The
Locker Room
October
17, 2001
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Week Eight by Ardent Cougar Friday, October 19 - William Byrd Terriers (Away): Series:
First meeting.
Region
III District Standings
Like the Cougars, the Terriers feature a good pair of running backs, namely Marcus English and Jerome Mann. Last week, Byrd invaded Salem Stadium, and thrashed the Spartans 42-21. QB Jeff Highfill is the son of the Terriers' coach. Byrd relies heavily on the running game, and watch out if those backs get into the secondary. On the other side of the ball, Demetrius Grant of Fleming ran for nearly 300 yards on them, so PC should be able to overpower the Terriers offensively at the line of scrimmage. The Terriers began their season with a loss to Single-A Glenvar, barely beat Alleghany, and lost the aforementioned Fleming game 32-14, after being down 32-0 at the half. However, they have wins against Northside and Salem, so the question is: Which Byrd team will show up? We know how good our offense is. Let's talk about special teams for a moment. The Cougars have blocked 5 punts and 2 PATs, and Alan Wheeling has returned 2 punts for TDs. It's great to have short fields to work with, and even better to have a few instant scores. Speaking of the kicking game, take a look at this Sportscombine.com feature on John Hedge. Is this the most disciplined team in Cougar history? 14 takeaways, and only a single turnover! Byrd's win over Salem, coupled with Northside's defeat of Fleming, definitely muddied the playoff picture. Amherst is the only Seminole team with a good chance to make the Division 4 playoffs, and the Lancers gained from the Spartans' loss. Blacksburg hosts Northside this week, and a Viking win would really make the playoff picture cloudier.
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Sometimes, 'wow' is about all you can say. Coach Hicks won his 200th as Head Coach of the Cougars, Josh Calfee surpassed 4000 yards rushing, PC tied a school record for most points scored in a game, and John Hedge broke both Shayne Graham's team record for consecutive PATs, and B.C. Clark's record for PATs in a single game. Jared White of Botetourt set a new VHSL record for receptions. To top it all off, it was Homecoming, and the 56-7 lead encouraged Joel to let certain players participate in the halftime ceremonies, which he usually does not allow. The 56 points set a record for the most scored in a half, and the 49-point halftime lead also made a mark. Add those to the list of the many records that have fallen, in the last few years. Looking back, that one unfortunate game last year (you know the one) changed for the better the way we defend the passing game. Good coverage and sacks smothered the Cavalier 'Run and Shoot' attack. The Botetourt defense could simply not handle our offensive line, and Jeremy Porter lead the charge numerically, with a 190-yard output, including TD runs of 49 and 70 yards. Homecoming King Calfee scored 4 times (including runs of 34 and 63 yards), and Wheeling accounted for two TDs, one on a run, and another on a 51-yard pass to Greg Cobbs. Lucas Nester had a stellar game defensively, with a fumble return for a TD, an interception, and a blocked punt. Those last two plays led to Cougar touchdowns, so you might say that Lucas was responsible for 1/3 of our points last Friday night. He is the leading tackler on the team. Previous 2001 Articles: FTB
Week One
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