The Pulaski County Cougar football team saw their season come to an end Friday on the road, falling by a final score of 21-45 against the William Byrd Terriers.
For the Cougars, it was an uphill battle from the start after the opening kickoff was returned 88 yards for a touchdown. With just 12 seconds off the clock, the Terriers were up 7-0.
“We lost our coverage, and they took advantage,” Cougar Head Coach Cam Akers said. “We put ourselves in a hole we couldn’t dig out of. Our kids kept fighting, but William Byrd has a pretty good football team.”
The Terriers added a second touchdown with 8:40 remaining in the first quarter when senior quarterback Israel Hairston ran in from seven yards out. With 2:36 remaining in the first, he broke loose on a run up the middle for a 52-yard scoring run. The kicks put Byrd up 21-0.
The Cougars were finally able to put points on the board with 2:30 remaining in the second quarter. After forcing a William Byrd punt, a quick drive ended when Trevor Gallimore broke through the center of the Byrd defense and plunged into the endzone from four yards out. Bryant Nottingham added the PAT to make it 21-7.
Not satisfied with their lead, the Terriers went back to work. With just 22 seconds remaining in the half, Hairston connected with Bricen Lancaster on an 11-yard pass for the score. The kick made it 28-7 as the teams headed to the locker room.
The Cougars took the kickoff to open the second half but were forced to punt. The Terriers took advantage of the opportunity, adding a 64-yard touchdown pass from Hairston to Elliott Gains. The kick made the score 35-7. With 38 seconds left in the third quarter, William Byrd kicker Brayden Andrews added a 29-yard field goal to move the score to 38-7.
With their season slipping away, a lot of teams would have folded up and given up. Pulaski County is not that type of team.
With 7:19 remaining, Nottingham found Marcus Reed open for a 29-yard touchdown pass. The kick by Nottingham made the score 38-14. Pulaski County attempted an onside kick, but the ball went out of bounds and the Terriers took over at midfield. Two plays later, Lancaster broke free on a 44-yard touchdown run.
Trailing 14-45, the Cougars continued to push the issue. A drive methodically drove the ball down the field, and with 14 seconds remaining senior Tyler Underwood scored a three-yard touchdown. The PAT by Nottingham brought the final score to 45-21.
For the Cougars, the season ends with a record of four wins and seven losses, but Pulaski County returned to the playoffs. Considering the depth issues due to injuries and other issues, the Cougars may not have won all the games they wanted to win, but they did make a good accounting of themselves.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys, especially our seniors,” Coach Akers said. “Most of our guys played both ways all game. That’s a lot to ask when you’re playing the kind of teams we’re playing. We’d love to be playing another week, but it wasn’t in the cards. Our coaching staff appreciates all of the work and time our guys put in and the effort all season. We’ve talked all season about commitment and dedication. Now we’ll take that into the weight room and start getting ready for next season.”
Game Stats
Team Stats
First Downs
PC: 19
WB: 12
Rushing
PC: 57 attempts/197 yards
WB: 21/275
Passing
PC: 9-16-2/179 yards
WB: 9-13-1/162 yards
Total Yards
PC: 376
WB: 437
Penalties
PC: 4/25 yards
WB: 7/65
Punting
PC: 2/54.0 avg
WB: 1/30
Individual Stats
Rushing
PC: Gallimore 35 attempts/119 yards, Lawrence 12/55, O’Dell 4/6, Nottingham 3/-2, Underwood 3/19
WB: Hairston 7/178, Andrews 12/86, #40 1/3, #32 1/8
Passing
PC: Nottingham 9-16-2/179 yards
WB: Hairston 9-13-1/162 yards
Receiving
PC: Reed 6/104 yards, Lawrence 2/44, O’Dell 1/31
WB: #11 2/9, #22 1/7, #40 2/38, #7 1/11, #3 1/16, #12 1/64, #1 1/17