From The Bleachers 2003: Week Ten by Ardent Cougar
Series:
PC
leads 20-7.
Region
III District Standings
For the 25th consecutive year, the Pulaski County Cougars will not have a losing regular season. Consistency! Like all of us Cougar Fans, I wish we had more state titles. But they are simply not always possible. Of course, the strength of your schedule plays a part. However, the following two statements are indisputable: Talent comes, and talent goes. Coaching remains. I'm not meaning to pick on them, as I could provide better examples, but just to show something that is happening right now: Last year's Northside Vikings went 10-0 in the regular season. This year, they started out 0-7, threatening to completely reverse the previous season's record. In fact, the Vikings did not score a point until their fourth game, a 28-7 loss to Salem. Only a 56-55 victory over Alleghany (in 3 overtimes!) prevented them from going 0-8, probably well on their way to that goose egg. Last Friday night, they were demolished 42-6 by William Byrd. Pulaski County refuses to lose. In games where his Cougar teams were threatened with a certain losing season if those games were lost, Joel Hicks was 4-0. (The last 3 games of 1990, and my favorite - the 1999 Homecoming thriller over Cave Spring. There are programs with more state titles, more regional titles, and even those with more district titles. There are very few programs who can match our year in, year out consistency. Coaching provides that consistency. With all the consternation (which I understand) over the last two losses, we sometimes forget how solid this program is. If we defeat Cave Spring for Homecoming this Friday night, that would make 22 winning seasons out of 25 years, with three 5-5 campaigns. That spans a quarter of a century, folks. When the big guys stumble, there are always critics. The thing about PC is, when we do stumble - we don't fall very far. We get right back up. How many programs climb so high, that when they fall, it's noticeable? It's
great to be a Pulaski County Cougar Football Fan!!!
Newspaper Articles on Cave Spring's games: Practice makes Spartans perfect GW-Danville rallies past Pats (Scroll for Christiansburg-Cave Spring) Defense, quick strikes equal 200 wins for Crist Cave Spring remains undefeated Knights defense leaves Cavs inches short Cave
Spring returns with big victory
.
After the Blue Demons took their first ever lead on the Cougars at 6-0, then later blocked a field goal attempt, leading to a quick score a play later to again take the lead at 13-7, Cougar Fans had to wonder if this might be an unexpected repeat of the previous game. Brandon Anderson answered scant seconds later, returning the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for an electrifying score. Eleven years ago, Carl Lewis broke one against Thomas Dale in the 1992 State Championship Game. That return was also at a critical juncture, as the Knights had just scored to pull within 2 points at 14-12. The Cougars would never look back, leading 35-12 later, and finishing up with a 35-20 victory, finally giving PC the big prize. Anderson's return had a similar effect. The Cougars would score 34 consecutive points, pulling away. This is the first kickoff a Cougar has taken all the way, since Kwasi Scott's brilliant night at Cave Spring in 1998. Two more moments for the highlight film: Steven Cobbs caught a deflected pass and sprinted 50 yards for a score, as the final seconds of the first half ticked off; and Ryan Dean picked off an errant pass, taking it 63 yards to the house, for PC's 41st point. Derrick Burks went over 1,000 yards rushing for the second consecutive season, as his 142 for the game gave him 1,068 for 2003. He scored once on the night. Anderson garnered 108 yards, leaving him at 890 for the season, with 2 games and 110 yards to go, to join his teammate. Brandon reached paydirt 3 times, including the aforementioned play of the game. Cain Montgomery took the pigskin 9 yards, for PC's final score. The Cougars amassed 418 yards of total offense, 368 of those coming on the ground. Speaking of rushing yards - the Cougar Record Book is once again seeing some changes. Burks is now 5th on the list of Top All-Time Rushers in Cougar History, with 2,384 yards for his career. Anderson now has 1,635 yards overall, putting him in 11th place. Derrick has a shot at overtaking both Kwasi Scott and Frank Cobbs, to end up in 3rd Place. Brandon will most likely end up in 9th Place, easily passing Eric Webb and Jeremy Porter, and finishing behind Kevin Hendricks. One more Cougar Record Book note - Derrick's 241 yard performance against Hidden Valley, is the 4th best single game mark. Full Story and Interviews (Demons Show Much Too Vulgar Display of Power, but Pay Dearly)
