"Salem East" Goes "South"! Cougars Crush Eagles < From Behind by Pete Cougar Full
Story and Interviews
ROCKY MOUNT - The fair weather in
Franklin County assured a rather overwhelming turnout. The newspaper predicted a
close battle in which both teams would score multiple times. The narrow
visitors' stands were less occupied by Cougar fans than the area to the sides of
them. Lastly, a look to the darkening evening sky revealed hundreds of bats
feasting on the moths that hugged the stadium lights. Somehow, all of these
seemingly trivial observations sort of hung in the air and told this writer one
thing: that this game between the Pulaski County Cougars and the Franklin County
Eagles was going to be good. As the representatives for each
team met at midfield and the coin sailed down to the grass, it was declared that
Pulaski had won the toss. As usual, they deferred to the second half. This
writer saw that this game was going to be unusual literally the second the two
teams took their positions for the kickoff. Ryan Dean. Rashaad Simmons. Chad
Thompson. The second-stringers, some of which were also starters, were beginning
the game for the Cougars. The opening kickoff was a beauty, sailing clear into
the endzone for the typical touchback. From their own twenty yardline, the
Eagles began things with a six-yard run that was stopped by Brandon Anderson. A
pitch to the right got them a first down on the following play, and then Shaun
Branscome allowed two yards before introducing himself to the carrier the fun
way. This made the down second and eight on the thirty-eight. The anonymous
Franklin quarterback unleashed a pass attempt next, but it didn't seem to have
been on the leash in the first place and sailed straight to the grass. After
that, Cougar defensive lineman Matt Hall did a fairly good impression of a
rampaging brick wall and pushed the carrier back three yards. After that, with
the down fourth and eleven on their own thirty-five, the Eagles punted to end a
short and unproductive drive. The first punt of the game
unceremoniously plummeted out of bounds to land the Cougars on their own
thirty-five yardline. Derrick Burks got the handoff from quarterback Britt
Shumate to gain one yard. Directly after that, he got the handoff again and
fumbled as he went down for a Franklin recovery on Pulaski's thirty-three
yardline. With the Cougar defense back in
the game, the Eagles fired off an incomplete pass attempt covered by Steven
Cobbs. Then, still with everything to gain, the carrier for Franklin managed to
scramble to the twenty-six before getting his ankle snagged by Ryan Dean.
Another pass attempt followed, this time being completed, and the receiver came
down on the twenty, courtesy of Cobbs, for a first down. From there, they made
it to fourteen, and from there, the twelve. With the down now third and one,
they juked past the Cougar defense to be stopped by Matt Tilley and Frank
Baldwin at the one yardline. After that, all it took was basically a literal
trip into the endzone for a touchdown and an extra point. This put the first
numbers on the board, the Cougars trailing 0-7 with 6:05 left in the first
quarter. The kickoff that followed this
disappointing turn of events was returned by freshman running back Kevin Crouse,
who made it all the way to the Franklin forty-seven, giving the Cougars
excellent field position. A flag was thrown on the following play, penalizing
the Cougars and pushing them back five yards (the actual reason for the foul
escapes this writer at the moment). This made the down first and ten on the
Cougars' forty-eight instead of the Franklin forty-seven. Derrick Burks tried to
make up for this, but only reached the fifty. At this point, something told this
writer that there was more than meets the eye. Jack Turner had to have something
up his sleeve in store for everyone. This was far too easy for the Eagles. No sooner had this idea occurred
to me than Britt Shumate threw an awesome pass to Brandon Anderson, who went
down at the nineteen yardline. After an obvious first down, Derrick Burks
carried it in the rest of the nineteen yards for Pulaski's first touchdown of
the night. Jamie Steger went for the extra point but it was blocked, leaving the
score 6-7. Jamie Steger unleashed another
touchback on the following kickoff. S.G. Brown stopped the carrier dead in his
tracks, not allowing him to gain anything. A successful pass attempt followed,
connecting at the thirty-four yardline as the receiver went down for the first
down. S.G. Brown wrestled the carrier down again on the following play, after
