The Locker Room
Crushing
the Comets Who would have guessed that Halifax would be the first team to take the lead on the Cougars this season? The game was close early, but the Cougars got back on track, and won going away, 45-7. Possession-by-Possession Summary: Halifax took first possession. John Hedge’s kick was taken at the 9 by Jarvis Hankins, and taken up to the 37. After Hankins gained 8 yards on 2nd-and-7, he fumbled the pitch right, and the Cougars recovered at the PC 49. On 2nd-and-9 from midfield, Frank Cobbs took the FB dive all the way down to the 5, before Hankins tackled him. After two runs by Josh Calfee made it 3rd-and-goal at the 1, Cobbs dove in for the score. The PAT was missed. 6-0 PC with 8:21 left in the quarter. The Blue Comets ran a reverse on the kickoff,. Hankins returning from the 1 went left, and handed off right to Alonzo Coleman at the 10, who made it up to the 35. After 3 plays gained only 4 yards, it was 4th-and-6. The Cougars were penalized for offsides, and it proved costly. On the next play, Punter Jordan Clark passed to a wide open Steve Gregory, who caught the ball at the PC 45, and made it all the way to the 6 before Alan Wheeling caught up to him. Two plays later, Coleman took it in from 3 yards out. Clark’s PAT made it 7-6 Halifax, with 6:27 on the clock. The Cougars found themselves in a strange position for this year - trailing. Calfee returned Clark’s kickoff from the 11 up to the 37, but a clipping penalty meant that the drive would begin at the 11. Cobbs carried the FB dive for 11 yards. Calfee gained 9 yards running right. Wheeling kept left for 2 yards, moving the chains. Cobbs ran for 3 yards. His brother Greg Cobbs ran the criss-cross right for a yard, making it 3rd-and-6. Frank Cobbs was just a yard short of the marker on the dive play, making it 4th down.. Brandon Hamblin’s punt went into the endzone for a touchback. The Blue Comets gained 9 yards on 2 plays. Casey Spencer was stopped by Gordon Cross on 3rd-and-1. Jordan Clark’s punt was downed at the PC 40. Calfee gained 19 yards on a 3rd-and-5 sweep right. The first quarter ended with the score Blue Comets 7, Cougars 6. Wheeling lost 3 yards on a keeper, making it 2nd-and-13 at the Blue Comet 39. Cobbs went off tackle right, and broke it all the way. Hedge’s PAT made it 13-7, with 11:13 showing on the clock . Hedge’s kick was taken by Alonzo Coleman at the 1. He bobbled it, picked it up, and got up to the 14. This drive by Halifax was a turning point in the game. Adam Brockmeyer flattened QB Justin Shepperd for a 3-yard loss on a busted play. On 3rd-and-10 from the 14, Shepperd hooked up with Dante Ballou for 12 yards. Wheeling stopped Jarvis Hankins for a 1-yard loss on first down. He then knocked away a pass for Ballou. On 3rd-and-11, Shepperd completed a pass left to Ballou, who made it into Cougar territory at the 49. Shepperd again threw left for Ballou. Cobbs was closely guarding him, and it appeared he might make the interception. However, Ballou outmaneuvered Cobbs, and came down with the ball at the 14. A couple of third down and long conversions, plus a spectacular catch, had Halifax threatening to take the lead. Shepperd rolled right, and kept the ball, getting down to the 6. On 2nd-and-2, Wheeling held Coleman to a 1-yard gain. An incomplete pass made it 4th down. Halifax coach James Hodges decided to take an almost certain 3 points instead of gambling. Clark missed the 22-yard kick, and the Cougars had dodged a bullet. The Blue Comets were hanging tough at this point, but this was no doubt very discouraging. PC took over at the 20, with 7:18 left before the half. The Cougars could not move the ball, as Calfee fumbled on 3rd-and-7. Gordon Cross fortunately recovered the ball. Hamblin’s punt was downed at the HC 46. Adam Brockmeyer tackled Coleman for no gain on 2nd-and-6. An incomplete pass on 3rd down meant that Halifax would also go three-and-out. Clark’s punt was downed at the Cougar 42. Wheeling kept for 8 yards. Calfee went in motion, but it was Cobbs who got the ball, taking the FB dive for 25 yards, almost breaking it. Calfee went off tackle left for 3 yards. The ball was resting on the 32. Cobbs took the FB dive, found a hole, and burst through it. He made it all the way down to the 3. Calfee took the sweep left in for the score. Calfee again swept left for the