Cougars win back and forth affair with Cave Spring 27-20
Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium, Joel Hicks Field, Pulaski, VA – Pulaski started the scoring on Senior night at home and just kept one step ahead of Cave Spring all night long. “I am so proud of you guys,” Pulaski County Head Coach Cam Akers proclaimed in his short post game speech with his team. He had cause to be, as his Cougars scored late with 2:01 left to make it 27-20, and then held on to get the win and make the playoffs.
LB 6 Tyler Underwood got a big sack in that last series that denied Cave an opportunity to tie it up. “We know we had to get a stop and we came out there with one thing in mind, and that’s what we did,” said Underwood. “We just tried our best every play, every down.” Their best was good enough. Cave Spring Head Coach Hunter Shepherd actually let the Cougars score from 30-yards out with the score 21-20 Pulaski. With time running down, the calculation was that Cave’s best chance of tying or winning the game was to let the Cougar’s score, then score themselves.
It was an odd thing to see, but smart. RB 22 Trevor Gallimore was happy to oblige. The TD run gave the Senior 130 yards on 27 carries and 3TDs on the night. A night where the Junior broke the Pulaski County “touchdowns in a season” with 29. RB 8 Chase Lawrence’s 86-yard TD run to break a 14-14 tie early in the second half may have been the key to Pulaski’s win. He took a pitch, got a block from WR/DB 7 Isaiah O’Dell , and was gone. Lawrence also had an INT on defense on Cave’s first drive. Cougar QB/DB 11 Bryant Nottingham was 4/73 on the ground and played well a DB. Cave was led by RB 28 Jackson Steffen who was 19/96, TD carrying the ball. QB 6 Garrett Lonker finished 10/25 passing for 164 yards, INT, and a TD to WR 20 Owen Sweeney. Sweeney finished with 5 catches for 89 yards and a TD. – Cap’n Crunch
OFFENSE:
Rushing:
Pulaski Co – Trevor Gallimore 27/130, 3TDs, Chase Lawrence 5/108, TD, Bryant Nottingham 4/73 Isaiah O’Dell 1/1, Team (1/-1) Cave Spring – Jackson Steffen 19/96, TD, Andrew Browning 11/37, TD, Mo Tolliver 3/1, Garrett Lonker 4/(-11)
Passing:
Pulaski Co – Bryant Nottingham 1/3, 22 Cave Spring – Garrett Lonker 10/25,164,TD
Receiving:
Pulaski Co– Isaiah O’Dell 1/22 Cave Spring – Owen Sweeney 5/89,TD, Kameron Geralds 4/72, Andrew Browning 1/4
Returns:
Pulaski Co – Trevor Gallimore 1/19, Isaiah O’Dell 1/79, Chase Lawrence 1/18 Cave Spring– Braden Gromada 2/41, Kameron Geralds 2/16, Briggs Smithson 1/2
Punting:
Pulaski Co – Bryant Nottingham 6/35 yard avg Cave Spring– Owen Sweeney 5/59 yard avg
Offense:
First Quarter-
Pulaski Co: Trevor Gallimore 1-yard run; Bryant Nottingham PAT
Second Quarter-
Pulaski Co: Trevor Gallimore 6-yard run; Bryant Nottingham PAT
Cave Spring: Andrew Browning 1-yard run; Oliver Layell PAT
Cave Spring: Owen Sweeney 23-yard catch from Garrett Lonker; Oliver Layell PAT
Third Quarter-
Pulaski Co: Chase Lawrence 86-yard run; Bryant Nottingham PAT
Fourth Quarter
Cave Spring: Jackson Steffen 3-yard run: Oliver Layell PAT no good
Pulaski Co: Trevor Gallimore 30-yard run; 2-pt attempt no good