Ellenboro, W.Va. - The Rebel cannon echoed numerous times across Chuck Schofield Memorial Stadium on Friday evening, Nov. 4, as Ritchie County pounded visiting Calhoun County, 52-13, in a Little Kanawha Conference tilt that concluded the regular season.
In the finale and his last season wearing a Rebel uniform, Quarterback Ethan Haught connected for 15 passes for 227 yards and six touchdowns.
Tristen Ginanni was the initial Ritchie County target to break into the end zone for six – 26 seconds into the contest on a 13-yard Haught aerial. The drive started as Bodhi Utter recovered the kickoff, and then grabbed a pass for 21 yards, setting up the score. Haught finished business with the two-point conversion and provided the Ritchie County 8-0 edge.
Utter took the pass and scampered nine yards for the next Rebel TD and Logan Mitchell marked the extra points, upping the margin to 16-0 and ending the first quarter.
Ritchie County punched another pair on the scoreboard in the second. Bryce Newbrough and Utter’s numbers were called for those – on passes of 10 and seven yards, and two successful PATs pushed the Rebels ahead 32-0 at the half.
The home team wasn’t done and continued to rack up 20 points returning to the field in the third.
Utter kept up the pace with his third receiving touchdown of the night – a 31-yard pass – and Austin Bartlett managed to pull in an eight-yard aerial.
The last Rebel score was counted by Jensen Lucas, on a nine-yard rushing play, following a recovered fumble.
As fresh Ritchie County jerseys entered the game and the eight-minute running clock fourth was played, the Red Devils were able to dismiss a shutout when running back Ian Persinger attached two touchdowns, making the final 52-13.
“Friday night, we wanted to open up the offense and air it out. I’m pleased with the routes ran and concentration our receivers possessed, and Ethan made great decisions and throws. We ran some no huddle the first half to try to get Calhoun’s defense on their heels, which I thought was effective. In the second half, we gave Ethan the opportunity to call the first two series of plays and I am very proud of the job he did moving us down the field to score on both series. He did a good job of mixing it up and dispersing the ball to different people,” said Coach Rick Haught.
Bodhi Utter saw five receptions for 92 yards and three touchdowns, and Austin Bartlett had 88 yards on six catches as the team’s top two receivers. Also adding to the total were Bryce Newbrough, 2-24; Tristen Ginanni, 1-13; and Kodi Camp, 1-10. Bartlett, Newbrough and Ginanni punched individual TDs on the board for Ritchie County.
Overall, Ritchie County accumulated 199 yards on the ground against the Red Devils.
Utter also reached the century mark in the rushing department, gathering 104 yards on a half-dozen carries.
Logan Mitchell went 42 yards on eight totes, Haught moved 37 yards on five carries, and Jonah Hamilton, CaDan Campbell and Brayden Lamp supplemented the total.
All in all, the Rebels recorded 426 offensive yards.
Ginanni once again took tackle honors, accounting for 11 this week.
Several Ritchie County athletes were also able to contribute. Hayden Bartlett supplied six; Ayden Sellers and Logan Wilson, five; Hunter McCune and Turner Shriver, four; Colton Walton, Carter Satterfield, Bodhi Utter and Austin Bartlett, three; Jonah Hamilton, CaDan Campbell, Jase Wells, Rhett Johnson, Kodi Camp, Jensen Lucas and Ryan Samples, two; and Garrett Flesher, Braiden Haught, Ben Spears, Haiden Smith and Aiden Strayer, one.
Five tackles were marked for loss, with Austin Bartlett, Lucas, McCune, Hayden Bartlett and Haiden Smith credited for those; Lucas has his stop marked as a sack; and fumble recoveries were obtained by Utter and Lucas.
Coach Haught said, “I am really proud of the way we played and improved during the second half of the season. After starting 0-4, we finished 5-1. Our kids could have packed it in, but they kept working, which was evident in our play. We started the season with a young team that you could watch mature with each week of the season. Each loss came to schools who will be participating in the playoffs this week. It is disappointing not making the playoffs, but I have enjoyed working with this football team.”
The Rebels concluded with a 5-5 record on the season.
Ritchie (5-5)1616200–52
Calhoun (1-9)00013–13
R: Tristen Ginanni, 13-yd. pass from Ethan Haught; Haught, two-point conversion; 11:34, 1st
R: Utter, 9-yd. pass from Haught; Logan Mitchell, two-point conversion, 0:10, 1st
R: Bryce Newbrough, 10-yd. pass from Haught; Austin Bartlett pass from Haught, two-point conversion; 5:21, 2nd
R: Utter, 7-yd. pass from Haught; two-point conversion good; 2:22, 2nd
R: Utter, 31-yd. pass from Haught; two-point conversion failed; 10:23, 3rd
R: Bartlett, 8-yd. pass from Haught; Bartlett pass from Haught, two-point conversion; 6:16, 3rd
R: Jensen Lucas, 9-yd. run; two-point conversion failed; 4:39, 3rd
C: Ian Persinger, 20-yd. pass; kick good; 7:01, 4th
C: Persinger, 69-yd. run; kick blocked; 0:02, 4th
Around the Area
South Harrison 44,
Tucker County 22
Wahama 68, Buffalo 7
Doddridge County 57,
Tygarts Valley 0
Tyler Consolidated 24,
St. Marys 7
Webster County 24,
Montcalm 16
Gilmer County 34,
Meadow Bridge 28
Wirt County 48,
Sherman 0
Parkersburg South 49,
Princeton 41
Musselman 69,
Parkersburg 27
Roane County 49,
Oak Glen 14
Clay County 31,
Braxton County 22
