Friday, October 5 - Salem Spartans (Away):

Series: PC leads 13-9. Over the last 9 seasons, the score is 5-4 Cougars.  During those years, the two teams won a combined 5 State Championships.
Last meeting: 2000 at Salem. Frank Cobbs rushed for 5 touchdowns (tying a school record) and ran for nearly 300 yards (setting a school record with 295), as the Cougars broke the 29-game winning streak of the two-time defending Division 4 State Champions on their own home field.  The 35-21 victory broke a 2-game streak in the series where the Spartans had dominated.  Salem went on to win a 3rd straight Division 4 State Championship, and 4th in the last 5 seasons.  The Cougars won the Northwest Region Championship, losing to eventual Division 5 State Champion Heritage (Newport News) in the State Semifinal.
 

Gilliam's Ratings	Rating	Week Change	Season Change	Overall Standing	Division Standing	Division
PC	88.22	-5.21	-1.69	6th	1st	Div. 4
Salem	76.14	NC	-14.17	25th	5th	Div. 4

Directions to the game (from the Salem Civic Center website)

Region III District Standings
Official VHSL Ratings
Cougar Team Statistics
Cougar Individual Statistics
 

1986
Salem 14, Pulaski County 13
This controversially-officiated game decided the Roanoke Valley District title.  Both teams made the playoffs, and only an errant punt snap prevented a post season rematch.  Salem made it all the way to the State Championship game, losing to Hampton.

1987
Salem 6, Pulaski County 3
This was the last time the teams played as AAA foes. Salem dropped to AA the next season, joined the Blue Ridge District, and the series took a two year break.

1992
Salem 29, Pulaski County 22
In Week 6, the Spartans come from behind to beat the Cougars. PC's record thus stood at 4-2.  This was the last game the Cougars would lose that season, as they went on to win their first State Championship, beating Thomas Dale 35-20 for the Division 6 title.

1993
Pulaski County 45, Salem 6
The nationally-ranked Cougar powerhouse totally dominated the Spartans.  PC made the State Championship game for the second consecutive year, but a broken jaw Eric Webb suffered in the State Semifinal win against Indian River kept him on the bench, and the Cougars narrowly lost to Annandale, 14-7.  The Atoms would repeat as champions the next season.

1997
Pulaski County 20, Salem 16
After leading 14-3 at the break, then seeing Salem take the lead 16-14, PC put together a 99-yard 4th quarter drive to win a thriller.  In half the games that season, the Cougars trailed in the final quarter, but rallied to victory.

1998
Salem 47, Pulaski County 0
Like the 1993 Cougars, the Spartans owned this game, handing PC it's worst loss in the Joel Hicks era, 47-0.  Salem went on to win its second Division 4 State Championship in three seasons, and would repeat for the next two years, as well.

2000
Pulaski County 35, Salem 21
Frank Cobbs rushed for 5 touchdowns and nearly 300 yards, and PC broke Salem's 29-game winning streak.  The Spartans went on to a third consecutive Division 4 State Championship, and the Cougars won the Northwest Region, before barely falling to the eventual Division 5 State Champions, the powerful Heritage (Newport News) Hurricanes, 22-17, in the State Semifinal.

It's been a decade and a half, since this game decided a district championship.

That's too long.

Enough said.
 

Cougar Point Margin Stats:	Average Score	Best Score	Worst Score
Beginning Margin	31-0	59-0	0-14
Biggest Lead	47-9	59-0	34-27
Biggest Deficit	0-3	0-0	0-14

 

Cougar Game Stats:	Average Score	Best Score	Worst Score
End of 1st Q	17-3	28-0	2-14
Halftime	28-7	42-0	17-20
End of 3rd Q	38-9	56-0	31-27
Final	47-11	56-0	34-27

 

Gilliam's Ratings for:	Blue Ridge District	Week Change	Season Change
Pulaski County	88.22	-5.21	-1.69
Salem	76.14	NC	-14.17
Northside	74.54	+5.84	+0.36
Blacksburg	71.04	+5.21	+13.02
William Fleming	69.29	+3.65	+6.82
Lord Botetourt	66.73	-3.66	+2.15
William Byrd	64.77	+1.46	+7.50
Alleghany	45.43	-5.84	-11.76
Christiansburg	37.21	-1.46	+2.69

 

Gilliam's Ratings for:	Upcoming Cougar Opponents	Week Change	Season Change
Lord Botetourt	66.73	-3.66	+2.15
William Byrd	64.77	+1.46	+7.50
Alleghany	45.43	-5.84	-11.76
Northside	74.54	+5.84	+0.36

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Week Five Review - Friday, September 28 - Blacksburg Indians (Home):

Game Story

For the first four games in 2001, the Cougars won with ease.  Each game, PC jumped out to at least a 28 point lead before the opponent even got on the scoreboard.  The final margin was at least 28, and the biggest lead averaged 45 points.

Then last Friday night, Blacksburg came to town, and meant business.

Before you could get comfortably settled in your seat, it was 14-0 Indians, and QB Brett Smith had 150 yards rushing.

I told you he was slick.

The Cougars weren't able to do anything with the ball, on their first three possessions.

Something had to be done.  Somebody needed to step up.

John Hedge to the rescue.  His long punt pinned the Indians deep in their own territory.

Chris Denny to the rescue.  His punt block (which ended up in a safety) gave PC its first points.  He later blocked a PAT attempt.

The coaching staff to the rescue.  Defensively, they were able to counter the Blacksburg attack.  Offensively, they figured out how the Indians were 'gumming up the works', and adjusted accordingly.

Alan Wheeling to the rescue.  His Houdini-like 16-yard TD run cut the deficit to 14-9.  He added a 62-yard score late in the first half.

Chris Hardin and Gordon Cross to the rescue.  Hardin tipped a Smith pass early in the 3rd Quarter, and Cross got the interception.

Jeremy Porter to the rescue.  With the Indians keying on Josh Calfee, it was up to Jeremy.  He ended up with his best game ever, 191 yards, and a pair of long scoring runs, including the TD that gave PC the lead for good.

Joey Radcliffe and another Cougar defender (I am not sure which one) to the rescue.  With Blacksburg down 7, but with excellent field position and trying to mount a game-tying drive, Joey dived to catch the ball that had caromed off a receiver's hands, after he was hit.

Finally, Alan 'MVP' Wheeling to the rescue once again.  His keeper on 3rd-and-8 got the first down, and ended Indian hopes.

For the second week in a row, Blacksburg had seen a 14-point first half lead against strong teams slip away.  If they can cut down on those turnovers (3 in this game, 7 against Salem), I can see them possibly sweeping the rest of their schedule, and being a dangerous foe for anyone in the playoffs.

The game is played for 48 minutes, not 24, and certainly not 12.

You win as many games as you can, by dominating from start to finish.

When this is not possible, you just.... win.

Previous 2001 Articles:

FTB Week One
FTB Week Two
FTB Week Three
FTB Week Four
FTB Week Five