Week 5 RNK Game

Patrick Henry knocks off unbeaten Pulaski County 24-23

Pulaski County High School, Dublin, Va.- In possibly the best game of the year to date, Patrick Henry won a see-saw affair that saw both teams erase deficits to take the lead, with Patrick Henry on top 24-23 once the clocked ticked down to all zero’s. It looked like Pulaski County had the game well in hand when the Cougars scored on a 13-yard pass from QB 5 Drew Dalton to RB/LB 20 Trevor Burton with only :24 left before half to offset a Patrick Henry score only 27 seconds earlier. QB 3 Roy Gunn’s 7-yard slant pass TD to WR 4 Taeshawn Webb on fourth and goal had put PH back on top 12-10, after a failed two point conversion. That flurry of offense gave Pulaski County a 17-12 halftime lead. Pulaski County had the momentum going into the break. That looked to carry over into the second half, as the Cougars drove the ball forty-seven yards to the Patriot two. Coach Mark Dixon’s Cougars were denied though, when Patriot Freshman DB 9 Bodie Kahoun intercepted QB 5 Dalton’s toss over the middle in the Cougar endzone. The play shifted the momentum yet again.

Patrick Henry’s passing game was the difference for the visitors, but it was the Patriot defense that made it hold up. Coach Fiddler, “That interception (by DB 9 Kahoun) in the end zone to stop that initial (Pulaski County second half) drive was huge. Kids were gritty all night, played tough all night.”

First Quarter – After both teams tested the other’s defense that resulted in two punts, PH got the scoring started with an 80-yard drive that witnessed the Patriots moving the chains on four ‘third down’ conversions.

Pulaski’s defense could get the Pats to third down, but couldn’t get off the field. Credit PH quarterback 3 Roy Gunn. All four ‘pick ups’ were Gunn completions to three different receivers. PH used the “WR- tunnel screen pass” to WR 14 Carmello Taylor again and again, when they needed to move the chains.

The drive was capped off with a 4-yard touchdown run by Freshman RB 22 Chuck Webb. The extra point was bobbled and PH lead 6-0 with only 2:47 left in the quarter.

2nd Quarter – The beginning of the second quarter, Pulaski County’s offense showed it’s prowess.

The Cougars, starting at the end on the first quarter, drove the ball sixty yards to take the a 7-6 lead with K 19 Broc Simpson’s extra point. RB 26 Keyonte Kennedy took the ball up the middle from four yards out, across the goal line at the 9:37 mark.

Kennedy and RB 3 Austin Gallimore did the bulk of the work on the drive. Kennedy carried the ball the last four carries for 24 yards, while Gallimore toted the ball six times for 4o yards. Regardless, Pulaski did what they wanted. They drove the ball on the ground. It looked as though PH would retake the lead on their next drive, but OLB 8 Will Bishop would stop that drive at the Cougar thirty-eight. Looking to pick up yet another third down, Gunn rolled left tried to sidestep Bishop. The linebacker, having none of that, stripped the football and then made the recovery himself.

 

Pulaski made that turnover pay off ten plays later with a 42-yard field goal by K 19 Broc Simpson.

Coach Dixons’ Cougars would have rather had six points, but give PH’s defense credit. The Cougars extended their lead to 10-7 with 2:54 left in the half. That’s when the scoring flurry started. PH drove 60-yards with WR 14 Taeshawn Webb’s TD catch from QB 3 Gunn.

An exciting 54-yard kick return by WR/DB/KR 4 John Lyman put the Cougars back in scoring position at the Patriots thirty-six. A QB 5 Dalton pass to WR 4 Lyman for 23-yards followed up by the 13-yard TD toss and run to RB/LB 20 Burton. The half ended with Pulaski leading 17-12.

