion kick was blocked and the Panthers trailed 14-13 with 7:53 left in the half.
A fourth down incomplete pass at the Chesapeake 26 gave the ball back to the Panthers who went on a 12-play drive that culminated on a 1-yard run by Harris with just 32 seconds on the block. Isaacs caught the conversion pass to make it 21-14.
Gallia had the ball at its own 42 after the kickoff and on the first play, Rathburn hit Parker Burris streaking down the left sideline for a 58-yard scoring play. Mock’s kick made it 21-all with only 11 seconds left.
The Blue Devils recovered an onside kickoff to get the ball back at the Panthers’ 39. Ratherburn threw a long desperation pass that was broken up at the last second in the end zone as time expired.
But the Panthers took charge in the second half as they drove 79 yards in 9 plays highlighted by Harris’ 31-yard run to the Gallia 29.
Plantz scored from 2 yards out just 5 plays later and he also ran for the conversion and it was 29-21 at the 8:54 mark.
A fourth down pass went for just 4 yards and the Panthers got the ball back at their own 47. A 33-yard run by Harris got the ball to the 5 and Plantz scored on the next play to end the quick 4-play drive.
Harris threw to Isaacs for the conversion and it was 37-21 with 4:18 left in the quarter.
Defensive lineman Garrett Napier intercepted a middle screen and gave the ball back to the Panthers at the Blue Devils’ 26.
After Plantz ran for 9 yards, Andrew Daniels ran through the defense for a 20-yard scoring jaunt. The kick failed and it was 43-21 with 11:53 on the fourth quarter clock.
A fourth down pass was incomplete but there was also a sack and an intentional grounding on the play and Chesapeake took over at the Gallia 15.
Plantz scored on the next play and Diamond’s kick made it 50-21.
The final score came with 7:39 to play when Kerns scooped up a fumble and returned it 36 yards for the touchdown. Diamond’s kick set the final scored.
Chesapeake visits Rock Hill on Friday.
Gallia Acad. 7 14 0 0 = 21
Chesapeake 7 14 16 20 = 57
First Quarter
GA — Enoch Patterson 2 pass from Braydon Rathburn (Cory Mock kick) 5:21
Ch — Jacob Harris 2 run (Logan Diamond kick) 1:22
Second Quarter
GA — Wyatt Warren 22 run (Cory Mock kick) 10:09
Ch — Drew Plantz 6 run (kick fail) 7:53
Ch — Jacob Harris 1 run (Andrew Isaacs pass from Jacob Harris) 0:32
GA — Parker Burris 58 pass from Braydon Rathburn (Cory Mock kick) 0:11
Third Quarter
Ch — Drew Plantz 2 run (Drew Plantz run) 8:54
Ch — Drew Plantz 5 run (Andrew Isaacs run) 4:18
Fourth Quarter
Ch — Andrew Daniels 20 run (kick failed) 11:53
Ch — Drew Plantz 15 run (Logan Diamond kick)
Ch — Ethan Kerns 36 fumble recovery (Logan Diamond kick)7:39
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GA Ch
First downs 13 18
Rushes-yards 28-115 36-279
Passing yards 185 45
Total yards 300 324
Cmp-Att-Int 13-22-1 3-4-0
Fumbles-lost 3-1 2-1
Penalties-yards 9-97 2-15
Punts-average 0-00.0 0-00.0
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Individual Leaders
RUSHING–Gallia Academy: Max Canaday 7-41, Wyatt Warren 13-55, Tyshawn Clendenin 5-26, Parker Burris 1-0, Braydon Rathburn 1-minus 19, Josh Watts 1-12; Chesapeake: Drew Platz 20-142 4-TD, Jacob Harris 9-129 2-TD, Andrew Daniels 5-20 TD, Andrew Isaacs 2-6.
PASSING–Gallia Academy: Braydon Rathburn 12-20-1 176 2-TD, Josh Wyatt 1-2-0 9; Chesapeake: Jacob Harris 3-4-0 45.
RECEIVING–Gallia Academy: Wyatt Warren 3-25, Enoch Patterson 4-64 TD, Parker Burris 2-67 TD, Max Canaday 3-23, Tyshawn Clendenin 1-4, Josh Watts 1-9; Chesapeake: Ethan Kerns 3-45.
MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.
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