Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 2, 1993 TAG: 9310040259
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
The Cougars, the No. 1 football team in Timesland and the 1992 Group AAA Division 6 state champions, have led us to expect something a little closer to perfection. So it's somewhat jarring when witnesses see Pulaski cough up a pair of fumbles, blow a conversion attempt, fail to block on a field-goal attempt, commit 55 yards worth of penalties, and - worst of all - begin to bicker among themselves .
But, the fact of the matter is there is no need for hysteria here.
"Hey, we did just beat an undefeated team 34-0," said Joel Hicks, the Cougars' coach. "Heritage was pretty physical inside and they had a good plan."
But not nearly good enough. The Cougars teed off on the Pioneers defensively, forcing four fumbles and holding them to four first downs - one in the first half - and 28 total yards.
"We played some pretty good defense tonight," said Pulaski County linebacker Eric Webb. "Our first team hasn't been scored on this year, so we've been right tough."
Heritage was down 21-0 almost before it could get its feet under it. Carl Lewis, who would rush for a game-high 88 yards, scored on a 20-yard sprint seven plays into the Cougars' first possession.
Shortly after the second quarter began, Lewis was off to the end zone again, this time on a 16-yard pass play from quarterback Andre Eaves.
"That was my first touchdown catch," said Lewis, a senior running back. "It was a screen pass, and when the linemen got out in front of me there was nobody there. Good play."
Another good one came two plays after the resulting kickoff. Heritage's Olin Thorpe coughed up the ball, and Webb snatched it and rambled 24 yards for another touchdown.
"As soon as he [Thorpe] got the ball, Randy Dunnigan was in his face," Webb said. "Good hit. I was right there."
Webb added another touchdown in the fourth quarter on a wingback counter play that covered 30 yards. The second-stringers closed the scoring with 40 seconds left, C.A. Burkes forcing his way over the goal line from 1 yard. The conversion was botched, but those were reserves, too.
More troubling was the bungled field-goal attempt - the Cougars dearly love the kicking game - when Shayne Graham never had a chance to put instep to ball.
That was one of the few triumphs for the Pioneers (3-1).
"You just can't turn the football over against a great team," said Fred Stanbury, the Heritage coach. "That sums up the whole game."
The low point for Pulaski County (4-0) came in the middle stages of the game.
"The team was arguing, and that got us down and messed up," Lewis said. "But we got it turned around."
How can you argue with 211 yards rushing and 13 first downs after a week off?
"We're going to get better now," Hicks said. "We haven't been having any penalties and we had some tonight. We won't next week. We needed a game like this." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB