Spartans Slam Cougars by Pete Cougar Full
Story and Interviews
SALEM STADIUM-- "There are some who will say that your accomplishments here tonight will soon be forgotten. But you have a powerful weapon working for you: there is no tomorrow for you. And that makes you all very dangerous people!" That quote was from the movie The Replacements, in which Gene Hackman is a retired football coach re-hired to guide a team full of scabs when the NFL is hit with a player strike. He said that at the beginning of their last game before the strike came to a close. Similarly, the PCHS Cougars had that same weapon. Their shot at the playoffs had been blown, which meant nothing was keeping them from pulling out all the stops. Tragically, the Salem Spartans were out of the playoffs and had no tomorrow either. Before the game even began, my good old friend CougarDave broke his own record in hot dog consumption, which had been eleven but was soon twelve. Salem won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. The opening kickoff soared down to Steven Cobbs, who scrambled to the twenty-nine yardline before going down. Derrick Burks got the first handoff of the game and made a minor gain to the thirty. He then jumped over the linemen on the next play in an attempt to add to it and made it as far as the thirty-three, but the ball came stumbling out of his hands and into Salem's. This fumble recovery marked the end of a relatively short drive. With the ball fresh in their possession at a great spot on the field, the Spartans began their game with a pass that went wild, to say the least. After the ball was found, they resumed with a run to the twenty-eight yardline that was halted by Frank Baldwin. Pulaski was called offsides, pushing Salem ahead five yards, and with the down now third and one, Ernie Hodge slammed the ball carrier and stopped his progress. With the down fourth and one on the twenty-one, the Spartans made what should have been the most blatant holding penalty in history but somehow got away with it, running in for the first touchdown of the night. The extra point finalized it all and put the Spartans on the board 0-7 with a ripe 9:34 left in the first quarter. The following kickoff went to Brandon Anderson who dropped it and watched it bounce into the endzone for a touchback. From there, he broke through the middle to reach the twenty-seven. With only three yards to go, he got two more and then Derrick Burks got the handoff and finished the job by reaching the thirty-two for a first down. Brandon took it from there but lost a yard. Derrick got it next and was stopped at the thirty-four yardline. The down was third and eight on the thirty-four. Ernie Hodge saved the day with that criss-cross that is loved so much, reaching the forty-two which was just a yard short of the first down. Naturally, it was Burks who took it in and renewed the drive on the forty-three. What happened next is, in the opinion of yours truly, what our boys needed in order to put up a fight. Britt Shumate unleashed a long one from the Cougars' forty-three to Steven Cobbs who caught it and landed at the Spartans' forty-three, a gain of fourteen yards. Derrick Burks carried it to the thirty-seven from there, and Anderson wrestled his way through the grip of about four defenders to reach the thirty-one for another first down. Derrick took it to the thirty, and then Shumate pitched left to Anderson for yet another first down, this time on the thirteen. Brandon ran the ball to the eight yardline next, and then Burks jumped into the line to reach the six in a maneuver which I have come to call the "stage dive." Anderson got the handoff after that and ran to the right, almost reaching the sidelines, in an effort to shake the defenders. It worked just enough, and the Cougars were now at the three yardline, first and goal. All it took was one of Derrick's stage dives to kill Salem's shut-out with a Pulaski County touchdown and an extra point to boot. This made the score 7-7 with a slim 1:30 on the clock. Kicker Jamie Steger booted the ball to number three for the Spartans, whoever that is (my program and team roster got lost, so work with me), and he ran it to the twenty-five yardline. Salem reached the twenty-seven, and then, courtesy of a LONG pass that was almost dropped, reached the Cougars' thirty-one. Matt Tilley, S.G. Brown, and Shaun Branscome all pushed the carrier back one yard on the following play, and then Steven Cobbs allowed only two yards to make up for the loss. This marked the end of the first quarter. After the two teams were positioned on the opposite end of the field, Salem's quarterback uncorked a huge bomb pass