The Locker Room November 5, 2004

Game Pictures by Steven Marcus

Three times this season, Pulaski County has won games that were decided in the final seconds. The most recent of these, the Cougars’ eighth victory in nine contests, was yet another heart stopper. After trailing the majority of the game, and having been unable to fully solve the problems presented by the Knights’ “throwback” offense, PC played just well enough to win a thriller, keeping River Ridge District Championship hopes alive – setting up a showdown next week in Dobson Stadium, with our bitter longtime rivals, the Salem Spartans, who easily mowed down Blacksburg tonight.

As usual, after winning the coin toss, the Cougars deferred until the second half.

The Knights returned the kickoff to their own 39. (Apologies for not being able to identify many of the Cave Spring players; I do not have a roster for them.)

After an incompletion and a short gain, Ryan Thompson ran for a Cave Spring first down, just a yard short of midfield. Two plays later, the Knights had moved to the PC 40 for another first down. After 3 plays netted nine yards, Cave went for it on 4th, and the back was not knocked out of bounds until he reached the Cougar 15. Here the defense stiffened, and the Knights attempted a short field goal on 4th-and-4 at the 9.

The kick went astray, and the Cougars had been bent, but were not broken. Cave would later miss those points quite badly.

After the missed kick, PC took over at the 20. The Cougars were able to gain but a single yard in 3 plays, and had to give the ball right back. Luis Piscura’s punt rolled dead at the Knight 35.

Cave Spring also gained a mere three feet in as many plays, and had to surrender possession. The kick was downed at the Cougar 9. A penalty moved the ball half the way back towards the goal line, leaving PC 95+ yards away from the opposing endzone. A few plays later, the first quarter ended in a scoreless tie.

Kevin Crouse got the chains to finally move in PC’s favor, converting on 3rd-and-3. After a good gain by Ryan Dean on 3rd-and-5 was wiped out by a holding penalty, Ryan did that one better on the ensuing 3rd-and-15. Rolling right with intent to put the pigskin in the air, he found no receivers open. Heading upfield, he cut back against the grain, slipped a tackle or two, and ended up with an 18-yard dash that kept the drive alive. Unfortunately, the drive ended when a trio of snaps led to less than adequate yardage. Piscura punted from the PC 36, and the kick was fair caught at the CS 35.

The hardest hit of the night was displayed on the next play. Frank Baldwin hit the running back (QB Austin?) with a resounding CRACK, resulting in a yard loss, which brought the Cougar stands to life on this chilly November evening. The Knights would convert on 3rd-and-11, getting a first down at their own 45. All night, they would frustrate the young men wearing gold helmets, with their ability to get the yards when it counted.

From there, Cave moved quickly, giving PC fits with variations of their old-style Wing-T. Sometimes the QB would take the snap as normal. At other times, he would line up like a tailback in the Single Wing, and take the snap at that position. On occasion, the ball would be snapped to one of the upmen. The Knights kept the Cougars off balance with the different backfield sets.

Three plays gained Cave Spring two more first downs. Number 22 for the Knights gained 10 yards down to the 11, for yet another drive extender. He then hit paydirt on the next play, scoring with 6:09 left before halftime. The PAT made it 7-0 Cave.

Once again, the Cougars had trouble moving the ball, gaining only 2 yards after the kickoff, and facing another punting situation. Piscura’s boot was pronounced dead on the 26 of the Knights.

Three plays later, Cave was at midfield, having converted a 3rd-and-8. After a pass broken up by the Cougars’ Will White (who nearly picked it off) and a running play stopped by Ernie Hodge for a 2-yard loss, the Knights faced 3rd-and-12 from their on 48.

What happened next was one of those sickening sights. A pass was attempted downfield for #4, but Ryan Dean had a bead on it, and it looked like the pass was destined to be picked off.

Oh it was destined, but not in the manner that Cougar Fans would have liked. The ball caromed off of Dean’s hands, right into the waiting arms of the receiver behind him, and the fortunate recipient of the gift waltzed into the ‘Promised Land’ for another 6 points. The PAT was again no problem, and the Cougars were staring into the depths of a two touchdown deficit, with only 1:31 showing on the clock.

After the kickoff, PC started at the 33.

There was not much time left before both squads would head for the lockerrooms, but that was plenty enough time for a dramatic finish to the first 24 minutes of play.

