Scrimmage in WV
by Ardent Cougar

The Cougars scrimmaged yesterday (Saturday, August 12) at the home field of the Woodrow Wilson Flying Eagles in Beckley, West Virginia. Their opponents were the host team, and the Riverside Warriors. It all began at 10:00am on a partly cloudy morning.

The short story:

PC 0 6 0 - 6
WW 6 6 0 - 12

PC 0 0 12 - 12
RS 0 6 6 - 12

This was my first time observing one of these scrimmages, and what follows are my best observations regarding how things worked. I had no official list of rules to work from.

The scrimmage was structured as follows:

1. Coaches for both offense and defense are allowed on the field, and usually stood 15 yards or so behind their respective squads. This was good for close observation, interaction, and instruction.

2. No kickoffs or punts. The offense began possession at its on 30. It's basically a 1st-and-Goal situation, with the offense getting 10 plays. There are no first downs.

3. If the offensive team turned the ball over before its 10 plays are up, it got the ball back, having used up a play. If the defense scored, the score counted, and the offensive team started again at their own 30.

4. Extra points could be attempted after a touchdown, although they didn't count in the final score. The defense was not allowed to even line up, so there is no question of a blocked kick.

5. A team was allowed to use an extra (11th) play for a field goal attempt. Field goals were not  counted in the final score.

6. If the offensive team scored, it then (assuming it has any of its allotted plays left) began again at its own 30, but going in the other direction. Extra points, just like field goals, did not count in the score.

7. When one team had exhausted its allotment of offensive plays, the opposing team took over at its own 30.

8. After each team had a possession, one team took a break, while the other faced the third team.

I worked without a roster for both our team and Woodrow Wilson. A friendly fan in the stands from Riverside helped me out with the names of a few of their players.

The field did not seem to be in the best shape (the yard lines were light, and not too easy to see), and since there were no announcers to help, I did what I could in getting the details.

The Cougars took possession first against the Flying Eagles.

Play 1. (PC 30) Calfee right, 4-yard gain.
Play 2. (PC 34) Calfee off-tackle, 3-yard gain.
Play 3. (PC 37) Cobbs up the middle, 1-yard gain.
Play 4. (PC 38) Option right, Frank Cobbs took the pitch and gains 1.
Play 5. (PC 39) Wheeling-to-King over the middle for 10.
Play 6. (PC 49) Adam Roop took the criss-cross left for 5.
Play 7. (WW 46) F. Cobbs off-tackle right for 5.
Play 8. (WW 41) Wheeling dumped off a pass right in the backfield to Calfee, who took it from 5 yards behind the LOS, broke a tackle or two, and ended up with an 8-yard gain.
Play 9. (WW 33) Wheeling faked a handoff and rolled left. No. 85 jumped up and knocked down the pass at the line-of-scrimmage.
Play 10. (WW 33) Wheeling lofted a pass left, just out of the reach of Calfee, who had circled out of the backfield.

Pulaski County 0, Woodrow Wilson 0.

Woodrow Wilson then took possession.

Play 1. (WW 30) No. 30 took a pitch right, and gained 35 yards down the sideline.
Play 2. (PC 35) No. 6 left for 6 yards.
Play 3. (PC 29) Pass right to No. 7, who slipped a tackle and gained 6.
Play 4. (PC 23) An up-the-middle run gained 2, but WW was called for illegal procedure.
Play 5. (PC 28) Pass left to No. 6 circling out of the backfield for 11 yards, but WW was called for holding.
Play 6. (PC 38) No. 6 left for one yard, tackled by King.
Play 7. (PC 37) No. 30 right for 8 yards.
Play 8. (PC 29) Pass to No. 8, who caught the ball near the goal line, and went in for the score. David Hale slipped while trying to cover.
WW 6, PC 0.
Play 9. (WW 30) No. 30 right for 9 yards.
Play 10. (WW 39) QB dropped back, rolled right, then threw over the middle for No. 5. The pass was low, and uncatchable.

WW 6, PC 0.

After a brief timeout/break, the Cougars faced the Riverside Warriors.

Riverside took possession first.

Play 1. (RS 30) Up the middle run for 2 yards.
Play 2. (RS 32) Up the middle run for 3 yards.
Play 3. (RS 35) No. 3 for PC intercepted a tipped pass, and returned it for about 10 yards.
Play 4. (RS 28) Baldwin ran left for 2 yards, tackled by F. Cobbs.
Play 5. (RS 30) King almost intercepted QB Nugent's pass.
Play 6. (RS 30) King made a solid sack of Nugent, who had rolled right. The loss was 10 yards.
Play 7. (RS 20) Draw play to Baldwin for 5.
Play 8. (RS 25) Quick flanker screen pass incomplete.
Play 9. (RS 25) Baldwin up the middle for 20.
Play 10. (RS 45) Pass for No. 1 broken up by Wheeling at the PC 20.

