They are the 2 time defending AA Division 4 State Champions, they have seven players who have rushed for over 200 yards, and as a team they have rushed for 3,507 yards on the season.  They are the Amherst County Lancers, and this Saturday they will be our guests at the Cougar Den as the Pulaski County Cougars host the AA Division 4 State Semi-Final game. 

Hello again Cougar fans, and welcome back to another week of the Virginia State Football Playoffs.  There's not really a whole lot you can say about last week's game versus Salem.  Pulaski County played one of their most dominant games of the season on both sides of the ball, and pretty much could do no wrong on their way to winning the Region IV Title, the first Region Title since 2001.  Pulaski held the Spartans to 86 yards of total offense in the game, and earned their second straight playoff shutout on their way to a 38-0 blowout on a frosty and breezy cold Friday night. 

OUTSTANDING JOB!!! 

It was a great job by the coaches, who put together the plan, and the players who made it happen.  Coaches always say that when you lose, the coaches didn’t prepare their team well enough.  They then turn around and say that when they win, it's because the players did their jobs.  I'll just say great job by both, and be happy that the Cougars are moving on in the playoffs. 

Now Pulaski County looks forward to Saturday, and the Amherst Lancers. 

Amherst comes into the contest with an 11-1 record.  They started their season off with a loss at the hands of the Brookville Bees.  That contest could have, and most likely SHOULD HAVE, went the other way.  Amherst rushed for over 500 yards that night, but turnovers at critical times cost them the game, as they fell 21-24 on opening night. 

They haven’t looked back since. 

They beat Charlottesville 42-6, G.W. Danville 34-13, E.C. Glass 49-6, Freedom 41-7, Jefferson Forest 35-6, Liberty 47-6, Staunton River 44-0, and Heritage 38-20.   That is an impressive 330-64 on the scoreboard for the season.  Then you add in playoff wins over Harrisonburg 28-21, and Jefferson Forest 40-10, and you can clearly see that the Lancers play some pretty good football. 

Offensively, the Lancers are known as a rushing team, but they have passed the ball on occasion.  They are led by quarterback Anthony Rose (#1).  Rose has rushed the ball 104 times for 723 yards and 11 touchdowns, as well as going 16 of 27 passing for 302 yards and another 5 touchdowns.  He has thrown one interception in that time.  Mario Vaughn (#23) is the team’s second leading rusher, with 701 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Other leading rushers include Jamar Glover (#6-613 yards), Jamal Glover (#7-435 yards), Kirby Anderson (#8-271 yards), Devanta Brown (#9-241 yards), and A.J. Parrish (#32-228 yards).  On the line for the Lancers, the players are big and strong.  The linemen are #75 Stinnett (6'2", 278 lbs), #62 Rogers (5'10", 248 lbs), #55 Clark (6'4", 210 lbs), #57 Talitol (5'10", 255 lbs), #61 Byrd (5'10", 289 lbs), and #84 Grubbs (6'5", 232 lbs).  Parrish, the fullback, is 5'10", 213 lbs. 

Defensively, the Lancers run a 3-5-3 defense, and blitz on a pretty regular basis to keep the offense off balance.   The defense is manned by a crew of quick and strong players that are aggressive getting to the ball, and they are not afraid to hit.  Expect to see an aggressive defense that looks to make big plays and add to the scoreboard. 

On special teams, the kicker is the smallest player on the Amherst team, but he is effective.  The Lancers have a very good kickoff and punt return team, and they average 18 yards per return on both these teams. 

If the Lancers have a weakness, it may be turnovers.  They have fumbled the ball 34 times this season, and lost 11.  This game is going to be one of those games that will be won or lost on a couple of things.  First, you CANNOT turn the ball over.  Second, you must be able to control the line of scrimmage.  And finally, you cannot commit penalties.  The team that can do those three things will have the advantage, because on paper just about everything else is matched up between these two teams. 

It will all come down to blocking, tackling, and running the ball.  It's just that simple. 

So here we are.  Pulaski County is in the State Semi-finals for the first time since 2001.  That year, they defeated Marion 31-20 to advance to the title game.  This team is 12-0, the second team in Cougar history to reach that point.  The only other team to get there was the 1993 team, that eventually lost in the State Championship game. 

People of Pulaski County, this is THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE SEASON for the Cougars.  Over the past few years, the team that has won this game has went on to win the State Title.  Unfortunately, that has been either Salem or Amherst for those years. 

Over the course of the time that I have been writing on this site, I have called for and ask for your support for this team and this program every week.  As fans, for the most part you have come out and done your part to support the guys.  We need to pick it up this week. 

We need banners.  We need balloons.  We need cowbells and we need flags.  We need painted faces and we need a screaming student section.  We need the folks in the reserved section and the folks on the left and right to be LOUD and CRAZY this Saturday. 

By the power vested in me by Head Coach Jack Turner, I now pronounce you ALL COUGAR CRAZIES for this Saturday. 

If we win, we go to the big dance.  If we lose, then we pack up the gear until next year.  It's just that simple.  It's time to get crazy and make some noise when the Amherst Lancers come to town, and the chance to move on to the STATE TITLE GAME is on the line!! 

Game time for Saturday is 2 pm, Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium, Joel Hicks Field.  Amherst is the favorite, and that’s the way it should be.  They are your two time defending State Champions, and just like Salem last week, until someone knocks them off the throne, they are the champions. 

Let's hope our Cougars rise to the challenge, and meet it head on this week.  I, for one, plan on doing whatever I can to get this team fired up. 

IT'S THE STATE SEMI-FINALS, AND IT'S COUGAR FOOTBALL ON A SATURDAY!!!  IT JUST DON'T GET NO BETTER THAN THIS!!! 

GO COUGARS!!!  BEAT THE LANCERS!!!