Rye Cove rolls past Holston in Region 1D First Round

CLINCHPORT — Defending Region 1D champion Rye Cove proved on Friday night they won't be giving up the crown very easily. The No. 3-seed War Eagles took care of business at home to start the postseason, 61-14 over No. 6 Holston. "Offense, we were pretty good tonight," Eagles head coach Gary Collier said. "Up front we were pretty good. Looks like we're building off what we did last week. As a coach, that's what you want. Rye Cove (8-3) didn't waste much time kicking into high gear, as Carter Roach-Hodge broke off a 67-yard touchdown run on the game's second play, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead. Defense and special teams did their parts on the opening Cavalier (6-5) possession. Holston was forced to punt after three plays, then Ethan Lawson blocked the punt and Roach-Hodge picked it up and went 22 yards for the score. The floodgates opened from there. "Great block from 'Big E,' Collier said. "That really changed everything. Rye Cove's defense forced a fumble on the next Cavs' drive, leading to a Cole Barnette rushing touchdown to make the contest 20-0, still in the first quarter. Barnette had a strong night for the Eagles rushing attack. He had 12 carries for 114 yards and four touchdowns. It was part of a great game for all Rye Cove runners, as they totaled 329 yards on the ground. "Cole has been banged up a little bit. Been getting him back to getting healthy," Collier said. "Running behind those big guys, he gets to the outside and shows a little bit of speed. He's just been one of our playmakers." The Eagle onslaught in the first half wasn't quite done, either. Rye Cove went on a six-play, 63 yard drive that ended in a Will Rollins touchdown before the first quarter had ended. On the next two Eagle drives, they got rushing scores from Barnette and quarterback Tyler Shupe to start the night with 40 unanswered points into the second quarter. Late in the first half, the Cavaliers finally got on the board following an eight-play, 75-yard march. Running back Eli Tweed got the edge near the goal line and found pay dirt from five yards out. However, they still left too much time on the clock for the Rye Cove offense. Sprung by a 50-yard gash by Rollins to get near the end zone, Barnette finished off the drive with a touchdown. The score gave the Eagles a 47-7 lead at halftime. With a running clock in the second half, possessions were limited. The Eagles made the most of it, though. Following a Holston fumble on its first drive, Barnette capped off his day with a 20-yard rushing score. Early in the fourth, the Cavs were able to cut into the deficit with another Tweed rushing touchdown. It didn't last long, though, as Jordan Martin returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a house call. The Cavaliers then drove deep into the Eagles territory, but ran out of time before scoring. Roach-Hodge was the leading rusher for Rye Cove, going for 129 yards on just five carries. Holston was only able to manage 147 as a team on the ground. Up Next Rye Cove will take on Chilhowie next week in the Region 1D Semifinals.