COALFIELD | Oneida scored first on a Miles Laxton field goal. But Coalfield scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the first half, then tacked on several insurance scores in the second half, eventually winning 38-3 in Friday’s rivalry game at Rochelle Field.
The final stat sheet signaled a comfortable win for Coalfield (5-1), which racked up 395 yards of offense to just 101 for Oneida (2-4). But it didn’t feel anything like a comfortable game for the Yellow Jackets in the first half, which ended with the home team clinging to a 9-3 lead.
Drayton Wade led Oneida’s offense, with 60 yards on 20 carries. But yards were tough to come by throughout the night. The Indians remain a banged-up football team, playing without their starting quarterback and running back, and attempted just four passes.
Coalfield’s Jack Treece had a standout performance, completing 8 of 14 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns.
Oneida’s defense forced a punt on Coalfield’s opening possession of each half, but the Yellow Jackets scored every possession other than those two.
The Indians also punted on their first possession. But after the defense got the ball back, Oneida used Wade as a workhorse to move the ball into Laxton’s range. His 25-yard field goal made it a 3-0 game early.
However, Oneida had the ball at Coalfield’s 2-yard-line and looked like it was going to go up a touchdown early. The drive stalled, and a fourth down penalty backed the Indians up five yards before they settled for the field goal.
Coalfield responded by getting to Oneida’s 3-yard-line, but the Yellow Jackets also ran into penalty problems. A flag set the ball back 10 yards, and Coalfield ultimately settled for a 35-yard Avery Stafford field goal to tie the game.
Oneida was able to run most of the remaining 2:44 off the clock. But Coalfield’s defense got the ball back by forcing a punt, and Treece hit Sam Dunford for a 55-yard touchdown with only 38 seconds remaining in the first half.
After an exchange of punts to start the second half, Treece found Bo Wilson for an 82-yard scoring strike, giving Coalfield a 17-3 lead.
Coalfield tacked onto its lead after forcing another punt, with Hadyn Hedrick scoring on a 15-yard run to make it 24-3.
Another Oneida punt turned into another Coalfield touchdown to start the fourth quarter, with Sam Dunford scoring on a 7-yard run.
Coalfield’s final score came on a 47-yard pass from Treece to Lane Adcock with just over seven minutes remaining.
The Indians’ defensive leaders in Friday’s game were brothers Waylon and William Hill, and Cole Meredith, each of whom recorded six stops.
Oneida, which has lost four straight, will have an excellent opportunity to right the ship this week, as the Indians prepare to face Oliver Springs at Jim May Stadium. The Bobcats have struggled to a 1-5 start, and are coming off a 39-23 loss to Rockwood, which Oneida defeated in the season-opener. After that, the Indians will have an open date to allow themselves some extra time to heal before making a late-season push at a potential home playoff game.