Pulaski County 0, Riverside 0.

The Cougars began their possession.

Play 1. (PC 30) Calfee ran right, slipped off of a tackle, then cut back up the middle and gained 7. He came out of the pile limping, and had to be helped off. He could be heard wincing in pain on the sideline, favoring his left knee. Unsettling thoughts of last year's banged-up team came to mind.
Play 2. (PC 37) Greg Cobbs left for 7.
Play 3. (PC 44) Wheeling rolled left, and completed a deep pass over the middle. No. 5 Bowling caught the ball, and made his was inside the Warrior 5. However, PC was called for a penalty on the play.
Play 4. (PC 37) F. Cobbs up the middle then left for 8.
Calfee was at this point walking up and down the sideline, trying to shake off his injury.
Play 5. (PC 45) Bowling right for a yard.
A relieving sight: Calfee came back in for the next play.
Play 6. (PC 46) F. Cobbs up the middle for 2.
Play 7. (PC 48) Runner slipped in the backfield for a 2-yard loss.
Play 8. (PC 46) Wheeling faked a handoff, then passed over the middle to King for 12.
Play 9. (WW 42) Up the middle run for 2 yards.
Play 10. (WW 40) Calfee right for 3 yards, but the Cougars were flagged for illegal procedure.

PC 0, RS 0.

The Cougars now took a break and PC fans headed for the concessions, as the Flying Eagles and Warriors scrimmaged.

After the break, PC again took on WW, taking first possession.

Play 1. (PC 30) Wheeling rolled right and threw a short pass for King. The ball was overthrown, and intercepted by No. 6.
Play 2. (PC 30) Calfee left for 10 yards.
Play 3. (PC 40) F. Cobbs fullback dive for 2.
PC was called for illegal procedure before the next play.
Play 4. (PC 37) Wheeling bootlegged right for 14.
Play 5. (WW 49) Calfee ran left, shook off and stiff-armed tacklers. He gained 36 yards.
Play 6. (WW 13) Cobbs up the middle untouched for a TD. No. 16 kicked a successful PAT.
PC 6, WW 6
Play 7. (PC 30) Wheeling to King over the middle for 13. King caught the ball after it was apparently tipped by a defender.
Play 8. (PC 43) A screen pass lost 8 yards.
Play 9. (PC 35) Wheeling kept on the option right for 12.
Play 10. (PC 47) A pass to G. Cobbs gained 25.

PC 6, WW 6. The Flying Eagles took possession.

Play 1. (WW 30) Option pitch right to No. 30 for 7.
Play 2. (WW 37) No. 6 caught a pass at the PC 35, and took it down to the 19.
Play 3. (PC 19) Pitch to No. 30 gained 7.
Play 4. (PC 12) Pitch left to No. 6 for 2.
Play 5. (PC 10) No. 30 took the handoff crossing over from his wingback position on the left, and went in for a score. The Flying Eagles like to run a double-wing formation, sometimes sending one wing in motion. They like to run their wingbacks parallel to the line of scrimmage for handoffs and criss-crosses.
WW 12, PC 6.
Play 6. (WW 30) Quick slant-in right pass to No. 8 gained 10.
Play 7. (WW 40) No. 6 left for 4.
Play 8. (WW 44) No. 30 ran left to right, stepping out-of-bounds at the PC 40. He almost stayed inbounds for a much longer gain.
Play 9. (PC 40) No. 6 was open, but dropped a pass at the PC 20.
Play 10. (PC 40) Criss-cross left for 3.

WW 12, PC 6.

Next, the Cougars again took on the Riverside, with the Warriors taking possession.

Play 1. (RS 30) Option pitch right to Taylor, who gained 9.
Play 2. (RS 39) Option pitch left to Taylor, who gained 11.
Play 3. (50) Laughlin up the middle for 2.
Play 4. (PC 48) Pitch right to No. 35 for 8.
Play 5. (PC 40) Up the middle run for 1.
Play 6. (PC 39) Slant-in left pass to No. 17 for 14 yards.
Play 7. (PC 25) Hensley up the middle for 2.
Play 8. (PC 23) Nugent rolled left and found No. 7 inside the PC 5, who went in for the score. Wheeling slipped in coverage.
RS 6, PC 0.
Play 9. (RS 30) No. 35 right for 7.
Play 10. (RS 37) No. 17 catches a pass at the PC 35.

RS 6, PC 0.

The Cougars began their possession.

