Cougar News
By Chris Jones
SPORTS REPORTER
from the Culpeper Star-Exponent
Like the shot heard around the world, so
echoed the sound of an entire stand of Pulaski High School fans when on the one yard line
Cougar defensive back Josh Bowling intercepted what could have been Culpeper’s tying
score with only 1:34 remaining in the final quarter.
The interception iced Pulaski’s 28-20 victory, giving it the Northwest Region
championship.
“I knew he overthrew it, so I made a play on it,” said Bowling of the decisive
play.
All game, the Pulaski Cougars did what many
other teams have failed to do: exploit vulnerablility in the Culpeper defense and slow its
offense.
Pulaski pounded its complex and confusing Wing-T offense into Culpeper’s normally
solid defense. Their premier backs, Frank Cobbs and Josh Calfee rushed for a combined 252
yards and three touchdowns.
Calfee gained 171 of those yards.
“The holes were wide open,” said
Cobbs.
“We had to show them that the ‘meat chop’ (name given to the Pulaski
offense) could move the ball on anyone,” said Calfee.
Culpeper’s under average production on defense allowed a season-high 28 points. Prior to tonight’s loss, the Blue Devils had only given up an incredible 48 points in 11 contests.
“No turnovers (forced) definately was
a factor,” said Culpeper coach Lou Sorrentino.
Pulaski also managed to compose extremely long and time-consuming drives of 80, 77 and 66
yards.
“Best ground game by far. They run it hard and block well. The numbers were
staggering. I was impressed with Calfee,” said Sorentino.
By the end of the first half of play, the
Blue Devils would find themselves in a position they hadn’t been in all year long
— trailing on the scoreboard.
A pair of Calfee touchdowns and a Cobb score set the Blue Devils back 21-3 at the break.
The second half, however, would belong to
the Blue Devils. Upon returning to the field, Culpeper put together its best drive of the
night.
In a nine play, 75-yard drive that consumed a quick 2:00, Freddie Strother broke free on a
23-yard scoring run to cut the deficit to 11 points.
For the first time, the Blue Devils looked like they had it together.
“I challenged them individually. Here’s
when you find out where your leaders, your players are,” said Sorrentino about his
halftime speech.
The second half would also see a preview of next year’s stars for the Blue Devils.
Juniors Stefan Orange, Adwela Dawes and Frankie Puller nearly pulled off the impossible.
Following a fumbled snap that led to a
third Calfee score, the Blue Devils’ faithful all but lost hope, being down 28-10
going into the deciding period.
In a sub-2:00 drive, Stefan Orange would turn on the heat.
Missing on his first pass of the four play drive, he flawlessly executed the remaining
three plays, finding Strother and Puller on some quick, large gain passes before
scrambling in from seven yards out for the score.
The final drive came with just under 5:00
in regulation.
“Half time, we were down, and coach said, ‘You got to start all over again.’
“In the second half, that’s what I did. I gave 110% and that’s all I can
give,” said Adwela Dawes.
Dawes had some of the more critical and amazing catches of the second half. One of his
four receptions would help to set up a 32-yard field goal by Mike Greenaway, putting
Culpeper withing a touchdown of Pulaski.
But Dawes’ biggest catches came on Culpeper’s final drive. He hauled in a big third down reception, gaining 31 of his 82 yards, as well as a 20-yard catch taking the Blue Devils inside the Cougar 20 yard line.
Culpeper leaves behind a 25-game winning
streak.
“We knew we had to end the longest streak,” said Calfee.
Coach Sorrentino refered to it as overrated, but a great memory for reflection.
“It’s nice afterwards when you can look back on it,” Sorrentino said,
The teams and coaches also had a mutual
respect for one another which made for a clean and vertually penalty-free game.
“Lou has done such a great job with this program here,” said Pulaski coach Joel
Hicks.
Sorrentino also complimented the Cougars
following the game as he pointed to them saying, “That’s a good football team.”
Mike Greenaway, Blue Devils kicker, perhaps said it best when he said, “The heart of
this team (Culpeper) — Blue Devil Pride — we don’t give up.
“We leave it all on the field, and whatever happens happens. Unfortunately for us,
tonight we just came up a little short.”
Article from the Culpeper Star-Exponent