The Locker Room September 24, 2003

Around the District Last Week

Friday, September 26 - E. C. Glass Hilltoppers (Home):

Series: E.C. Glass leads 7-4-1.
Streaks: The Cougars have won the last two, after having lost 4 in a row from 1994-1995, including a pair of Region Finals. Glass won 3 and tied 1 in the first 6 games of the series, the tie coming in PC's first year, 1974.  After the 1975 game, the two teams would not meet again until 1990.
Biggest Cougar Winning Margin: 21, 1993 (35-14)
Biggest Cougar Losing Margin: -32, 1995 (3-35)
Closest Game: 1974 Cougars 8, Hilltoppers 8
Average Score: Hilltoppers 20, Cougars 16
Last Meeting: 2000 at E. C. Glass.  Result: Cougars 34-14. The Cougars served notice that the 54-0 demolishing of Christiansburg in the season opener, was not just because the Blue Demons were down.  PC was up, big time.  The Cougars easily topped the Hilltoppers, at one point leading 31-0.  QB Alan Wheeling threw for a score, and reached the endzone himself on a 40-yard keeper.  Frank Cobbs (on his way to over 1,800 yards for the regular season) and Josh Calfee (who later in the year would become the leading rusher in Cougar History) gained over 100 yards each.  Frank and Josh both scored once.  John Hedge rounded out the diversified scoring, with a pair of field goals.
 

	2003 Overall Record
Pulaski County Cougars	3-1
E. C. Glass Hilltoppers	1-3

Region III District Standings
Official VHSL Ratings
2003 Cougar Team Statistics
2003 Cougar Individual Statistics
 

Some of these coincidences are starting to get a little eerie.

Just as his legendary predecessor did in 1979, new Head Coach Jack Turner started out his Cougar career, with a shutout.

Just as his legendary predecessor did in 1979, he took a team that did not have a winning season the year before, on the road early in the year, to face a tough team.

In that inaugural season for Joel Hicks, PC traveled to Martinsville, to battle the Bulldogs, in a mud bowl.

At halftime, the Cougars seemed to be a beaten team, staring at an 11-point deficit.

PC came roaring back in the second half, scoring 21 unanswered points, for a 23-13 comeback win.  This game made it into the Greatest Games in Cougar History.

Who knows where the season might have ended up, if PC had folded at the break that night?

Last week, on the road in Rocky Mount, Jack Turner and his soldiers were down by 11, after 24 minutes of play.  They had been pushed around for most of that time, and Franklin County looked to be in control.

Twenty one unanswered points later, the Cougars had finished an exciting and uplifting, confidence builder of a comeback.

Both Joel's first PC team, and Jack's, started out 3-1.  Both lost very close games to good teams.

Now, I'm not saying that I necessarily believe that there is any possible significance to any of this.

I'm just sayin'.
 

Newspaper Articles on E. C. Glass's games:

Amherst stays perfect, defeats E.C. Glass

Anderson steals a win for Cavs

Glass' Anderson runs over Brookville
 
 

The DOMINATION FACTOR		2003
2003	COUGARS	Opponent
Season Average	114.00	82.25
Northside 35-0	141.33	54.67
William Fleming 3-6	84.56	111.44
Patrick Henry 35-25	123.44	72.56
Franklin County 27-17	106.67	90.35
E. C. Glass	----	----
Hidden Valley	----	----
Blacksburg	----	----
Christiansburg	----	----
Cave Spring	----	----
Salem	----	----

.
Week Four Review - Friday, September 19 - Franklin County Eagles (Away):

The Cougars won their 14th straight in the series, but it was far from easy.

It was a tale of two halves, and three turnovers.

Jack Turner returned to the stadium where he was an assistant coach for the Eagles, searching for a big road win against a Division 6 team that had fallen on hard times in the 1990s, but has been recently resurrected. 

The first half saw the home team push the Cougars around, turn a PC fumble into a score, and take horrible field position after a Jamie Steger punt, and turn it into a 94-yard TD drive late in the half.

Down 17-6, whatever approach was necessary and appropriate in that lockerroom, Jack took it.

PC scored twice in the third quarter, the second TD coming on Britt Shumate's perfect bomb to Greg Sartin, which ignited the crowd, and gave the Cougars the lead for good.

Derrick Burks' second TD of the night, a fourth quarter score with just over 5 minutes to go, sealed the win.

Each turnover in the game was turned into a touchdown.

As has been the usual winning formula for the Cougars - the opponents gave it up more. PC came through, against a tough team - one that Coach Turner rates as better than William Fleming.

Box Score

Full Story and Interviews ("Salem East" Goes "South"!  Cougars Crush Eagles)

Game Pictures

Message incites Cougars

Around the District Last Week:

Casey leads Spartans' surge (Scroll for Christiansburg-Lord Botetourt)

Fieldale-Collinsville blanks Hidden Valley
 
 

Well folks, what can you say? Its Monday, and my voice still isn't back to normal yet. I can only remember two other games where my voice was so trashed afterwards: the Cave Spring overtime thriller from '99, and the Franklin County game where now assistant coach Rodney Landreth made the game 
saving tackle on the 1 yard line on 4th and goal. I don't know what it is about Franklin County, maybe the fact that we're all just a bunch of "outsiders", maybe we're all a little "rough, redneck, and rowdy" as Coach Turner likes to call it, or maybe its just that these are usually two great teams who aren't afraid to give there all on the field. Either way, I think I speak for just about everybody from Pulaski County when I say "GREAT JOB!!!!!!!".  You showed us what Cougar Pride is all about, and we thank you.

Now, lets talk about the hotdogs.

If I had to live anywhere other than Pulaski.......if I was forced to support anyone other than the Cougars.....if my life depended on pulling for another team, Franklin County would be pretty high up on the list. I mean lets be honest, they were not Allegheny quality by any means, but who is?? But these hotdogs (and the pizza) were really good!! I have to hand it to the Franklin County cooks......good job.  Now if we could only get them to add slaw they might be higher, but I'm going to have to give them a 7.5 rating. Very nice.

This Friday will be a hard night for me. I wont be able to make it to the game due to another commitment. This promises to be a great game with two old rivals, and ScottCougar has agreed to run the tailgate so it should be good. I will be getting updates during the game, and rest assured I will be pulling for the team the entire time.

So I guess the next big question is this: who's gonna eat my hotdogs?

I have spotted a few people so far this season with potential, but two people seem to stick out in my mind. First of all lets talk about PeteCougar. The man is young, the man is a little inexperienced, but I was impressed with him at the Northside tailgate. Pete, eat at least one or two for me. I have faith in you buddy. The next person has been a bit lax this year as far as getting out to the games. Some lame excuse about "work" and stuff. How dare he. I will say this for him though, he must have a cast iron stomach, because he ate the Victory Stadium dogs like they were the best thing he had ever tasted. Bob, I'm counting on you to cover at least two for me. If not, you'll owe us chili at the next home game. As a backup, I'd like to ask ScottCougar, Anita,
Tommy, Woody, and someone (it doesn't really matter who) from the student section to have one for me. I'll suffer through eating at some steakhouse Friday night, but it just wont be the same. Maybe Tombstone can help console me since he'll be there with me.

Good luck to the Cougars Friday night, know that we all truly appreciate everything you guys have put into this season so far. Somebody please remind Jeff and Pete to do the chickenfoot for me at least once.

GO COUGARS!!!!! BEAT E.C. GLASS!!!!!!

Around the District Last Week