the forty yardline was claimed. A long pass attempt followed, sure to gain the
Eagles at least twenty or thirty yards if it had connected. Luckily, it didn't
thanks to Steven Cobbs. The down was now third and four. Another long pass was
attempted. This time, Ryan Dean was the one to cover it, actually smacking it
out of the air. This, however, caused the Cougars to get flagged for pass
interference, as Ryan was seen by the referee jumping almost on top of the
would-be receiver. Another long pass was attempted, but bounced right out of the
receiver's hands. As soon as the following play began, Franklin was flagged for
illegal motion and automatically lost five yards. This made the down second and
fifteen on the Pulaski forty-nine yardline. This made little difference, as the
following pass attempt was connected at the nineteen yardline before Greg Sartin
made the stop. Steven Cobbs did the same after the Eagles gained only one yard
more. Another incomplete pass came next, and then a completed one for a minor
two yards to the sixteen. With the down fourth and seven, the Eagles went for a
field goal with 1:05 remaining in the first quarter. It sailed into the now
nearly black night air and through the goalpost for three more points, leaving
the Cougars behind 10-6. The kickoff that came next went
into the arms of junior running back Chad Thompson, who ran it all the way up to
the forty-seven yardline. He was assisted by a reverse version of the "chickenfoot"
chant that Cougardave, ScottCougar, and myself do. This writer came up with the
"cougarpaw," in which the hand is cupped like a paw and beckoned,
underhand, toward the chest repeatedly. Apparently it worked. Brandon Anderson
stepped into the fray again next, reaching only the forty-eight yardline.
Derrick Burks reached the forty-nine directly afterward. Britt Shumate launched
a pass next which was almost intercepted. To add to it, a holding penalty was
called on the Cougars but declined. However, with the down fourth and eight on
their own forty-nine, the Cougars still were pressured to punt the ball. Jamie Steger's punt was partially
blocked, sailing only to the twenty-three yardline. Another incomplete pass was
launched from there, and then the whole offense seemed to be pounded by hungry
Cougar linemen for a three-yard loss. This made the down fourth and eleven, and
this time the Eagles had to punt. Steven Cobbs returned the punt up
to the Franklin forty-five yardline. Derrick Burks got the handoff to begin the
drive and wove through the line to the forty for the most decent gain the
Cougars could boast in the last four or five offensive plays. Brandon Anderson
got the ball next, and juked through the defenders to about the thirty-seven.
However, another holding penalty nailed the Cougars and forced them back ten
yards. This put them on about the forty-seven. Anderson got the left pitch from
Shumate and ran it up to the thirty-nine. After a time out by Pulaski, Anderson
picked up where he left off and lost a yard. This put them back on the forty
with the down fourth and five. They punted. This punt landed more in the
Cougar's favor this time, going all the way down to the six yardline. Right off
the bat, Franklin gained three yards. A first down followed, and then Franklin
called a time out of their own. After that, they pitched right to the carrier
who was run out of bounds at the twenty-seven. >From there, some talented
Eagle ball carrier ran it all the way up to the fifty yardline. The forty-five
was claimed next, and then a pass was completed to the thirty-seven. Two short
gains to the twenty-nine and twenty-five, in that order, came next. The down was
now first and ten on the twenty-five yardline. Franklin's carrier then made a
dash to the twenty, and then to the fifteen for the first down again. After
that, they managed to reach the six. The one was claimed next, and then Franklin
County scored their second touchdown of the night along with the extra point.
This made the score 6-17 in their favor with a mere 1:58 remaining in the half. Chad Thompson nabbed the ball
during the kickoff that followed, and ran it up to the thirty-four. Derrick
Burks tried his best to duplicate that yardage, but failed and only got one.
Brandon Anderson got the handoff next but lost two yards. Next, the Cougars
relied on Greg Sartin but even he lost a yard. With the down at last fourth and
eleven on the Pulaski thirty-two, they punted again. This marked the beginning of
halftime. Things looked bleak for those who drove an hour and a half to see
their Cougars play. Some Pulaski loyalists were spotted leaving at this time.