Practice makes Spartans perfect Edwards
brings Eagles back (Scroll for Blacksburg-Hidden Valley)
A KNIGHT
TO REMEMBER
Hey folks, anybody remember what happened the last time we played Cave Spring? Pulaski was 9-0 heading down the road to play at that little Middle School off of Electric Road. The Knights came out fired up, after having any victories (and they had a few that year) taken away due to a problem with an ineligible player. They came roaring out of their locker room to "Who let the dogs out", and that was exactly what it felt like. It was 42-0 at the half, Cave Spring winning. It was 49-7 at the end of the 3rd quarter, and 49-14 was the final score. The year before that was our turn. It was the year you heard PA man John Freeman say "Aren't you glad you didn't go home early?". Pulaski was down most of the game, only to make a stand at the goal line and then drive the ball 99 1/2 yards for the score that tied the game. The overtime that followed was enough to put this game into the status of "greatest games". Pulaski scored first with its touchdown and extra point. Cave followed that with a touchdown, and then Coach Joel Hicks called timeout to talk to his team. As the Knights special teams lined up for the extra point to tie the game, Coach Hicks started off the field, then called another time out. Coach Foutz decided something was up, and decided to go for the two point play and the win. On the last play of the game Cave Springs pitched left to Michael Hamlar, who is met at the one yard line by Dewayne Burkes. Fumble!! Jesse Rakes recovers for the Cougars!!! Pulaski avoids its first losing season in an overtime thriller!!! I don't know if I have EVER been more proud of a Cougar team than I was that night. They were hurt, they were tired, they were beat up, and nobody gave them much of a chance of pulling it out. Pulaski had to reach way down that night, but in the end COUGAR PRIDE won the game for them. Some folks are saying that the Knights are still not back up to form after their school was split up into two separate high schools. On VirginiaPreps.com, it has been said by some fans from other schools that this should be an easy win for the Cougars. I sure hope our boys don't listen to that, because whenever these two teams meet, it seems like whoever is having the down year loves having the opportunity to play the role of the spoiler. Pulaski needs to win out to have even a marginal chance of making post season play this year. As much as I'm sure most Cougar fans wont like this, we need to root for Salem to beat Blacksburg this week. We need Franklin County to continue to win. They need some other things to go their way also, but right now I think they need to play for one thing and one thing alone: COUGAR PRIDE!!! This week is Homecoming week at PCHS. The game is on Halloween night, and we should see some interesting characters among us in the crowd. We may see some folks who haven't been around for a while too. This is the last home game for the season. THIS IS THE LAST TIME THE SENIORS WILL EVER GET TO WALK DOWN THOSE STEPS TO 2001!! I would like to make two request for this Friday night. First, for the fans I ask that you come out and pull for the kids. They've worked hard, they've put everything they have into it, and they deserve your support. If for no other reason than that, lets get out there and make some noise for the Cougars this week. For the players, especially for the seniors, I want you to take a few moments and go through this web site. Look into the history of the past few seasons, and take a long hard look at the last games. Those stories include some comments from some of your former team mates. Look at how they felt after they played their last game in cardinal and gold. This is a high school football team, but it goes way deeper than that. Just like any family, once your in this one, you're never quite all the way out. Play with PRIDE fellas. Take a walk through that locker room and look at the pictures on the walls. Look at the banners hanging everywhere. Look at the framed newspaper stories from all over the state about how when a team comes to Pulaski County for a football game, it steps into a different world. This is a high school football team, but it is so much more. Its time to ante up folks. Cave Spring this week, followed by somebody I'm not going to mention yet the next. Its that time of year, and we need to get out there and fill that stadium up to show these seniors how much we appreciate all the hard work they've put out over the past few years!!! GO COUGARS!!! BEAT THE KNIGHTS!!!!
Previous 2003 Articles: FTB
Week One - Northside
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