Charger offense crests Green Wave

Bath Charger Dillon Fry tips a first quarter Green Wave pass to himself for a drive-ending interception last week. Fry scored on a 57-yard pass and catch from QB Michael Robertson and leads the team and Pioneer District in scoring with 14 touchdowns (86 points scored) on the year. (Recorder photo by Geoff Cox) WARM SPRINGS — Bath senior quarterback Michael Robertson ran for two seven-yard scores and threw touchdown strikes to Dillon Fry (57 yards) and Dana Richmond (54 yards) as the Bath County Chargers advanced to the Region C semifinals with a 48-7 victory over the Narrows Green Wave Friday night.

Prior to the game, BCHS announced there will be a new post-season Charger football award as a posthumous honor for 1995 BCHS graduate and football lineman Chris Loan. The "Unsung Player Award" will be bestowed on a worthy Charger at the season-ending banquet. Loan's mother Tina Loan presented the award plaque to Charger head coach Will Fields before the opening kickoff.

After a signature defensive stand thanks to appropriate down and dirty play in the mud-filled trenches, Bath took over. Senior J.P. Plecker scored on the Chargers' first play from scrimmage with 9:15 left on the clock and the determined Bath football machine never took the foot off the gas. Seniors Richmond and Dustin Bratton also added touchdown runs on the evening as Bath jumped on the Wave early and rode it to a 28-0 first quarter advantage.

Bath running back Dana Richmond does a Heissman impression as he invites a Green Wave to test his stiff-arm move. Richmond scored twice Friday, once on a 54-yard reception and once on a nine-yard run. The BC offensive explosion (369 total yards, 199 rushing and 170 passing) overshadowed an impressive outing from the frugal Charger defensive unit. Bath was unwilling to give up yards throughout the night, holding Narrows to minus-10 yards rushing and 78 total yards. If not for a third-and-20 bomb from Narrows QB Tyler Conley to WR Brock Lusk that gained 43-yards and set up a touchdown, the defensive might well have pitched a shutout for the third time this season.

Michael Robertson smashes into a Green Wave defender and into the end zone for one of two rushing touchdowns Friday evening. The Bath backfield averaged 6.42 yards per carry through giant holes made by the Charger linemen against the outmatched Narrows guards in extremely muddy conditions. Plecker carried six times for 84 yards (14 ypc) to pace the backfield horses.

Robertson completed half of 12 passes for 170 yards. Richmond caught two for 66 yards while Fry caught two for 65. Most importantly, Bath committed zero turnovers.

The Chargers (7-4) will have a rematch of the first game of the season when they play the Eastern Montgomery Mustangs (8-2) in Elliston this Friday in the regional semifinals.

"I think we are ready," said Bath defensive end standout Derek Brinkley. "Our D is fired up."

Game time is 7:30. The winner advances to the Region C title game next week.

Senior running back Dustin Bratton follows his blockers to the end zone during Friday night's battle with Narrows. The 10 Bath seniors continue their return to the Region C championship game tomorrow (Friday) when they head to Elliston to take on Eastern Montgomery.