Crouse gained 14 yards and a first down. Dean then kept it himself, getting a few yards before being knocked out of bounds. Cave was flagged for a late hit on the play, and PC was in business at the Knight 37.

Dean rolled left on the next play, and found the wide open Crouse downfield. Kevin caught the ball around the 30, and steamed up the sideline, bowled over a defender inside the 5, and bulled his way in for a much needed score. Piscura tacked on the point that cut the lead in half. Forty six seconds were left to tick off before the end of the first pair of quarters. The Cougars had answered in just 45 seconds!

Hang on. More drama to come. The next sequence would play a HUGE role in the outcome of this tense thriller.

The Knights started with outstanding field position after the kickoff, at their own 47. A pass play was completed for 17 yards and a first down. After an incompletion, Cave’s QB connected with a receiver, who seemed to have pushed off on a PC defensive back, but nothing was called. The receiver was being tackled inside the 5, when he lunged forward for the endzone.

Now, HERE is where things got interesting. The receiver fumbled the ball into the endzone, and either the Cougars recovered, or the ball went out of bounds through the side of the endzone. Either way, early indications were given that it was indeed PC’s ball after a touchback, and the offense headed out onto the field.

Not so fast, my Cougar Friends. The officials went into a huddle, and eventually they apparently ruled that the receiver was down at the one yard line before the ball slipped through his hands.

Folks, Jack Turner was STEAMED. He spent a lot of time demanding a satisfactory explanation of events from the men in pinstripes. He eventually went back to the sideline, exhorting the visiting stands for disapproving noise. This was not needed, as the Cougar Fans were already quite loudly expressing “mild disappointment” with the call.

PC called a timeout, and it turned out to be a move that was not only necessary, but good. The Knights had the ball 1st-and-Goal on the 1, but without any timeouts, and just eight seconds on the scoreboard. Curiously, instead of trying a quick time stopping pass play or two, or perhaps kicking a 3-point glorified PAT, which would have given Cave a 10-point lead, Coach Ben Foutz decided to test the heart of the Cougar D. Much like his decision late in the 1999 classic, played exactly 5 years ago tonight, this too was ill-fated. The running play was stuffed, and without means by which to freeze the runaway clock, the half was over. The Cougars had gotten back in the game, and somehow managed to not give at least part of that critical TD back to the Knights.

After a break that was too long for anyone who did not bring appropriate clothing to the stadium, the battle took up where it left off. (Special thanks to Pete’s friend Neil Farmer, who provided the warming devices known as ‘Hot Hands’, which allowed Pete to keep recording the details of this important event!)

PC got the ball first to begin the 3rd Quarter. Crouse netted 29 yards in 3 plays, giving the Cougars 1st-and-10 at the CS 45. The next quartet of plays had Dean rushing for 9, Crouse gaining totals of 11 and 7, and Chad Thompson going forward for a pair of yards. Crouse’s last run of the set made it 3rd-and-1 at the Knight 16. Kevin maintained PC’s march, with a 4-yard gain. With the ball resting on the 12, it was First and Ten, Cougars!

After a penalty threatened to finally slow down this Cougar drive, Crouse capped it off with a 13-yard scoring dash on 3rd-and-11. Piscura slammed home the point after, and PC had caught up! 14-all, with 6:06 left in the quarter.

The Knights began at their own 23 after the kickoff. After converting a short third down, Cave faced another one, this one much more serious – 13 yards to go, on their on 43. The QB connected with a receiver downfield, who made it to the Cougar 26 before falling down.

A 3rd-and-4 play from the 20 fell a yard short, leaving Coach Foutz with choice. A timeout was called by the Knights to talk it over. Instead of trying the kick, he called a gutsy play. Instead of a running play, the QB threw a quick hitting slant over the middle. The receiver caught the ball in stride, cut his way upfield, and after slipping off of an attempted tackle or two, gave the Knights the lead back, with 18 ticks left in the 36th minute of play.

This time however, Steven Cobbs broke through, and smothered the intended point after. Just like in the E.C. Glass game earlier in the year, this would provide the slim margin needed.

Once again seeing an uphill climb, the Cougars started play from scrimmage at their own 29.

