After enjoying a bye week last week, the Pulaski County Cougar football team will be back in action this week against the Cave Spring Knights, but it won’t be the normal Friday night lights.
The Cougars will travel to Roanoke to face the Knights, but the game will be on Saturday instead of Friday this week. In fact, the Cougars have several games outside of the usual Friday time slot this season. Their game against Bluefield was on a Thursday. When they travel back to Mitchell Stadium to play Graham, that will also be a Thursday game.
“It can mess with your usual preparation and game week planning, but it’s something most teams are dealing with to some extent this season,” Cougar Head Coach Cam Akers said. “Between the shortage of officials and some teams sharing stadiums, you’ve just got to be flexible and ready to go when it’s your time.”
The Cougars and Knights are very well-acquainted programs. Starting with their first matchup in 1974, the two programs have played 46 times. Pulaski County holds a 32-14 edge in the win/loss column, including the last seven meetings. Last year the Cougars blasted the Knights 42-7 at Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium.
The biggest margin of victory for either team is 42 points. The Cougars have beaten Cave Spring by that margin five times (49-7 in 1993, 49-7 in 1995, 42-0 in 2003, 42-0 in 2008, and 42-0 in the 2000 Covid season). The Knights defeated the Cougars 42-0 in 1978.
The Knights, under the direction of second-year Head Coach Nick Leftwich, are a program moving in the right direction. After a tough 3-7 campaign last year where their only wins came against Alleghany, William Byrd, and Blacksburg, the Knights are currently 3-1 this season. They started the season with a huge 37-0 win over rival Hidden Valley, then beat Northside 30-0. Two weeks ago they took a tough 3-10 loss to Glenvar. Last week they defeated Alleghany.
Quarterback Landon Altizer has performed well for the Knights. Last week against Alleghany, he completed 11-of-16 pass attempts for 152 yards and two scores. He also ran for another score. Running back Cameron Parker had 18 carries for 159 yards and a score. Jackson Steffen carried the ball 11 times for 89 yards and a score. Receiver Owen Sweeney caught four passes for 96 yards and two scores.
“Our secondary is going to have to step up,” Coach Akers said. “They were tested against Bluefield and we just gave up way too much yardage. I feel like we don’t do a bad job against the run, but we have a lot of room to grow in our secondary. They’re young for the most part, so we just need them to keep learning and getting better each week.”
Defensively, the Knights have earned two shutouts, those coming against Hidden Valley and Northside. They allowed 10 points against Glenvar and seven points last week against Alleghany.
“They play tough,” Coach Akers said. “They fly to the ball and they’ll hit. Our key to success will be to avoid penalties and mistakes. We need to control the ball, move the chains, and keep their offense off the field. We need to focus on doing the little things right every play.”
The Cougars are in relatively good health after the bye week. The biggest concern was junior quarterback Christopher Gallimore, who had his ankle and leg checked out after the Bluefield game. As of practice Monday he is good to go, but Coach Akers and his staff will keep an eye on things.
Another big concern was sophomore center Nolan Dalton, who has been hampered by a knee issue after a season ending injury last year. As on Monday, he is still ready.
Cougar Lineup
When the Cougars take the field, the lineup will be largely the same. On offense, sophomore Nolan Dalton (6’2”, 263) will line up at center. Sophomore Aiden Moore (5’10”, 246) will be at one guard. Senior Diego Turner (5’10”, 219) will be at the other. The guards will be senior Evan Alger (6’3”, 197) and sophomore Hunter Hill (5’11”, 197). The slots will be a mix of junior Brett Jones (5’10”, 161) and sophomore Tanner Mace (6’, 139) on the other.
Junior Chris Gallimore (6’2”, 182) will be the quarterback. Senior Trevor Burton (5’11”, 185) will be the running back. Wideouts will be senior Neel Davis (6’4”, 204) and junior Marcus Reed (6’4.5”, 193).
Defensively, the Cougars will have a front line featuring senior Alan Fernandez (5’10”, 208) at nose and senior Turner and junior Jack Allen (6’1”, 212) to the sides. Junior Tyler Underwood (6’1”, 188) will be on one end with Alger lined up on the other. The middle linebackers will be Burton and junior Nicholas Woolwine (6’, 170).
The corners will be senior Kyle O’Neil (6’1”, 150) and junior Trey Landreth (6’1”, 165). The safeties will be Jones and Mace.
Several other young Cougars could also see playing time in the offensive and defensive backfield with senior Zach Parker out for the game.
Senior Nathan Pratt will handle the kicking and punting duties for the Cougars.
Initial VHSL Power Ratings
The official VHSL Power Ratings won’t be out for another week or two, but some quick math gives us a brief look at how things are shaping up in Class 4, Region D.
Currently, Halifax County is in the top spot with a 3-0 record and a 25.33 rating. Louisa County (4-0) and Orange County (4-0) are tied at second with 23.00 ratings. Salem (3-1) is fourth at 22.25 points. Amherst County (3-0) is fifth at 22.00. Jefferson Forest (2-1) is sixth at 21.33. EC Glass (3-1) is seventh at 21.25. Western Albemarle (2-1) hold the eighth place at 19.66.
The Cougars are currently sitting in ninth place, one out of the playoff race. Their 2-1 record and 18.66 rating will change as they face some teams with winning records. Northside is currently 0-4. Tennessee High is currently 2-2. Bluefield is now 0-4.
In the River Ridge District, Cave Spring is 3-1. Hidden Valley is now 2-2. Salem is 3-1. Patrick Henry is 2-1. Blacksburg 0-3. Christiansburg is 3-0.