Play 1. (PC 30) Screen pass to Calfee for 2.
Play 2. (PC 32) F. Cobbs fullback dive, no gain.
Play 3. (PC 32) Criss-cross left for 6.
Play 4. (PC 38) Wheeling faked a handoff and ran left for 3.
Play 5. (PC 41) Calfee left for 2.
Play 6. (PC 43) Wheeling rolled right and completed a pass, which lost 6.
Play 7. (PC 37) Meadows took a pitch left for 17.
Play 8. (RS 46) F. Cobbs fullback dive, no gain.
Play 9. (RS 46) Pass deep to Adam Roop over the middle caught at the 15, and taken down to the RS 3.
Play 10. (RS 3) Wheeling faked a handoff and had a man open over the middle in the endzone, but threw low, just past the diving receiver's outstretched hands.

RS 6, PC 0.

The Cougars took another break, while the other two teams scrimmaged.

PC took on WW for the final time, with the Cougars getting the first shot.

For the last matchup, the second-stringers got a chance. No. 3 was now in at QB.
Play 1. (PC 30) Jeremy Porter ran right for 6 yards.
Play 2. (PC 36) Porter ran left, losing 2 yards.
Play 3. (PC 34) Meadows up the middle for 4.
Play 4. (PC 38) Porter left for 7.
Play 5. (PC 45) Meadows up the middle for 12.
Play 6. (WW 43) Roop took the criss-cross left, followed the lane opened by great line blocking, and went in for the score. No. 16 booted the PAT.
Play 7. (PC 30) Hale ran left, broke a couple of tackles, and gained 12.
Play 8. (PC 42) Meadows ran off-tackle right for 4.
Play 9. (PC 46) A pass in the flat to Hale was incomplete.
Play 10. (PC 46) Joey Ratcliffe rolled right and completed a pass to the WW42. The receiver gained 10 yards after the catch.

WW 12, PC 6.

WW took possession.

Play 1. (WW 30) Pitch right to No. 34 for 16.
Play 2. (WW 46) No. 22 for 2 yards, but WW was called for illegal procedure.
Play 3. (WW 41) No. 22 left for 3 yards, but WW was again flagged.
Play 4. (WW 36) No. 34 right for no gain.
WW was caught for having two men in motion at the snap before the next play.
Play 5. (WW 31) PItch left to No. 22 lost 2 yards.
Play 6. (WW 29) No. 34 took the sweep right for 14.
Play 7. (WW 43) No. 12 rolled left and threw incomplete over the middle.
Play 8. (WW 43) No. 22 left for 8.
Play 9. (PC 49) No. 34 right for a 2-yard loss.
Play 10. (WW 49) No. 12 completed a pass to the PC 35. The receiver gained a few yards after the catch.

WW 12, PC 6.

Lastly, PC finished its day by battling Riverside once more, with the Warriors having first possession.

Play 1. (RS 30) No. 23 up the middle for 2.
Play 2. (RS 32) Pitch left to Taylor for 29.
Play 3. (PC 39) Taylor up the middle for 2.
Play 4. (PC 37) QB Ealey carried the option right for 17.
Play 5. (PC 20) Taylor right for 13.
Play 6. (PC 7) Pass to rear right corner of the endzone completed, but out of bounds.
Play 7. (PC 7) Up the middle run for 2.
Play 8. (PC 5) Pitch left to Dawkins for 2.
Play 9. (PC 3) Hensley up the middle for a TD.
RS 12, PC 0.
Play 10. (RS 30) The QB faked, rolled right, and was sacked.

RS 12, PC 0.

The Cougars now began their last possession of the scrimmage.

Play 1. (PC 30) Up the middle run for 3.
Play 2. (PC 33) Porter carried off-tackle left, followed the hole left by super line blocking, got loose down the left sideline, and motored into the endzone.
RS 12, PC 6.
Play 3. (PC 30) Ratcliffe faked, then passed over the middle to Brockmeyer for 11 yards.
Play 4. (PC 41) G. Cobbs up the middle and left for 33.
Play 5. (RS 26) Hodge took the option pitch right for 25 yards.
Play 6. (RS 1) Porter ran left and then cutback upfield for the TD.
PC 12, RS 12.
Play 7. (PC 30) Ratcliffe faked, then passed incomplete for Bowling at the RS 45.
Play 8. (PC 30) Ratcliffe faked, rolled left, and threw incomplete left for Porter.
Play 9. (PC 30) Porter took a screen pass, broke tackles, and gained 55 yards.
Play 10 (RS 15) No. 15 was now in at QB. Porter took the handoff right for 5.

PC 12, RS 12.

Calfee did not appear quite as explosive as he did last year, but he looked stronger. I hope that he did not seriously injure himself. Porter and Hodge were impressive. Wheeling did a good job on most of his passes, and again showed his mobility. King and Roop had some nice receptions. The drop-back pass blocking was not bad. Defensively, the Cougars seemed to do a somewhat better job at stopping the off-tackle plays and sweeps than last year. Against the pass, however, it is obvious that work remains to be done. We'll see how things go at the TD Classic.