Behind a rushing attack that gained 347 yards and solid defensive play, the Patrick County High Cougars defeated the visiting North Stokes Vikings 42-13 on September 13.
The Cougar defense forced a punt on the Vikings first possession and took advantage of a bad snap, recovering the ball on the North Stokes 26. An 18-yard Easton Harris rushing touchdown gave the Cougars the early 6-0 lead.
A couple of turnovers helped keep the Cougars out of the end zone for the rest of the first half, despite playing well on both sides of the ball. A late Viking touchdown gave them the halftime lead at 7-6.
After taking the second half kickoff, the Cougars drove down the field behind an offensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage. The Cougar runners took advantage of the holes the offensive line created, rushing for the go-ahead touchdown. A two-point conversion gave the Cougars a 14-7 lead.
Following an Easton Harris interception, the Cougars got back to work on offense and continued to gain yards on the ground. Quarterback Avonne Kidd scored on a two-yard run, then converted a two-point conversion to extend the lead to 22-7.
A Jayden Corns touchdown run increased the lead to 28-7. The Cougars recovered a short kickoff and scored again for a 35-7 lead.
The Vikings scored on a short touchdown throw with 2:14 to go in the game. Tyler Cobbler blocked the extra point attempt, keeping the score 35-13.
The Cougars finished the game strong with a 52-yard Calvin Lancaster touchdown run with :33 to go. The offensive line once again opened up running room and Lancaster rushed through for the game’s final score, giving the Cougars the 42-13 win.
One key to the win was the play of the offensive and defensive lines and their ability to control the line of scrimmage. On the offensive side, Cougar head coach David Morrison said the offensive lineman have been working hard to improve.
“They’ve come a long way in the last little bit,” said Morrison. “They had a little chip on their shoulders. They’ve been hearing from a lot of people outside the program that they’re not good enough to get the job done. We’ve been trying to tell them that’s just not the case.” They “just gotta keep putting in the effort and it’s going to click. And when it does, it’s going to look good, and it’s starting to click for these guys.”
Behind the stellar play of the offensive line, the Cougars rushed for 347 yards in the game. Jayden Corns led the way with 144 yards and two touchdowns. Calvin Lancaster finished with 81 yards and a touchdown.
Avonne Kidd had 47 yards on the ground with a touchdown and a couple of two-point conversions.
Defensively, Jackson Callahan’s nine tackles and forced fumble led the Cougars. Paul Pascale had eight tackles and Conner Goad added five tackles.
The Cougars will go on the road for their next game, September 20 at Chatham.
