A talented Christiansburg squad left the Cougar football team with a Homecoming night 44-20 loss after the Blue Demons opened the game with four straight scores, leaving the Cougars in a hole too deep to dig out of.
“We knew they were a good team, but we also made a few mistakes along the way that didn’t help our cause,” Cougar Head Coach Cam Akers said. “We finally put a few things together in the second half, but defensively we just couldn’t find an answer for their running game.”
The Blue Demons earned a safety after a snap was high on a punt attempt, leaving punter Bryant Nottingham scrambling to get the ball out of the endzone. He got the ball away, but a Cougar was tackled with it for the two-points for Christiansburg with just 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Christiansburg struck again when quarterback Tanner Evans raced 31 yards through the Cougar defense for the score. Spencer Conner kicked the point after to put the Blue Demons up 9-0 with no time remaining in the opening quarter.
The two teams traded punts through most of the second quarter, but with time winding down in the half, the Blue Demons stuck again. This time it was a 65-yard run from Evans. The kick by Conner made the score 16-0 with 3:13 remaining in the half.
Pulaski County couldn’t move the ball on their next possession, and the half ended with the same score.
The Blue Demons took the second half kickoff and began to drive, but again Evans broke free, this time from 34 yards out. The PAT from Conner put Christiansburg up 23-0 with 10:32 remaining in the third.
The Cougars finally got on the board in the third quarter. Runs from Trevor Gallimore and quarterback Chris Gallimore moved the ball close, and then Gallimore found receiver Marcus Reed leaping up into the air in the very furthest back of the endzone. Reed made the catch and was able to get both feet down inbounds for the 20-yard touchdown catch. Nottingham kicked the PAT to make the score 23-7 with 5:30 remaining in the third.
The Blue Demons took the kickoff and answered immediately. Evans called his own number and raced 69-yards down the center of the field for the score. The PAT by Conner made it 30-7 with 5:04 remaining in the third.
The Cougars could have rolled over, but they continued to fight. With a change of tempo and a mix of pass and runs, Gallimore found Reed open on a 16-yard strike with 11:14 remaining in the game. Nottingham’s PAT made it 30-14.
The Cougars made a defensive stop and went back to work. This time, it was Pulaski County that struck quickly. Gallimore dropped back and found Reed coming across the middle. Reed made the catch and outran all defenders for 74 yards for the score. The PAT by Nottingham made it 30-20 with 9:26 remaining.
Unfortunately for the Cougars, Christiansburg added two more scores to close out the game. One was a 19-yard run by Matt Annis with 4:24 remaining. The next was a 20-yard run by Gavin Cross with 1:56 remaining to put the final score at 44-20 for Christiansburg.
“I told our guys that we’re just going to have to put this one behind us and come in Monday ready to get back to work,” Coach Akers said. “Nobody likes to lose, but we don’t have time to dwell on it. Next week will be an even bigger test with Patrick Henry.”
Game Stats
1st Downs
PC: 11
CB: 15
Rushing
PC: 37 attempts/126 yards
CB: 39 attempts/387 yards
Passing:
PC: 7-9-0/167 yards
CB: 4-10-0/15 yards
Total Yards
PC: 293
CB: 402
Penalties
PC: 3/35 yards
CB: 1/10 yards
Punting
PC: 5/45.8 avg
CB: 4/35.5 avg
Fumbles/Lost
PC: 2-1
CB: 0-0
Return Yards
PC: 97
CB: 105
Individual Stats
Rushing
PC: T. Gallimore 28 att/80 yards, C. Gallimore 11/41, Underwood 2/4, Lawrence 1/1
CB: Evans 19/266, Annis 13/84, Cross 7/37
Passing
PC: Gallimore 7-9-0/167 yards/3 TD
CB: Evans 4-10-0/15 yards
Receiving
PC: Reed 7/167 yards/3 TD
CB: J. Evans 2/7, Fernandez 2-8