The Locker Room
by Jeff Wolfe
Roop Passes and Dives Over
Cardozo
BOX SCORE
9/26/98 - Travis Roop threw the most elegant pass yet in his career for a 30 yard touchdown as Pulaski defeated the Cardozo Clerks of Washington, D.C. He also carried the ball twice on the bootleg keeper for a combined 87 yards and one touchdown. Kwasi Scott caught an interception and broke the hundred yard rushing barrier on the night with 12 carries for 118 yards. Three of those carries went for touchdowns.
Sophomore Frank Cobbs ran for one touchdown and caught another. Jarrett Porter took the inside reverse twice for 80 total yards. Josh Calfee carried 10 times for 77 yards and one touchdown.
Cougar coach Joel Hicks created a kicking duel with this high scoring affair by alternating Cameron Ashworth and Paul Taylor on PAT attempts. Both were perfect on the night, Taylor was 4-4 and Ashworth 3-3. Ashworth made one of those from 35 yards out because of a penalty on the touchdown.
Pulaski County made sloppy mental mistakes that caused penalties, a season long trend for these young starters. The Cougars gave away 115 yards with 11 penalties.
On the Clerks first possession Scott intercepted a Melvin Brown pass and returned it to the Cardozo 7. On the next play he carried the ball left off tackle for a quick touchdown. Taylor kicked the PAT for a 7-0 Cougar lead.
PC got the ball again on their own 46 after a 31 yard Anthony Turner punt. Roop threw to Scott on a screen pass for a gain of 21. Two plays later Roop faked a handoff to the right then took the naked bootleg left 25 yards to paydirt, finishing with a spectacular dive over the last defender into the endzone. It was 14-0 Cougars after Ashworth’s PAT.
A Cardozo running back broke through the first line of defenders on the next possession, and had room to run, but fumbled the ball. The Clerks recovered but could not convert for a first down and punted.
Roop dropped back to pass on 1 and 10 from the PC 47, but the pass to Jeff King fell incomplete. Three plays later Scott followed Mike Alderman off right tackle for a 40 yard touchdown. Scott gave a nice stiff arm to the last defender at the five yard line.
Taylor’s PAT made for a 21-0 lead.
Cardozo put together a drive on their next possession, but it was not long enough to score. With 3rd and 7 at their own 25, Brown passed to Kevin Branch for a 4 yard gain, but a personal foul on the Cougars added 15. The Clerks drove to the PC 31 and then stalled. With 3rd and 15 a the 35, John Edmonds sacked Tyrone Osborne for a 7 yard loss.
After another Turner punt, PC started at their own 35. Calfee carried for 10. Jarrett Porter lumbered after the criss cross for 37 yards. He might have scored but he outran Jeff King, his lead blocker. Scott would fumble at the 2 yard line, and PC failed to score.
A personal foul penalty on PC brought the Clerks away from their own endzone, but Cardozo could only run three plays and punt.
The Cougars would drive to the 11, then two consecutive illegal procedure penalties walked them back to the 21. Then on 3rd and 15, Frank Cobbs would carry after the criss cross for a 16 yard touchdown. Ashworth’s PAT was good and PC led 28-0.
Cardozo’s only score on the night would come on the next play from scrimmage. Osborne passed to Julius Ashford for an 80 yard score. The pass went for 15 in the air, and Ashford ran for the rest. Osborne was sacked on the two point conversion attempt.
With the score 28-6 and only 3:08 remaining in the half, one might have thought that PC would have been content to run out the clock, but not so. They would score twice more before going into the locker room.
Antoine Meadows fielded the kickoff for PC. Like ‘the little engine that could’, Calfee took the handoff up the middle and to the right, pulling a train of shirt tackles on exciting 34 yard journey.
Travis Roop would then throw his most beautiful pass so far this season. Roop rolled right and had plenty of time to throw a tight spiral 30 yards in the air to Frank Cobbs at the goal line. Taylor’s PAT was good, 35-6 with 1:55 remaining.
The Clerks threw three incomplete passes and punted out to their 48. PC used their last time out with 1:05 remaining. Porter carried after the criss cross for a 43 yard gain. With first and goal at the 6, Scott carried for 5 as the time ticked away. Then Roop lined up his offense and spiked the ball to stop the clock. Calfee carried the ball for the final yard and the touchdown. With 0:26 remaining, PC led 41-6.
A personal foul penalty on the Cougars turned Ashworth’s PAT into a successful 35 yard one point field goal.
Roop opened the second half with a bang on a 61 yard keeper. Five plays later Scott followed Josh Coleman’s lead block for a 4 yard touchdown. Taylor’s PAT closed out the scoring, final 49-6.
Cardozo would drive to the PC 25, then Osborne threw an interception. PC’s second team offense and defense played out the rest of the game, with the exception of punting. The Cougar starters would return to the field for the remaining punts.
Most of Pulaski County’s players played, and their numbers show in the box score.
BOX SCORE