This writer went down to where CougarDave was sitting and asked if he thought
our boys still had a shot. He wasn't even worried. He said something he'd heard
from the immortal John Madden: "Half of this game is ninety percent
mental." He pointed to the back-right corner of the endzone to our right
and told me that he remembered that endzone--that corner of that
endzone--for two special reasons. First, because when he was on the football
team, a game-winning touchdown was scored. Secondly, because he himself got in a
game-saving tackle in that very spot (that's how you said it, right Dave?). He
also proceeded to tell this writer that he'd seen our boys come back from
stronger deficits than this one. It was obvious what he thought of the
situation, and it reminded this writer of the feeling he had earlier about it
being too easy for the Eagles. Something or someone was at work here. Pretty soon, the third quarter
rolled around. Now for the fun part. The time came for the Cougars to get the
ball and begin the second and final half of the game. Chad Thompson got the
kickoff and was run out of bounds at the Franklin forty-eight. Derrick Burks
took it next and landed it at the forty-six. As short as that gain was, this one
was just as immense in proportions, especially for such a game. Burks got the
handoff a second consecutive time and ran it past defenders, between linemen,
over the river and through the woods all the way up to the nineteen yardline!
After he gained another three yards on the following play, Frank Baldwin took
over for Ernie Hodge, who is out for a concussion, on the famed criss-cross
play. This got our fellows from the sixteen to the three yardline. Burks carried
it to the one after that, making the down second and one on the one. Britt
Shumate tried a quarterback keeper but failed to gain anything. Burks tried
another carry but ran into a wall of Franklin linemen and also did not gain.
Next, however, Brandon Anderson romped into the endzone for the touchdown. The
away crowd then began to chant, "Two! Two! Two!" A moment later, it
was announced that Jack Turner was going for the two-point conversion. Brandon
Anderson carried this one as well, with just as admirable results. This put the
Cougars on the board only three points behind the Eagles, 14-17, with 7:33
remaining in the first half of the last half. On the following kickoff, the
receiver was successful in snatching the ball out of the air. However, he was
bulldozed back to the twenty yardline by Greg Sartin, Ryan Dean, and various
others. From there, Franklin's Ronnie Edwards, whom this writer believes was
their only carrier for most of the night, made it to the thirty-three before
Brandon Anderson showed him why he shouldn't be. Some other guy for Franklin
named Cooper ran it next, or tried to. He only got two yards. An incomplete pass
followed, and after that came a seven-yarder. The down was now fourth and a
long, excruciating one on the thirty-seven. Rather than punt with that little to
gain, the Eagles went for it. They reached the forty-seven, some guy fumbled,
and Pulaski County recovered the ball. This writer sincerely apologizes for not
finding out which player actually got the ball. The down was first and ten on the
Franklin County forty-seven. Derrick Burks started this short drive with a
no-gainer. Brandon Anderson juked and jived down to the thirty, and then Burks
got the handoff and ran to the twenty-eight. Greg Sartin got the ball next,
losing a yard. He more than made up for it, however, on the next play. The down
was third and nine on the twenty-nine yardline. This writer calls this play the
"8-7 oozie" because number eight, Britt Shumate, uncorked a huge pass
that sailed into number seven, Greg Sartin's waiting arms in the endzone for a
touchdown. "We spent basically the
whole game setting that up," Shumate said. "We were just waiting until
the time when we really needed it. Coach told me to pass, so I looked out and
there he was, wide open. (laughs) I'm sure glad he caught it!" The extra point that followed was
successful, and the score changed drastically with Pulaski County ahead 21-17
with 3:01 remaining in the third quarter. The following kickoff stopped
dead at the thirty-three yardline. Two yards were claimed before Kasey
McCambridge autographed the carrier. A pass was completed after that to land
Franklin on the Pulaski forty-six for a first down as freshman Kevin Crouse got
the stop. The following run was also stopped by Crouse and came this close ( )
to getting the Eagles a first down. This made the down third and one on the
thirty-seven. They reached the thirty-four and got the first down seconds later.
