While they didn’t end the season with the number of wins they wanted, the Cougar Football program did continue to see some improvements this season. Last week, the program officially brought their 2023 season to a close with a banquet.
Head Coach Cam Akers and his staff recognized the members of the team, distributed letters to those who earned them, recognized the senior class, and awarded four very special awards.
The Lineman of the Year awards was presented to senior Jack Allen. He was selected as an honorable mention for the All-River Ridge District team.
The Defensive Player of the Year award was presented to senior Tyler Underwood. He was selected as a second team linebacker on the All-River Ridge District team and All-Region 3D team.
This year marked the beginning of a new award, which will be presented each year moving forward in recognition of legendary former Head Coach Joel Hicks. This award is and will be presented each year to the player who demonstrated outstanding physical and mental toughness, along with a high degree of willingness to do whatever is needed for the success of the team. The “44 Award” will be presented in recognition of that player that exhibits a commitment to helping the Cougar Football program be the best it can be.
This year, the 44 Award was presented to senior Nick Woolwine. Woolwine, who was asked to play at multiple positions at times during the season, was selected as an All-River Ridge District second team linebacker. Woolwine also played a big part in the Cougar offensive line that allowed Cougar running backs to gain 3,131 yards rushing on 555 attempts, an average of 6.64 yards per carry. The Cougar offensive line also helped Pulaski County gain 1,009 yards through the air with a 53.1% completion rate, a total of 4,140 yards offensively for the season.
The Player of the Year award is presented to the player that has the biggest impact on the player who makes the biggest impact on the team during the year. This year, that player is junior Trevor Gallimore.
Gallimore rewrote the record books this season. He ran the ball 314 times for 1,719 yards. That will rank him among the top running backs in Pulaski County history. He set a new record for most rushing yards in a game with his 375 yards against Blacksburg, all in the first half. He also broke the record for most rushing touchdowns in a game with six against the Bruins, and tied the record held by Kwasi Scott from the 1998 game with Cave Spring where Scott scored five on the ground and one receiving. Gallimore scored 30 rushing touchdowns this season, breaking the previous record of 27 rushing touchdowns in a season. Those same 30 touchdowns also set a new record for most points scored in a season with 180 points. The previous record was 162 points.
Gallimore was named as a first team running back on the All-River Ridge District and All-Region 3D teams. He was also selected as a running back for the All-State second team.
Another record that was broken this season by a senior was the record for most receiving yards in a game. Senior Marcus Reed broke the record previously held by Malik Eaves from the 2014 season against Cave Spring (162 yards) with his 167 receiving yards against Christiansburg. He also tied for second place for most receiving touchdowns in a game with his two scores against Blacksburg.
Reed caught 26 passes for 657 yards this season. He also recorded eight touchdown catches. There would have been more, but many of his catch attempts resulted in pass interference calls against defenders who couldn’t contain him. Reed also spent time on defense and special teams.