3rd Quarter – Pulaski received the second half kickoff and a nice return by RB/DB/KR 23 Quemar Porter 34-yards to the fifty had the Cougars in business. Pulaski quickly negotiated their way the forty seven yards down the Patriot’s three. The Cougars intent was to run the ball in and improve on their lead, but a dead ball illegal motion penalty moved them back five to the eight. An untold story was Pulaski’s problem with dead ball fouls on the night. RB 26 Kennedy was then stuffed for no gain on second down. On third down, DB 9 Kahoun made the play of the game when the d-back slid back underneath the receiver across the middle of the end zone and picked off QB 5 Dalton’s toss. Patrick Henry used that change of events to fuel their next scoring drive. PH moved the eighty yards culminating in a five yard TD pass to WR 4 Webb with :24 seconds left in the quarter.

The big play on the drive was WR 4 Webb’s fourth down and five catch and run off of a QB 3 Gunn pass down to the Cougar fifteen. The TD made it 18-17 Patrick Henry. The two point try, again was no good.

4th Quarter – Pulaski answered right back with nine play drive of their own.

QB 5 Dalton capped it off on a 1-yard TD run. Two big passes from Dalton to WR 4 Lyman put the Cougars in position to retake the lead.

After the score to put the home team up 23-18, Coach Dixon opted to go for two to make it a seven point game, but QB Dalton’s run came up just short. Fiddler was proud of his line play all night, “You know it’s going to be physical when you come here to play Pulaski. These guys keep showing up. Someone has to come out and the next guy goes in and makes the play. ” On the Patrick Henry’s next series, the Cougar defense did their job and forced a Patriot punt, but Pulaski’s offense couldn’t make it pay off and had to punt it back four plays later. Starting at their own eleven, PH drove the ball the 89-yards for the game winner. Twice Senior WR 11 Devin Tellez caught passes, 39 and 33 yards respectively, from QB 3 Gunn moving the ball to the Cougar nineteen. After a five yard penalty set the Patriots back, Gunn found WR 7 Jahzae Kimbrough in the middle of the endzone on the 24-yard toss.

Gunn’s ability to scramble and keep the plays alive puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. After Kimbrough’s TD catch, the 2-point try again was thwarted. PH led 24-23 with 4:10 left in the contest. Pulaski had two more opportunities with football to retake the lead. The first one was stopped on downs as QB 5 Dalton came up a yard short on a fourth down and six at the Patriots forty-two. The Cougars got one last opportunity to retake the Patriots, forcing a ‘three and out’ series with :43 seconds left. PH Punter/TE 18 Sean Medley came out and delivered a pressure punt to pin the Cougars deep. The Senior angled his punt 47-yards to the corner of the goal line and out at the Cougar four yard line. Four plays later Patriot DB 23 Marquis Adams picked off QB 5 Dalton.

Coach Fiddler was complimentary of his group, “Couldn’t be more proud of them. To come on the road and get a big win against a really tough team.”

Patrick Henry moves to 5-1 on the year, while Pulaski suffered their first loss and moves to 4-1. Pulaski  County will now travel to Salem this Friday to take on the undefeated Spartans (5-0) at home.        – Cap’n Crunch

Offense: Rushing– Patrick Henry – C Webb 16/49, TD, Gunn 8/11, Davis 2/1 Pulaski Co – Gallimore 15/110, Kennedy 14/47, TD, Porter 5/23, Dalton 8/(-10), TD
Passing– Patrick Henry – Gunn 12/25, 174, 3TDs Pulaski Co– Dalton 7/18, 167, TD, 2 INTs
Receiving– Patrick Henry – T Webb 6/76, 2TDs, Taylor 5/85, Kimbrough 4/42, TD, Pedigo 2/23, Tellez 2/72 Pulaski Co– Lyman 4/117, Gallimore 2/50, Burton 1/13, TD
Punting– Patrick Henry – Medley 3/32 Pulaski Co  Simpson 2/30

Scoring:

• PH: C Webb 4-yd TD run; PAT no good
• PC: Kennedy 4-yd TD run; PAT Simpson
• PC: Simpson 42-yd field goal
• PH: Gunn 4-yd TD pass to T Webb; 2 ptr no good
• PC: Dalton 13-yd TD pass to Burton; PAT Simpson
• PH: Gunn 5-yd TD pass to T Webb; 2 ptr no good
• PC: Dalton 1-yd TD run; 2 ptr no good
• PH: Gunn 24-yd TD pass to Kimbrough; 2 ptr no good