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By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Te curtain rang down on the home part of the 2014 Calhoun football schedule as the Red Devils fell to 4th-ranked Tug Valley 36-14 on Senior Night Friday night leaving Calhoun with a 2-6 record.
Although the game was a defensive struggle most of the first half the Panthers put 22 points on the board in the third quarter to put the game away.
The first half was played between the 20s for the most part efore Tug Valley went on a long drive to score the only points before intermission.
The Panthers, 7-1, marched 94 yards on 12 plays to take an 8-0 lead.
The drive was on the ground for the most part but it took a 14-yard pass from Tyler Conley to Jimmy Dillon with 6:51 to go before intermission to get the Panthers on the board. Corbin Oliver scored the extra points on a run.
The second half started off slowly as Calhoun stopped Tug Valley on downs on the first series after the kickoff.
The Red Devils were moving the ball when Oliver intercepted a Red Devil pass at his 20 and rambled back to the Calhoun four before being brought down.
But Calhoun stopped that drive on downs and were once again attempting to move the ball before Justin Mills pounced on a Red Devils' fumble at the CHS 40.
This time Tug Valley was not to be denied as it moved the ball down the field with quarterback Conley going in from four yards out. The extra point pass conversion was good and Tug Valley was on top 16-0.
This time Calhoun came on with a bang, bang, bang running attack to go along with a quick short passing game to move down the field for the score. Casey Ritchie got the touchdown on a 16-yard run but the extra point conversion attempt failed.
Almost before Calhoun could stop cheering the touchdown it was stunned by an 80-yard kickoff return by Oliver for the Panthers and, after the extra point conversion, the lead was up to 24-6.
That's when the previously conservative Panthers inexplicably broke out the playbook finishing off the game with a heavy passing attack, trick plays and an onside kick.
The onside kick started things off as the Panthers recovered in Calhoun territory and marched for another score with time running out in the third quarter.
This time it was Justin Baiseden on a 21-yard run on a series that featured a ton of passing making the score 30-6 as the Panthers failed on the extra point conversion.
Tug Valley got on the board early in the fourth play as it kept the first unit on the field and went heavily to the passing attack. Tyler Dobson finished the drive with a two-yard run that gave Tug Valley a 36-6 lead with time running out.
Calhoun rallied and added on last score as Casey Ritchie teammed up with Ethyn Miller for an 18-yard pitch and catch. Miller also added the extra points on another pass from Casey Ritchie setting the final score.
Casey Ritchie led the Calhoun ground atack with 48 yards while passing for 149 yards hitting on 13 of 25 passes. His favorite target was Miller who caught nine for 85 yards. Dakota Jarvis caught two passes for 14 yards while Cole Ritchie caught one for 32 and Lucas Wilson caught one for 20.
Calhoun returns to action next Friday night at Wirt County, 0-7, a 72-8 loser to Williamstown Friday night.
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