Indians fumble in loss at Chillicothe
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
CHILLICOTHE — Everything that went wrong for the Hillsboro Indians on Friday night at Herrnstein Field went the opposite way for the host Chillicothe Cavaliers, resulting in a 49-6 loss for the Indians in Week 7.
The loss by the Indians is their third consecutive loss, dropping them to under the .500 mark (0-2, 3-4) for the first time since the 2016 season when they finished 4-6 overall and 3-4 in now-defunct South Central Ohio League. This season, the Indians are 0-2 in the Frontier Athletic Conference.
From the start, the Indians were playing without great depth as more than five players were out of the game with various ailments, and one starter didn’t play in the first half. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, took advantage of everything put in front of them and gained their second win of the season, beginning their barrage of scoring with a touchdown on the very first drive of the game.
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Chillicothe (1-1, 2-5) — who entered the game with one win in the first six weeks — had a 13-play drive to kick things off, and for what was a sign of things to come, the Indians started the game by kicking the opening kickoff out of bounds for a penalty, putting the ball on the 35-yard line.
As for the first touchdown of the game, the Cavaliers used their aforementioned 13 plays to make their way downfield with just one of those plays going for over 10 yards, and that was a 13-yard completion from Kamron Smith to Logan Snowden for a first down on a third down play.
The drive eventually ended with a 4-yard rush to the end zone by Smith on a QB keeper, with CHS using a misdirection run for the six points. Kicker Jacob Coffland made the PAT for the 7-0 lead with 6:52 left in the first.
Smith finished the game 4-of-12 passing for 53 yards and one touchdown pass, and he also had 15 carries for 133 yards and four touchdown runs.
The Indians responded with their lone touchdown of the game, beginning the drive on their own 34-yard line with 6:47 on the clock. Justin Spears ran the ball on a QB keeper for eight yards, followed by a run by Mark Gallimore for a 3-yard gain and a first down.
After a 5-yard loss, the Indians came back with two carries by Spears for a combined nine yards, followed by a 31-yard rush by Kai Rickman on third-and-6 play. As the drive continued, the Indians had a 15-yard play from Spears to Rickman, putting the ball on the 11-yard line for a first down.
On second-and-6, the Indians scored a 7-yard touchdown with Gallimore rushing to pay dirt and six points. The two-point conversion run failed, leaving the Indians trailing the Cavaliers, 7-6 with 2:59 left in the first quarter.
After CHS had a turnover on downs and the Indians went three-and-out, the Cavaliers on their third offensive possession took only one play to add to their lead with Smith rushing for a 50-yard touchdown with 11:00 on the second-quarter clock. Smith reached the end zone on an option play. The PAT was good again, pushing the Cavs’ lead to 14-6.
The Cavs were back in the end zone with their third touchdown of the first half coming off a 15-yard score by Smith with 7:01 left in the second quarter on a third down play. The drive also contained a 25-yard run on second down by Hunter Thomas, who finished the game with 11 carries for 62 yards.
CHS didn’t score on their next drive, as Gavin Temple of HHS intercepted a pass with 4:19 left in the first half. The Indians returned the favor as they were intercepted on the ensuing drive with Snowden intercepting the ball in the end zone on a third-and-15 play from the 36-yard line.
The score remained a 15-point deficit at halftime (21-6), but the Indians did themselves no favors whatsoever in the second half, starting off the third quarter by losing a fumble, recovered by Chillicothe with 10:29 left in the quarter.
Though the Cavs didn’t score on their drive, the Indians lost the ball again on a fumble, again received by the host Cavs with 8:32 remaining in the same third frame. On this drive, the Indians had the Cavs down to fourth down, but HHS went offsides and gave the Cavaliers new life, which they took full advantage of with their fourth touchdown of the game.
After the offsides penalty in the red zone, the Cavs had the ball go to the 8-yard line — following a penalty that rescinded a touchdown — and on third down the Cavs gained those points anyway with an 8-yard run by Smith, followed by the PAT by Coffland for a 28-6 lead with 4:52 on the third-quarter clock.
With 2:41 left in the third, the Cavaliers again had a one-play drive that moved them to a touchdown, this time with a 54-yard run by Cade Williams. The made PAT put the Cavs ahead by a 35-6 score. Williams finished with eight carries for 93 yards.
Things continued to crumble for the Indians as a punt was blocked by Jaden McNish, putting the ball on the 6-yard line. Three plays later, the Cavs had Snowden catch a pass of seven yards from Smith for six points for the touchdown with around 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The converted extra point put the Cavaliers in front by a 42-6 score. Snowden finished with three receptions for 43 yards and one touchdown.
Chillicothe’s final touchdown came with 7:28 left in regulation with Joel Barnes picking up a fumble by the Indians following a big hit, and he took the ball 43 yards for six points. Falling the point-after kick, the Cavs led 49-6.
For the game, the Indians rushed for 147 yards as a team, with Gallimore rushing for 76 yards on 17 carries.
Chillicothe totaled 341 yards of offense, while the Indians had 206 yards. HHS committed four turnovers, and CHS had one.
Next for the Indians is a Week 8 home game on Friday, Oct. 18 against the Washington Blue Lions (1-1, 4-3). Washington lost to the Jackson Ironmen by a 34-7 score in Week 7 at Gardner Park in WCH.
