Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 28, 1993 TAG: 9311280077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
The Indians were waiting for the Pulaski County Cougars to come down the steps from their dressing room to the field. The Indians shouted at the Cougars.
All that did was fire up Pulaski County on its way to a 34-26 victory in the Northwestern Region Division 6 championship game.
Pulaski County will play host to a Group AAA Division 6 semifinal Dec. 4 against Indian River, a 28-12 winner over Menchville.
The Cougars scored 24 points before Gar-Field knew what its taunts had unleashed. When the Indians recovered, Pulaski County (12-0) held on for the victory.
"It didn't do anything to us. They were running their mouths. Brian Redd and I were laughing at them," said Cougars co-captain Randy Dunnigan.
"If anybody wasn't ready, that got them ready," said Pulaski County lineman Larry Newcomb.
The Cougars moved the ball after the opening kickoff and settled for a 23-yard field goal by Shayne Graham.
Pulaski County didn't stop there. The defense halted Gar-Field, making the Indians' main offensive weapon, Winston October, appear that he wasn't prime-time material in the month of November.
After Gar-Field punted, it took the Cougars six plays to go 52 yards for a touchdown, with Carl Lewis ramming it over from the 13.
Then came the play that put Gar-Field (10-2) in a very deep hole. Kofi Bawuah fumbled on the Indians' first play after the kickoff. Tim Davis scooped up the ball on the 32 and returned it for a touchdown.
"I saw there was no one around me," Davis said. "There was no way I was diving on the ball. I broke one tackle, saw everyone was bunched up in the middle of the field and knew I had a touchdown."
Gar-Field managed a first down on its next series before punting. This time, Pulaski County marched 62 yards in seven plays with Eric Webb running over a couple of defenders on the way to a 15-yard touchdown.
Indians coach Chuck White said his players never settled down. "We were so excited, so pumped up that we forgot to play football," he said.
Still, was White happy with his players taunting the Cougars?
"We weren't about to be intimidated," he said. "But we did get caught up in all the hoopla before the game."
Once Gar-Field settled down, things changed. The Indians marched 73 yards after the Cougars' third touchdown, with Reggie Jackson scoring on a run from the 1. Kevin Smith warmed up as the Gar-Field quarterback kept the drive alive with an 18-yard pass to Greg Fricke.
Just before the half, the Indians almost were back in the game. Smith took Gar-Field to a first down at the Cougar 13 with time running out. He had October open in the end zone, but the ball bounced off the receiver to Carl Lewis for a Cougars interception.
The third quarter was one of two drives and a quick score. Pulaski County went 53 yards, with Webb scoring from the 4 to make it 31-8. Twice on fourth-down plays, Pulaski County went for a first down with Lewis getting one and Webb the other. Combined, Lewis and Webb rushed for 243 of the Cougars' 330 yards.
Gar-Field came right back with a 75-yard drive. October scored from the 3 after it appeared Davis had made a great defensive play by batting away a pass in the end zone on fourth down.
Flags flew and Davis was penalized for interference, giving October and the Indians another chance.
"It was a close call," Davis said with a sheepish smile. "I'd rather leave imprints on the guy than let him score. If I hadn't [made a play] he would have scored."
Then, Pulaski County quarterback Andre Eaves fumbled and Gar-Field had the ball back on the Cougars' 41. Smith fired to Fricke over the middle for a touchdown and all of a sudden it was 31-23.
The final quarter turned out to be a field-goal battle, when Gar-Field failed to tie the score after Kevin Dewhurst intercepted an Eaves pass at midfield and returned the ball to the Pulaski 32.
The Cougars' defense, though, forced a punt. Starting from its 20, Pulaski moved to the Gar-Field 12, where it had fourth-and-one.
The Cougars lined up to go for it, but were penalized for illegal procedure. On came Graham, who booted a 32-yard field goal to make it 34-23 with 7:16 left.
"We were moving the ball and we only had 3 or 4 inches to go. I thought we could get a touchdown," said Pulaski County coach Joel Hicks, explaining his original call to disdain a field goal that would have forced Gar-Field to score twice.
The Indians moved within touchdown range, but took up time doing it. A penalty halted the drive and they had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by James Sullivan.
However, there was only 1:35 left. Gar-Field was out of timeouts. So when Jon Lilly recovered the onside kickoff for Pulaski County, the game was over.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB