The Locker Room August 13, 2008

The Pulaski County Cougars go into live game action this Friday as they play host to the Harvey’s GM Touchdown Classic. This event is always a day full of quality football, but this year's event will feature several teams who are ranked high in pre-season polls.

Hello again Cougar fans, and welcome to the 2008 Cougar football season!!! There have been plenty of new faces in the locker room this year, as the coaching staff has looked to replace a good portion of the starters from last year's team. The team had a fine off season in the weight room and during their “7 on 7” competitions, and the coaches have high expectations for this year's squad.

Several faces will be recognizable from last season. Senior Nubian Peak will be back again at his running back position after having a big season on the basketball courts. Nubian also made some college decisions in the off-season, and has made a verbal commitment to attend and play football for Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech Hokies. Fullback Seth Parris will be back in action on both sides of the ball, and is expected to be a major contributor to the program. Safety Zane Quesenberry is back for his second season in the Cougar secondary, and will also see considerable time at the receiver spot. Punter Logan Haynes is back after a fine season last year, and he may also be handling some of the other kicking duties for the Cougars this season. Wide receiver and defensive back Antwyn Calfee had a very productive off-season and should be an impact player on defense and a big target on offense.

Senior Brandon Hazzard had one of the biggest off-seasons in the weight room for any Cougar ever. Brandon established a new record with over 1,500 pound on three lifts. Senior Jared Cole looks to be another big contributor on defense, while returning senior and All-District, All-Region, and All-State Josh Miller will be a force for every visiting team to plan around on both sides of the ball.

There will be a couple of new names you’ll want to get familiar with early also. Junior Trey Smith has shown lots of improvement in the off-season, and has locked down a starting position in the secondary. While he’s not new, senior E.J. Dobbins missed most of last season to a knee injury. Dobbins has put in major work to not only heal his knee, but to be a very big force to reckon with as a fullback and a linebacker. Expect to hear his name called out a lot this year. There will be a new face at quarterback this season, as junior Luke Watson takes charge of the offense. At 6’1” and 180 pounds, Watson is fast, has a very strong and accurate arm, and can run the ball as well as some running backs. Sophomore Tommy Wojick has shown a lot of promise in practice and last weeks scrimmage against Tazewell, and he could see a good bit of playing time of defense. Junior Josh Lambert is another underclassman that you could see on the field a good bit this season. Senior Langston Lewis has made big strides in his abilities and will be seeing plenty of action this year, also.

While I did mention a lot of players, I certainly didn’t mention all of the ones that have stood out in my eyes so far. There are a lot of kids like Tyler Cole, Austin Cox, Jolly Martin, Taylor Akers, Chad Perry, T.J. Richardson, Rammell Cobbs, Randall Cobbs, Thomas Tabor, Cody Pennington, and Ethan Barker who are chomping at the bit to get on that field, and that has certainly made practice a little more intense this year. This should be a very good year to be a Cougar fan.

So here we are, just a few days before the Touchdown Classic. The Classic is the longest running jamboree of its kind in the State of Virginia. This year's event will feature Pulaski County, Covington, Patrick Henry-Glade Springs, Brookville, Tazewell, and Radford. The evening will start off with its varsity action at 4 pm when Covington takes on PH-Glade Springs. At 5 pm, the Radford Bobcats are set to face the Brookville Bees. At 6 pm, Tazewell will make its first showing of the day when they play PH-Glade Springs. Seven o’clock will see the guys in gold helmets take that first walk down the steps, as Pulaski County takes on the #1 ranked team in the state Brookville. Covington will come out next to face Radford at 8 pm, and the evening will end after the final contest featuring Pulaski County against Tazewell.

In all it promises to be a fine day of football featuring several Division 1 bound football players, and many fine football programs. Tickets will be on sale at the gate for $6, and the gates should open at 3 pm. Come on out and watch and make some noise for our Cougars as they make their final preparations for the 2008 season.

GO COUGARS!!!