Delay Doesn't Stop Walnut Ridge

[clecinosu]

Walnut Ridge 38, Big Walnut 0

SUNBURY -- A delay of over two hours didn't stop the Walnut Ridge Scots from rolling over the host Big Walnut Golden Eagles 38-0 Friday night at Big Walnut High School.

Walnut Ridge (1-0) racked up 432 yards of total offense and benefited from five Big Walnut (0-1) turnovers. Over 350 of the Scots' yardage came via the rush, and of Walnut Ridge's six touchdowns, four came after interceptions.

Junior running back Gary Russell led the way for the Scot rushers. Russell rushed 21 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns and kept the Big Walnut defense off balance all evening long.
Mike Jones added to that with three timely passes, two for touchdowns to senior receiver Ernie Wheelwright.
Mike Ellison scored from 18 yards out with 5:32 left in the first quarter for the first Walnut Ridge score, but before the Scots could kick off, the officials ordered both teams off the field due to lightning at 7:48 p.m.

The two teams resumed play at 9:56 p.m., and Jones and Wheelwright hooked up on a 47-yard touchdown strike before the end of the first quarter.

Russell scored his first touchdown on a darting 35-yard run through the Eagle defense early in the second quarter, and Jones found Wheelwright in the end zone from nine yards out just before halftime.

Russell scored again from a yard out with 13 seconds to play in the third quarter, and the two-point conversion pass from Jones to Wheelwright put Walnut Ridge ahead by 32.

Chad Crowell, who rushed for 74 yards in the final quarter, scored the last Scot touchdown on a one-yard run with 7:59 to play.

Jayme Wright rushed 13 times for 70 yards to lead the Big Walnut rushers. Brad Rhoden also carried 16 times for 58 yards.The Eagle passing attack was decimated by the Scot defense, though. Cory Craig and Andy Stein combined to complete just two of six passes in the game for two yards to go with their four interceptions, two by the Scots' Jones.

The Scots open their home schedule next week against Pataskala Watkins Memorial while Big Walnut takes to the road against New Albany.

Walnut Ridge.........12....12......8......6.............. 38
Big Walnut.............0......0......0......0......... .......0

SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
WR - Mike Ellison 18 run (kick blocked), 5:32. (4 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:45)
WR - Ernie Wheelwright 47 pass from Mike Jones (run failed), :50. (7 plays, 73 yards, TOP 3:04)
SECOND QUARTER
WR - Gary Russell 35 run (pass failed), 11:06. (1 play, 35 yards, TOP 0:09)
WR - Ernie Wheelwright 9 pass from Jones (pass failed), :31. (6 plays, 22 yards, TOP 3:59)
THIRD QUARTER
WR - Gary Russell 1 run (Ernie Wheelwright pass from Mike Jones), :13. (16 plays, 88 yards, TOP 7:05)
FOURTH QUARTER
WR - Chaz Crowell 1 run (kick failed), 7:59. (8 plays, 49 yards, TOP 3:46)

STATISTICS................WR...............BW
First Downs...................23................7
Rushes-Yards..........54-355.........33-134
Passing Yards...............77.................2
Comp-Att-Int...........3-7-0...........2-6-4
Total Offense..............432..............136
Punts-Avg...............2-18.0.........3-24.0
Fumbles-Lost...............0-0..............1-1
Penalties-Yards.........12-77...........10-81
Time of Possession.....29:28...........18:32

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Walnut Ridge - Gary Russell 21-151, Chaz Crowell 6-74, Marcel Lacey 5-45, Mike Ellison 6-44, Kevin Randall 10-33, Mike Jones 2-17, Sean Randall 1-4, Ernie Wheelwright 1-(minus-6), Charles Jefferson 1-(minus-7); Big Walnut - Jayme Wright 13-70, Brad Rhoden 16-57, Cody Richardson 2-7, Cory Craig 1-1, Ed VanLoon 1-(minus-1).
PASSING: Walnut Ridge - Mike Jones 3-7-0-77; Big Walnut - Cory Craig 1-4-3-(minus-3), Andy Stein 1-2-1-5.
RECEIVING: Walnut Ridge - Ernie Wheelwright 2-56, Kevin Randall 1-21; Big Walnut - Josh Becker 1-5, Matt Delong 1-(minus-3).
INTERCEPTIONS: Walnut Ridge - Mike Jones 2-32, Ernie Wheelwright 1-25, Terrell Howell 1-2; Big Walnut - None.