Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 5, 1993 TAG: 9312050185
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
The Cougars again dominated with their rushing game, and they got a spark from the defense in charging past Indian River 24-7 in the Group AAA Division 6 state football semifinals.
Pulaski County (13-0) will meet Annandale in an attempt to win its second consecutive state championship. The Atoms edged Thomas Dale 10-7 in overtime, preventing a rematch of last year's championship game. The state title will be decided next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax.
Saturday's game was much closer than it looked. At halftime, the Cougars, who had won 21 games in a row, needed a pick-me-up after holding off Indian River to go into the locker room leading 14-7.
"We challenged them to go down in the second half and take over the game," said Pulaski County coach Joel Hicks. "In the second half, I thought we were the stronger team."
The Cougars did what their coach asked them to do. They stuffed Indian River on the first series. Then, after Eric Webb fumbled away a possible touchdown on the Indian River 5, the Cougars let the Braves escape their territory before stopping them on downs at the Pulaski County 31 to thwart a bid for the tying touchdown.
The big play came on third down when linebacker Jammon Payne tossed Indian River quarterback Tony Morrison for a 1-yard loss. Morrison then threw an incomplete pass on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Cougars.
Pulaski County came back with the clutch drive of the game. First, it was Carl Lewis, who finished with 104 yards, running, and then Webb, who rushed for 101 yards, scampered 30 yards on the criss-cross play, a part of Pulaski County's Wing T offense that no opponent has stopped.
"I thought I was gone, but Jammon [trying to block], slipped and I had to jump over him. There was one guy and I tried to side step him," said Webb.
The Cougars' Z-back was hauled down by Indian River's Anthony Cason on Braves' 12 as the third quarter ended.
Hicks realized all his team needed to take control was any kind of score as conditions worsened.
"It was obvious all the way [that we were going for a field goal]," said Hicks. "I started to run the criss-cross play, but we had fumbled it in the third period. I said at that time if I got down there again, I'd go for a field goal."
The Cougars ran three safe handoffs and left sophomore place-kicker Shayne Graham with a chip-shot field-goal attempt from the 12. Graham, who kicked a game-winner in last year's state semifinal game against James Robinson, kicked it down the middle to leave the Cougars with a 17-7 lead with 10:06 left.
Later, Lewis scored on a 9-yard run after the Cougars' defense stopped a fake punt with 2:51 left that was Indian River's last gasp.
\ see microfilm for box score
Memo: longer version ran in the New River edition.