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by Jeff Wolfe Click on a link
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Stingy Cougar defense and superior punt return play gave Pulaski County the field position needed to defeat William Fleming 28-0 in this key Blue Ridge District contest. Tonight the Lee Cook Scholarship Award was presented to James Holcomb, by Lee’s mother Regina Cook. She addressed the team during the presentation after the game. “I’m there every game, just like I said I would be. This is the fourth year we have presented this scholarship. We have given out over fifteen thousand dollars through this award. I wish I could give every one of you a scholarship, you deserve it,” she said. Holcomb is a 2001 PCHS graduate. He is attending New River Community College where he is studying forestry. He was given a plaque with Lee’s picture on it along with the scholarship award. “This is a privilege. I knew Lee,” he said. William Fleming won the toss and deferred to the second half. PC chose to receive the kickoff and proceeded on a 10 play 77 yard scoring drive that set the tone for the night. The key play was a 4th and 4 on the 37. Josh Calfee took the quick pitch left for a 25-yard gain. Three plays later he scored on a 5-yard touchdown run. Hedge added the PAT for the 7-0 lead. Hedge kicked a touchback. The defense held Fleming to 9 yards on three plays. Lucas Nester’s rush forced a high punt that went for 9 yards with no return. Jeremy Porter took the dive play 37 yards to score on the next play. Hedge added another PAT. Fleming could not convert for a first down after another Hedge touchback. After punting a defensive battle began. The Colonel defense tightened, but the Cougar defense stayed tough. Both teams traded punts three times in this land conflict. Calfee was injured after gaining 52 yards for the night. An intriguing substitution followed. Alan Wheeling moved from quarterback to halfback and senior Joey Radcliffe came in for quarterback duty. The transition was flawless, but the Cougars would have to punt. The Cougars started their 6th possession on their own 34. On second down the offense was called for holding to bring about a 2nd and 20. The momentum of the game looked like it was swinging toward the Colonels when Wheeling took the pitch down the left sideline for a 48-yard gain. The drive would end in a missed 37-yard field goal attempt by Hedge. The Colonels moved the chains with a first down, but time expired in the half before they could get a drive going. Fleming received the kickoff to their own 15. Three plays later a collision on the exchange from the quarterback to the tailback caused a fumble. The ball squirted high into the air and was recovered by Pulaski County on the 20-yard line. On the next play Radcliffe threw a beautiful rainbow touchdown pass to Matt Roan. Hedge added the PAT for the 21-0 lead. Senior C.J. Bannister returned the kickoff to the Colonel 34. Three plays later Demetrius Grant carried for 3 yards and a first down at the 45. Illegal procedure pushed Fleming back 5 yards. Quarterback Taurus Boyd dropped back to pass but was swamped by a viscous pass rush and a 5-yard loss. Nester and Chris Denny led the way but Ben Davidson was not far behind. Fleming narrowly escaped a behind the line-of-scrimmage tackle by Roan, escaping for a 10 yard gain. Still 10 yards short of the first down Chris Dooley would punt again. He dropped the snap but was able to squeak a kick by the Cougar rushers anyway. Porter had a 13-yard carry to the Cougar 48 for a first down. The Colonel defense tightened and Hedge would be called on to punt. On 3rd and 12 Nester sacked Boyd for a 2-yard loss as he was dropping back to pass. The teams traded punts. Fleming was called for clipping on the return and would have to start from their own 8. Special team failures like this one kept the Colonels out of the game tonight. Three plays later Boyd passed from his own end zone and was intercepted by Wheeling. Two plays later Wheeling carried the ball in from 15 yards. Hedge added the PAT for the final score, PC 28- WF 0. Radcliffe showed his passing ability with a tight zinger to Roan for a 12-yard gain. Radcliffe had no trouble handing the snaps or handoffs and his passing ability seems equal or better than Wheeling’s. f Fleming had two long pass plays to threaten the shutout. Boyd threw to Senior Craig Calfee for a 40-yard gain. Then the two connected again on a 27 yarder to the 3. The Colonels fumbled into the end zone on the next play and the Cougars recovered. “It was a hard hitting team,” remarked Porter. “Number 18 was a Beast! (Junior Charles Johnson) He was the inside line backer and no body could block him. He stopped me tonight,” he added. 6’8” Davidson saw considerable playing time on defense tonight, much to the dismay of the Colonel linemen. “They started working me in. I substitute for all the defensive line.” “The whole line at once?” asked this writer. “No. I’m not quite that good. We’ve got good guys, I just come in to give them a break,” he said. “They talked a lot of trash on the field tonight,” said Gordon Cross. “But I would just point to the scoreboard. I got a few licks on punt return. Overall, they were real tough.” “It was the first time they showed that formation tonight, trips,” Wheeling said of his interception. “We got pressure on the quarterback when he rolled out. I jumped up and took it away. It felt pretty good to play halfback. I got hit pretty hard. I have a lot more respect for Calfee now.” “I loved it,” Radcliffe said of commanding the offense. “It was great to come into the game against a team like William Fleming and get two completions and a touchdown. Josh was hurt in practice this week so we all had reps and it worked out.” “He just put it up where not one else could get it,” Roan said of his 20-yard touchdown reception from Radcliffe. Roan had respect for this Colonel team while he played on defense. “They were quick. They got to the corner first. It was hard to keep them inside.” Don’t let Fleming’s record fool you Blue Ridge District. These Colonels will be tough to contain. Game
Pictures by Steven Marcus
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