that went incomplete. This made the down fourth and nine on the thirty. The quarterback repeated himself with another incomplete pass, turning the ball over to the Cougars at their own thirty yardline. Brandon Anderson picked up Shumate's handoff for a dash to the thirty-three. After that, he claimed the thirty-nine where Burks carried a no-gainer after that. With the down fourth and one, the Cougars were nailed for a false start and pushed back five yards. The down was now fourth and six, so the Cougars punted. That same number three guy made a fair catch on Salem's own twenty-three yardline. Salem's carrier immediately ran left to the thirty. An illegal procedure penalty pushed them back five yards and made the down second and eight. That quarterback of theirs tossed another incomplete pass that was almost intercepted by Brandon Anderson. The next play was all Shaun Branscome and Matt Tilley, who got in a huge quarterback sack. This made the down fourth and sixteen for the Spartans. They punted. Salem's punt went so far as to reach Pulaski County's forty-eight yardline where it stopped dead. Brandon Anderson took the ball around the line and to the forty-four. Derrick Burks did another stage dive for a gain of one, and then Ernie Hodge criss-crossed for three. The down was fourth and two now, and Brandon got the handoff before Pulaski was called for holding and Salem declined the penalty. From the Salem forty-three, Andre Hairston broke free of pretty much everything to reach the Cougar endzone for a touchdown. The following extra point was blocked, limiting the points to 7-13 in the Spartans' favor with 5:03 left in the half. Kevin Crouse received the following kickoff and made a fair catch on the twenty-four yardline. Brandon Anderson ran the ball to the twenty-seven, and then received a pass from Shumate on the forty-one to claim a super-sized first down. Ernie Hodge ran the criss-cross next but was expected and got nothing. Shumate launched a huge bomb next but it fell incomplete. With the down third and ten on the forty-one, Anderson received a second pass attempt for a well-needed first down. From the Spartans' forty-seven, Burks broke free of the defenders and made it to their forty-one. From there, Anderson ran it to the forty. Anderson ran it a second time but was well-expected and was pushed back to the forty-eight. With the down fourth and twelve, the Cougars punted. After a fair catch on the fifteen, Salem ran a no-gainer and then got a first down just in time for halftime. Halftime was one final time for congregating behind the stands and eating food and drinks during the twenty minutes of down time between the halves. It was one final time for the Salem Marching Band to play at a football game this year, (the Golden Cougar Marching Band performed before the game, as they were with the away team) and it was one final time for CougarDave to break his own record for hot dog consumption in one game from twelve to fourteen. The time came for the band to get off the field and the players to once again step out for the final half. The opening kickoff went to Salem's Andre Hairston, who managed to get the ball to the nineteen. The twenty-two was claimed after that, and then the quarterback pitched left for a one-yard loss at the hands of Greg Sartin. After a gain of five, the down was still fourth and three, which coerced the Spartans to punt. Steven Cobbs made a fair catch at the Pulaski forty-two yardline where Derrick Burks got the handoff and lost a yard. A long pass from Shumate fell incomplete, and then Brandon Anderson reached the forty-three. However, the down was fourth with a long nine. The Cougars punted to a Salem returner who was slammed--and I do mean SLAMMED--at the thirty-four yardline. Immediately, the Spartans were flagged for blocking in the back. Salem's first carry of this next drive was a no-gainer. So was the next, which took the form of an incomplete pass, and so was the third and final play of the drive which saw the Spartans fumbling right in front of Greg Sartin for a Cougar recovery on their own twenty-seven yardline. Brandon Anderson took the ball to the thirty straight off, and then Burks ran it to the thirty-six. With only one yard to go until the first down, Derrick carried the ball again and reached the forty-five yardline for an obvious first down. Brandon Anderson carried it to the forty-nine from there, and then Burks ran a no-gainer. This made the down third and four on the forty-nine. Britt Shumate, the guy who "simply hands off the ball or throws it" finally got his appropriate recognition as the quarterback, running the ball himself to the