The Cougars dropped their home opener 17-47 to North Surry on September 5, but their performance showed their grit, growth, and steady improvement. On both sides of the ball, Patrick County showed encouraging signs that its hard work is paying off.
Offensively, Patrick County started the game strong, scoring quickly on their first two drives. Following a 50-yard pass play from Jayden Corns to Jackson Callahan, the Cougars opened the scoring with a long touchdown run from Calvin Lancaster to take the early, 7-0 lead.
Just 20 seconds after North Surry tied it, Jayden Corns connected with Adin Geiger for a 66-yard touchdown to retake the lead, 14-7.
The Cougars offense moved the ball all night, using a two-quarterback approach. Jayden Corns and Avone Kidd each saw plenty of snaps, and brought a dynamic look to the Patrick County offense.
Cougar head coach David Morrison said the two-quarterback offense was “something we thought we could work towards earlier in the summer.
“We’ve got two guys back there that are unselfish,” said Morrison. “That’s what it takes to run a system like that. We’ve got two guys that put the team first. There’s no ego involved. It’s about moving the football down the field.”
Glenn Stovall picked off a North Surry pass in the second quarter, leading to an Erik Martinez-Tejada personal best 49-yard field goal to close the gap at the half to 17-27.
Defensively, the Cougars played well all night against the speed of the North Surry offense. “I think defensively, we’re getting closer,” said Morrison.
With time running out, the Cougars mounted a drive that was stopped at the goal line as time expired. “At the end of the game, we’re still driving. Everyone knows there is no 28-point play, but we’re going to grind it out” to the end, said Morrison.
Jackson Callahan led the Cougars with 12 tackles. Wheeler Helms added 11 tackles with Andrew Miller and Glenn Stovall chipping in 6 tackles each.
On offense, Calvin Lancaster picked up 125 yards on 11 carries. Avone Kidd had 9 carries for 40 yards, and Jayden Corns went 4-9 passing for 135 yards and ran for 90 yards on 6 carries.
Next up for the Cougars is a road game at North Stokes at 7 p.m. on September 12.