two point conversion, making it 21-7 with 1:58 showing. Coleman bobbled the kickoff at the 21, and got only 5 yards on the return. Coleman took the pitch right for 6 yards. Shepperd’s pass for Ballou was incomplete, with Wheeling defending on the play. On 3rd-and-4, Shepperd scrambled left, and lobbed a pass to Ballou, who jumped up and came down with the ball at the PC 46, for a 22 yard gain. Ballou then caught a pass for 20 yards, down to the 26. Wheeling ended the threat with an interception in the endzone, with 18.6 seconds left. Calfee’s run left ended the half with the score 21-7. Calfee took the kickoff left from the 10 up to the 37. Cobbs went off tackle right into Blue Comet territory at the 41. He then went off tackle left for 8 yards. Wheeling faked a handoff and kept left, gaining 7 yards. On 1st-and-10 from the 26, Calfee gained 5 yards. Greg Cobbs then moved the chains with a 9-yard criss-cross play. It was 1st-and-10 at the 12. On 2nd-and-10, Cobbs gained a yard running left. Wheeling then kept right for 4 yards, making it 4th-and-5. Hedge’s FG attempt was almost wide left, but the officials ruled that it was good. 24-7 PC with 7:25 left in the quarter. Hedge’s kickoff went out of bounds at the 20, giving the Blue Comets good field position at their own 35. On 3rd-and-3 from the 27, Hankins lost a yard on the pitch right. Clark punted, and Wheeling took the ball at the 29. He gained 18 yards on the return to the Cougar 47. Just 4 plays later, the lead increased. Cobbs went up the middle for 9 yards. Calfee went left and gained 20 yards. He then ran for 9 yards down to the 15, making it 2nd-and-1. Cobbs went off tackle left, and made it in. The PAT made it 31-7, with still 3:31 left in the 3rd quarter. Hankins took the kickoff from the 6 up to the 25. After a run for no gain and an incomplete pass, it was 3rd-and-10. Halifax called a timeout. Shepperd hit Ballou with a pass for 11 yards and a first down. A delay-of-game penalty made it 1st-and-15. Spencer gained 4 yards running off tackle left. An incomplete pass made it 3rd-and-11. Shepperd found Ballou over the middle for 25 yards. The drive stalled here. Spencer gained 3 yards, then the teams switched ends. Coleman gained 4 yards on the option pitch right. Cross batted down Shepperd’s 3rd-and-3 pass attempt. On 4th down, Shepperd tried to hit the open Hankins at the PC 17. Hankins could not make the catch, and the ball went over on downs. Already ahead by 24 points, the Cougars began a long scoring drive that ate up a big chunk of the 4th quarter. Wheeling lost 4 yards on the keeper. Calfee got 10 yards on a sweep. He then converted the 3rd-and-4 with a 7-yard pitch left. After an incomplete pass and a 3 yard run by Calfee, Cobbs kept the drive alive by taking the FB dive down to the Halifax 40. Jeremy Porter ran for 2 yards. Cobbs went off tackle right for 4 yards. On 3rd-and-4, Wheeling faked a handoff, and kept right. His 8-yard run moved the chains. On 1st-and-10 from the 26, Porter gained 3 yards. Greg Cobbs took the criss-cross right for a yard. Wheeling tossed a screen pass to PC 20, and Josh got down to the 14. This 4th 3rd-down conversion on this drive put the Cougars in point blank range for yet another score. Cobbs got down to the 8 on a dive. Wheeling then faked a handoff, and passed over the middle to a wide open Jeff King. The PAT made it 38-7, with only 5:46 left in the game. Hedge’s kickoff went into the endzone. Two penalties hurt the Blue Comets, and they ended up with a 3rd-and-10. Adam Roop tackled the runner for a 5-yard loss. Wheeling fair caught the punt at the Halifax 41. Joey Radcliffe was now under center. Porter gained 5 yards running right. Antione Meadows took the FB dive for 4 yards. Porter lost a yard, making it 4th-and-2. Porter went off tackle right for 6 yards. Roop reaped the rewards for his defensive stop on the last possession. He was given the ball on a criss-cross left. He broke it wide open, and breezed into the endzone from 26 yards out. The PAT made it 45-7, with exactly 1:00 left. Hedge’s kickoff went into the endzone. Three plays later, Bill Farlow tackled Coleman on 2nd down to end the game. Next week - the faithful fans follow the Cougars on the road once again, this time to start the all-important RVD part of the season.
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