JV Cougars Pound Bruins

JV Cougars Pound Blacksburg
By David Gravely

It started with the first offensive play for Pulaski County's junior varsity football team on Thursday night at Bill Brown Stadium, and it didn't let up until the final snap as the younger Cougars defeated the Bruins 40-9.

After the Bruins kicked off to Pulaski to start the game, running back Brandon Jones took the hand-off from quarterback Jesse Draper and cut left.  He avoided two tackles, and then rambled 62 yards for the touchdown.  The Shane Chrisley PAT was no good, leaving the score at 6-0 in favor of the Cougars.  Blacksburg took the kickoff out to their 28 yard line, but were forced to punt.  Pulaski went to their air attack next, with Draper completing a 33 yard pass to Jake Tabor first, and then a 43 yard pass to reciever Lonnie Mattox for the score with 5:42 remaining in the first quarter.  The Chrisley PAT was good, and after another Cougar kickoff and another Blacksburg punt, Pulaski went back to work on offense with a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

The second quarter started off with the Cougars on the attack again, with Draper hitting a 45 yard pass to Mattox to put the Cougars in the red zone.  Despite a stiffening Bruins defense, Pulaski drove towards the goal line with Draper taking the ball in from one yard out with 8:31 remaining in the half.   Chrisley's PAT put the score at 20-0.  Coach Richard Lewis continued to press the issue, and on the next Cougar possession Draper went back to the air with a 63 yard pass to Tabor that would have been longer and six more points, but a Cougar blocker's feet became entangled with a Bruin defender during the race to the goal line and Pulaski was flagged for a block in the back.  Pulaski lost it's momentum and turned the ball over on downs deep in Blacksburg territory.   Blacksburg came out and pressed the issue, hoping to put some points on the board before halftime, but a Bruins pass was intercepted by defensive back Austin Harless.  With time slipping fast off the clock, Draper hit Tabor on a 22 yard pass to move the Cougars close, and then Mattox made a leaping catch above the Blacksburg defender for a 12 yard touchdown catch with just 42 seconds left in the half.  The Chrisley PAT sent the Cougars into halftime with a 27-0 lead.

The Bruins started the second half off with the ball, but after moving a short distance Cougar linebacker J.D. Sutphin stepped in front of a Bruins pass for the interception, but after returning it a short distance the ball was knocked loose and the Bruins recovered again.   Blacksburg finally got on the board shortly after that, when the Cougar defensive back lost his footing and the Bruins were able to connect on a 24 yard touchdown pass.  The Bruins were hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the score, but the PAT was still good, leaving the score 27-7.  Pulaski took the kickoff and went back on offense.  On fourth down and nine Draper dropped back to pass but missed his reciever, but a late hit on the quarterback moved the chains for the Cougars.  With 5:24 remaining in the third quarter, Draper called his own number for the second time and ran the ball to the left side of the line, crossing the goal line from six yards out.  The Chrisley PAT moved the score to 34-7.

The scoring slowed down throughout the fourth quarter, as the Cougars tried to get as many players into the game as possible.   With Pulaski pushed back deep into their own territory, quarterback Brandon Walters was tackled in the Cougar endzone for a Bruins safety.  The Bruins tried to attach the Cougar secondary again, but Austin Harless was the man on the spot again, as he got his second interception of the game.  The Cougars couldn't get a first down, so after a punt the Bruins went back to work again.  Blacksburg sent the ball deep, but this time it was intercepted by Lonnie Mattox.  After getting past the Bruins recievers, Mattox weaved his way for a few yards picking up blocks, and then picked up the pace as he went 93 yards for the pick-six.  The PAT was no good, giving the Cougars the final score of 40-9.

Draper finished the game with over 270 yards passing, throwing two touchdown passes and running for two more scores.  The win moves the junior varsity team to 4-5 on the season, with one game remaining next week as they host the Salem Spartans at Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium.  Kickoff is set for 6 pm.