Spartans' forty-three for the first down. Anderson gained one yard more after that, and Burks followed up by reaching the thirty. A flag of unsportsmanlike conduct (for whom I was never sure) was averted somehow, and the play ended in a first down. Anderson got the ball to the twenty-four yardline where Pulaski was flagged for illegal procedure and lost five yards. Anderson reached the twenty-seven, which made the down third and seven. It was here that Britt Shumate tried to pass and was sacked by about three defenders. The down was now fourth and sixteen, so Pulaski tried to punt but was flagged for delay of game and had to move back five yards before they could punt. The ball went from the forty-one to the fourteen yardline where it rolled out of bounds. Salem began this drive with a one-yarder. Thus began the final quarter of the final half of the final game of the year. Then, they got four more yards. From the twenty-one, a first down was claimed on the twenty-nine. Hairston made it to the thirty-seven. After that, a huge run by Hairston landed the Spartans on the Cougars' seventeen yardline. Ryan Dean tackled the carrier at the five next, and the whole line prevented a gain of any sort on the following play. After that the three yardline was claimed, and a pitch got the carrier mobbed by half the defensive line at the two. The down was fourth and goal here, so Salem kicked a successful field goal, making the score 7-16 Brandon Anderson got the kickoff that followed and managed to crawl up to the twenty-two before getting stopped. After that he claimed the thirty, and from there Burks got a first down by reaching the thirty-three. From there, Brandon took it to the thirty-seven. One anonymously-gained yard later, Anderson ran it again for no gain. This made the down fourth and five on the thirty-eight yardline. Anderson scrambled up to the forty-three, just shy of the first down. Salem gained two yards, and then from the forty-one Hairston made a dash for the endzone for another touchdown and extra point, making the score 7-23 with 3:46 remaining in the year. Steven Cobbs returned the kickoff after that and ran it up to the twenty-nine. After that an anonymous carrier made it to the thirty-five and then to the forty, where Derrick got Shumate's handoff and ran it to the Salem forty-six for a first down. Burks then made it a minor distance to the forty-four, and then Salem was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. This failed to help our boys, however, as directly after this the final clock finally ran out on the game and on the season, 7-23 with a Salem victory over Pulaski. As a mere writer, I cannot begin to tell you what cougar football is all about. There's a question for the players I surely would have asked had I gotten in touch with them, especially Derrick Burks, Brandon Anderson, Jamie Steger, and all the other seniors on the football team. I can only make minor, generic guesses such as trust, teamwork, leadership, perseverance and, most of all in my book, faith and hope. Faith and hope that someday, 1992 may be repeated and the entire state will once again learn the name PULASKI COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. As with last year, I have a short list of players to watch out for in the next season, listed in random order: First, Rashad Simmons. You'd probably know him as the one with the dreadlocks. This dude is sure to take Derrick Burk's place as fullback. Stopping this guy alone is like stopping a Mack truck going downhill with a pea shooter. If you're skeptical, try having P.E. with him. Secondly, the Montgomery twins, Cain and Ian. Both are quick, agile, and good at handling the ball from what I've seen. Chad Thompson is also not to be overlooked. As the running back for next year, he'll bring to the field the speed of Brandon Anderson with some juking reminiscent of Josh Calfee. Kasey McCambridge will return next year as a lineman and will surely get in some of the most brutal hits seen on a high school field. Ouch. Lastly, Steven Cobbs will be seen next year as well, hopefully getting in those same hits and runs he's been dishing out year after year. Well, that's about all I can think of off the top of my head. With that in mind, I hope it takes a shorter amount of time for it to sink in for you than it will for me. The fact that there will be no more games, no more tailgates, and no more articles until next school year. Whoa. On the other hand, I wonder what it'd be like to have Friday nights off... WELL. Until next YEAR, for Ardent, Dave, Steve and boss Jeff, this is Pete Cougar signing off.
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