Dean connected with Cobbs for 24 yards, putting the ball on the Knight 47. Crouse converted on 3rd-and-4, giving PC a first down on the 36. Once again it was Crouse, doing the job on 3rd-and-2 from the 16, tying it up, with 6:33 left in the game. Piscura did his part, splitting the uprights. 21-20! Cougars lead!!

After good return coverage (on a play where it looked like the return man had his foot in the endzone, when the play should have been ruled a touchback, according to my understanding of the rules), Cave would have to begin at the 19.

This final drive of the night would test the nerves of everyone on both sides of the stadium.

Facing 3rd-and-7 at the 2, Coach Foutz called the next play brilliantly, a screen pass that was well executed, and which gained 18 yards. A new series of downs would begin at the Knight 40.

After moving the chains once, it was do or die at the PC 41. 4th-and-1. A 4 yard gain kept CS hopes alive, and giving Cougar Fans worry.

Yet again, Cave’s small but consistent (and, time draining) gains left the Knights with a 4th-and-1 at the Cougar 28. It was #4 for CS getting the call, and he made it all the way down to the 17.

Around this time, I was wondering if Coach Turner would begin to use up his 3 timeouts he had in reserve, to give the Cougar offense some time left if the Knights would have scored. He did not, and tick… tick… tick…went the seconds.

Three plays, the last of which looked to be a play merely designed to center the ball between the hashmarks, left the Knights with 4th down, and this time it would be 9 yards to go for a first. The clock was allowed to wind down until there were only 4 seconds left. Cave Spring’s final timeout was then utilized.

If this scenario seemed somewhat familiar to you, then you were probably at the aforementioned 1999 encounter between these two teams. In overtime that night, Coach Joel Hicks called a pair of timeouts, to freeze Cave’s kicker before a potential game-tying extra point. The Knights decided to go for the win instead, and were stopped a yard (and a point) short. As I have said before, that one is my favorite Cougar game. Without exception.

History repeats itself. This time, it was Coach Turner calling not one, but two timeouts to freeze the Knights’ kicker before his potential game winning field goal attempt.

I could tell the effect it had on the young man, after the last of these timeouts. He was nervous.

For some reason, either by choice or by the rules (is it permissible to call 3 timeouts in a row?), the last timeout was not used, and we stood up in the stands, breathlessly awaiting the last play of the game.

The snap. The kick. It’s headed for the goalposts. It looks like it might make it inside the right post… and… it … was………

WIDE RIGHT!! NO GOOD!!! COUGARS WIN!!!! COUGARS WIN!!!!!!!!

“Cave Spring is a fine football team, but our boys toughed it out and won the ball game. We’re 8-1 now, and next week we face Salem for all the marbles!” exclaimed a joyous Jack Turner.

Steven Cobbs, who had to watch the first 24 minutes of play from the bench, when asked about the blocked extra point, said, “Coach T. depends on m a lot, so I figured if I get to sit out the first half, I gotta give something back!”

When asked how the line is doing, Senior DT Matt Robertson remarked, “The defense stops them and then you win, that’s all you got there. We stop the run up the middle, and hold them so they can’t score.”

Adding to this, Senior DT Kasey McCambridge said that the key is to “Stay nasty every play!”

Tossing in his own bit of defensive wisdom, Sophomore DE Brent Osborne noted that “You have to come out for every play. You still have to run when you can’t do anything.”

Well said. 

I don’t really need to tell anyone how big next week’s showdown with the Spartans is, but just in case…

Year in and year out, it is always a great show, but this one will be one of the most important in the history of this great rivalry. With both teams coming in at 8-1, and both needing a win not only for a district title, but almost certainly to keep post season hopes alive as well, you might as well say that this will be a playoff game. It does appear that one of the two teams will be left out in the cold, with an 8-2 record. That’s how it has been lately, in Region III Division 4.

Both sides of the stadium will be full. The atmosphere will be tense. After all PC has done this season, there is still one great challenge left, which will determine if we get to see our warriors do battle in an 11th game and hopefully beyond, or if the pads, helmets and uniforms have to hang in the lockers, awaiting the Fall of 2005.

Get out there in force next Friday night. Get loud. This is Salem and Pulaski for the title! The schedule makers did not put this one last by coincidence. They knew exactly what they were doing.

GO COUGARS!!! WIN THE RRD!!!!