(Trevor Gallimore tied the record Friday for most touchdown runs in a game with five.)
The Pulaski County Cougar football team took the best shot the Princeton Tigers had to offer Friday night in West Virginia, falling by a final score of 40-49 in a game that features big plays, tough defensive stands at times by both teams, a new addition to the record books, and seven lead changes.
“We had chances to put the game away, but we made too many mistakes and it cost us,” Cougar Head Coach Cam Akers said. “I’m proud of what the effort our guys put up tonight. They laid it on the line and did everything they could to get a win. We just came up short and we know what we need to do to fix things. Those guys on the field tonight gave it everything they had.”
The Cougars took the opening kickoff and drove 90 yards on eight plays, capping the drive off with a two-yard touchdown run by Trevor Gallimore. The point after kick by Bryant Nottingham was good, leaving the Cougars up 7-0 with 8:56 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Princeton Tigers answered immediately with a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The PAT tied the game at 7-7 with 8:43 remaining.
The Cougars started to drive the ball again, but after earning an initial first down, where forced to punt. The Tigers gained 20 yards on two running plays before hitting a 60-yard touchdown pass with 4:09 remaining in the first quarter. The PAT gave Princeton their first lead of the game.
Pulaski County fought continued to fight back. With the ball on their own 31-yard line, the leaned on running backs Tyler Underwood, Trevor Gallimore, and Chase Lawrence. A 28-yard run by Underwood and 34-yard scamper by Gallimore were slightly hindered by a holding penalty, but Gallimore was able to punch it into the end zone from four yards out with 1:48 remaining in the first to tie the game at 14 each after the PAT by Nottingham.
A Tiger fumble was recovered by Isaiah O’Dell, putting the Cougars back in business. Seven plays and 35 yards later, Bryant Nottingham took the snap and raced 10 yards for the score from his quarterback spot. He added the PAT to give the Cougars a 21-14 lead with 7:52 remaining in the half.
Princeton added a 65-yard touchdown pass just under 30 seconds later, tying the game at 21-21 with the PAT at the 7:35 mark of the second quarter.
Once again, the Cougars went to work. It looked like the Princeton defense was going to earn a stop, but Nottingham found Tanner Mace open down the visitor side of the field for a 65-yard pass completion. On the next play, Gallimore ran the ball, leaping into the end zone from five yards out. The PAT was blocked, leaving the Cougars up 27-21.
The Tigers got the ball back and were able to move to the red zone, then completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to tie the game again. The PAT gave them a one-point lead, 28-27, with 1:51 remaining in the half.
The Cougars took the kickoff and watched Tanner Mace race to the Princeton 26-yard line before being tackled. With the clock against them, Gallimore chopped away chunks of yardage, moving the ball all the way to the four-yard line. Time ran out in the half with no additional scores.
The Tigers got the opening kickoff of the second half, starting at their own 20-yard line after Nottingham earned a touchback. The Tigers used 10 plays to cover the 80 yards, aided by a pass interference call to move them into scoring range. They hit the end zone with a 12-yard pass at the 6:36 mark of the third quarter. The PAT was good, putting Princeton up 35-27.
The two teams tightened up defensively, with both earning big stops. The Cougars backed Princeton up to their own 10-yard line and forced a punt. A Cougar defender was called for running into the kicker, even though he partially blocked the punt, giving Princeton a second chance to kick from five yards further out.
The Cougars returned the ball to their own 47-yard line, then Gallimore broke free for a 53-yard romp to the end zone. The Cougars went for two, but it failed, leaving the Cougars behind 33-35 with 8:18 left in the game.
A Tiger back fumbled the ball on their next possession, with Savion Thompson recovering for the Cougars at the Princeton 28-yard line. Runs by Gallimore, Lawrence, and Nottingham moved the ball to the 11-yard line. Gallimore took care of the rest with 5:13 remaining. Nottingham added the kick to move the Cougars ahead 40-35.
(The final touchdown run by Trevor Gallimore tied a record for most touchdown runs in a game with five. The current record is held by five backs, with one having five touchdowns in two different games. Kevin Crouse scored five rushing touchdowns against Franklin County in 2004. Frank Cobbs scored five against Salem in 2000. Kwasi Scott scored five in 1998 against Cave Spring. Craig Hodge scored five against William Fleming in 1996. Trevor Burton scored five against Bluefield and Blacksburg, both in the 2022 season.)
The Tigers were just too fast. The kickoff was returned to the Cougar five-yard line, with a short pass sealing the deal on that drive. Princeton went for two, completing a pass to give them a three-point lead, 43-40.
Pulaski County trailed and knew the game was on the line. Several pass attempts fell short, forcing a punt. Princeton took over at the 35-yard line, but three plays later raced for a 49-yard scoring run. The point after moved the score to 40-49 with 1:59 remaining in the game.
The Cougars tried, but a final pass attempt by Nottingham was tipped and intercepted, allowing Princeton to take a knee to claim the win.
“We can’t make the mistakes and expect to succeed,” Coach Akers said. “Those guys we had out there tonight are committed, and I have nothing but respect for them. We just need to keep getting better. We can’t allow ourselves to get down, make excuses, or blame anyone else. We just need to get it done. We played a good team tonight and came up short. Monday, we need to come in ready to get back to work. Our schedule is not going to get any easier, so we need to get better fast.”
Game Stats
Team Stats
1st Downs
PC: 21
P: 13
Rushing:
PC: 59 attempts for 371 yards
P: 24 attempts for 162 yards
Passing (C-A-I-Y)
PC: 3-8-1-126 yards
P: 11-12-0-255 yards
Total Yards
PC: 497
P: 417
Penalties
PC: 8-73 yards
P: 9-75 yards
Fumbles/Lost
PC: 3-0
P: 4-3
Punting
PC: 3/48.3 avg.
P: 1/33 yards
Return Yards
PC: 121
P: 215
Individual Stats
Rushing
PC: T. Gallimore: 33/214 yards, Underwood: 5/88, Nottingham: 15/47, Lawrence: 5/22, O’Dell: 1/0, Schneider: 1/0
P: #3: 20/168, #12: 4/-6
Passing
PC: Nottingham: 3-8-1/126 yards
P: #12: 11-12-0/255 yards
Receiving PC: Mace: 1/65 yards, O’Dell: 1/29, Reed: 1-32
P: #5: 5/185, #1: 4/53, #21: 1/12, #3: 1/5