Chillicothe will next face the McClain Tigers (0-2, 1-6) in a home game on Friday, Oct. 18 in Week 8.
The loss by the Indians is their third consecutive loss, dropping them to under the .500 mark (0-2, 3-4) for the first time since the 2016 season when they finished 4-6 overall and 3-4 in now-defunct South Central Ohio League. This season, the Indians are 0-2 in the Frontier Athletic Conference.
From the start, the Indians were playing without great depth as more than five players were out of the game with various ailments, and one starter didn’t play in the first half. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, took advantage of everything put in front of them and gained their second win of the season, beginning their barrage of scoring with a touchdown on the very first drive of the game.
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Chillicothe (1-1, 2-5) — who entered the game with one win in the first six weeks — had a 13-play drive to kick things off, and for what was a sign of things to come, the Indians started the game by kicking the opening kickoff out of bounds for a penalty, putting the ball on the 35-yard line.
As for the first touchdown of the game, the Cavaliers used their aforementioned 13 plays to make their way downfield with just one of those plays going for over 10 yards, and that was a 13-yard completion from Kamron Smith to Logan Snowden for a first down on a third down play.
The drive eventually ended with a 4-yard rush to the end zone by Smith on a QB keeper, with CHS using a misdirection run for the six points. Kicker Jacob Coffland made the PAT for the 7-0 lead with 6:52 left in the first.
Smith finished the game 4-of-12 passing for 53 yards and one touchdown pass, and he also had 15 carries for 133 yards and four touchdown runs.
The Indians responded with their lone touchdown of the game, beginning the drive on their own 34-yard line with 6:47 on the clock. Justin Spears ran the ball on a QB keeper for eight yards, followed by a run by Mark Gallimore for a 3-yard gain and a first down.
After a 5-yard loss, the Indians came back with two carries by Spears for a combined nine yards, followed by a 31-yard rush by Kai Rickman on third-and-6 play. As the drive continued, the Indians had a 15-yard play from Spears to Rickman, putting the ball on the 11-yard line for a first down.
On second-and-6, the Indians scored a 7-yard touchdown with Gallimore rushing to pay dirt and six points. The two-point conversion run failed, leaving the Indians trailing the Cavaliers, 7-6 with 2:59 left in the first quarter.
After CHS had a turnover on downs and the Indians went three-and-out, the Cavaliers on their third offensive possession took only one play to add to their lead with Smith rushing for a 50-yard touchdown with 11:00 on the second-quarter clock. Smith reached the end zone on an option play. The PAT was good again, pushing the Cavs’ lead to 14-6.
The Cavs were back in the end zone with their third touchdown of the first half coming off a 15-yard score by Smith with 7:01 left in the second quarter on a third down play. The drive also contained a 25-yard run on second down by Hunter Thomas, who finished the game with 11 carries for 62 yards.
CHS didn’t score on their next drive, as Gavin Temple of HHS intercepted a pass with 4:19 left in the first half. The Indians returned the favor as they were intercepted on the ensuing drive with Snowden intercepting the ball in the end zone on a third-and-15 play from the 36-yard line.
The score remained a 15-point deficit at halftime (21-6), but the Indians did themselves no favors whatsoever in the second half, starting off the third quarter by losing a fumble, recovered by Chillicothe with 10:29 left in the quarter.
Though the Cavs didn’t score on their drive, the Indians lost the ball again on a fumble, again received by the host Cavs with 8:32 remaining in the same third frame. On this drive, the Indians had the Cavs down to fourth down, but HHS went offsides and gave the Cavaliers new life, which they took full advantage of with their fourth touchdown of the game.
After the offsides penalty in the red zone, the Cavs had the ball go to the 8-yard line — following a penalty that rescinded a touchdown — and on third down the Cavs gained those points anyway with an 8-yard run by Smith, followed by the PAT by Coffland for a 28-6 lead with 4:52 on the third-quarter clock.
With 2:41 left in the third, the Cavaliers again had a one-play drive that moved them to a touchdown, this time with a 54-yard run by Cade Williams. The made PAT put the Cavs ahead by a 35-6 score. Williams finished with eight carries for 93 yards.
Things continued to crumble for the Indians as a punt was blocked by Jaden McNish, putting the ball on the 6-yard line. Three plays later, the Cavs had Snowden catch a pass of seven yards from Smith for six points for the touchdown with around 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The converted extra point put the Cavaliers in front by a 42-6 score. Snowden finished with three receptions for 43 yards and one touchdown.
Chillicothe’s final touchdown came with 7:28 left in regulation with Joel Barnes picking up a fumble by the Indians following a big hit, and he took the ball 43 yards for six points. Falling the point-after kick, the Cavs led 49-6.
For the game, the Indians rushed for 147 yards as a team, with Gallimore rushing for 76 yards on 17 carries.
Chillicothe totaled 341 yards of offense, while the Indians had 206 yards. HHS committed four turnovers, and CHS had one.
Next for the Indians is a Week 8 home game on Friday, Oct. 18 against the Washington Blue Lions (1-1, 4-3). Washington lost to the Jackson Ironmen by a 34-7 score in Week 7 at Gardner Park in WCH.
Chillicothe will next face the McClain Tigers (0-2, 1-6) in a home game on Friday, Oct. 18 in Week 8.