The quarterback launched a pass that surely would have caused a touchdown for
the Eagles had it not been dropped. Steven Cobbs was on that receiver like a
leech. The down was now third and ten on the thirty-four yardline. The Eagles
passes again and connected, landing them on the twenty-nine. They were penalized
for an illegal man downfield, a foul sure to lead to loss of down, but it was
declined. With the down fourth and seven on the twenty-nine, Franklin called a
time out. They then threw a long bomb of a pass that ended up going more
distance than it needed to. This writer casually checked the scoreboard. There
were 7.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Pulaski took possession on the
twenty-nine. Brandon Anderson made it to the thirty-four as the quarter ended. The fourth and final quarter of
the game began with a short two-yarder by Derrick Burks. Brandon Anderson
followed up with a no-gainer, and that made the down fourth and three on the
thirty-six yardline. Pulaski decided to punt but was called for illegal motion
and had to back up five yards. On the second attempt, the ball sailed into the
returner's waiting arms. He went down at the thirty-four. On this short drive, Franklin
made it to the thirty before fumbling for a Pulaski recovery. Brandon Anderson started off this
next drive with a run to the thirty-two. Derrick Burks followed with a sprint of
his own to the thirty-three before getting the first down on the next play. From
the thirty-six, Shumate pitched to the right, where Anderson reached the
forty-one before coming down hard. Burks took it from there, dashing to the
other side of the field to claim the Franklin forty-six yardline. After five
more yards of his own, Burks continued with a huge run that surely would have
led to a touchdown, had the referee not been in the way. This made the down
first and goal on the four. Burks, from there, made it to the one yardline.
Directly afterward, Burks finished what he started with another touchdown and a
blocked extra point, making the score 27-17 in the Cougars' favor with 5:09
remaining in the game. The kickoff sailed into the
returner's arms, and he made it to the twenty-two before Kevin Crouse got him. A
pass was completed next and the receiver made it to the thirty-five yardline,
barely escaping Greg Sartin. A long bomb was overthrown next, and a second pass
went into the unsuspecting arms of one of the Franklin County coaches. The down
was third and ten on the thirty-five. Franklin unleashed another pass, only for
it to get totally swatted to the ground like a gnat by Shaun Branscome. The down
was now fourth and ten on the thirty-five, and one last long pass was
incomplete. Pulaski automatically took
possession of the ball on the thirty-five. Derrick Burks carried the ball first,
but was well prepared for by the defenders and failed to gain anything. The
Cougars called a time out, and then Anderson tried running left only to get the
same result. Anderson tried again, and this time reached the twenty-seven.
Pulaski was flagged for illegal procedure on the next play, but the penalty was
declined. It was still fourth and four, though, so they still had to give up the
ball. The Eagles began their final
drive of the game pitching left to the forty-one before Shaun Branscome got him.
Another long pass was released from the quarterback only to get virtually pie
faced to the ground by Brandon Anderson. The down was second and ten on the
forty-one yardline. A pass was completed for a first down, and then from the
forty-eight another pass was left incomplete. Another long one was thrown
incomplete right afterwards. Another pass was completed for a first down on the
thirty-three before the receiver had his legs knocked out from under him. After
another incompletion, Greg Sartin sealed Franklin's fate with a quarterback
sack. With the down third and eighteen on the forty-one, the clock ran out to
zero and the Cougars again emerged victorious, 27-17. Jack Turner even did a cool
little dance on the sidelines. "I went to school in this
area, over at Ferrum College," Turner said. "I had my first jobs in
teaching and coaching here, and I also met my wife here which is the most
important thing. I didn't get the win tonight. The kids did. A couple weeks ago
I thought William Fleming was the best opposing team I'd seen in a long time.
Now I'd say it's Franklin. They're an awesome team." When asked what
adjustments he made to the defensive line, he simply stated, "we moved the
linebacker over one step. That was it." He then proceeded to say just how
much he appreciates the website and all that we do, which really touched me. No
problem, Jack. No problem. Jack Turner was more smiley at
the end of the game than most cheerleaders are during any given time in the
game. So was everyone that this writer knows. With that in mind, I, Pete Cougar,
as always, would like to personally, cordially invite you to join us next week
as we face E.C. Glass at Dobson Stadium. See you in the stands! Until then, for
cougarfootball.net, this is Pete Cougar signing off.
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