Cougar seniors (from left) KJ Robinson, Kyle O'Neal, and Khalib Horton
Pulaski County versus Salem seems to bring out the best in both teams, and Tuesday, February 7, was no different. Despite a late run by the Spartans to attempt the comeback, the Cougars earned a huge 65-46 victory that locked them into a River Ridge District tournament spot, set for Friday.
Only the top four teams in the River Ridge District play in the district tournament. The Cougars, who will be the fourth seed, have made that tournament each of the four seasons under Head Coach Tyler Cannoy.
The Cougars came out strong, taking a 15-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Things looked ever brighter after Pulaski County outscored Salem 12-9 in the second to take a 27-16 lead into the halftime break.
The third quarter was the beginning of the end for Salem, as Lane Nester hit three huge three-pointers to help the Cougars outscore the Spartans 17-11 in the third quarter. Salem made a run in the fourth, hitting a few deep balls of their own, but couldn’t handle the Pulaski County pressure down the stretch. The Cougars won the final quarter 21-19 to earn the 65-46 win.
Lane Nester led the way for the Cougars with a team and game high 23 points that included four three-pointers. Tootie O’Dell and Kyle O’Neal added 14 points each. Jeremiah Turner chipped in five points. Khalib Horton scored four. Will O’Neal added three points. Marcus Reed scored the final two points.
Grant Clemens led the Spartans with 11 points. Ryan Cox added eight.
“I’m so proud of our guys,” Cougar Head Coach Tyler Cannoy posted. “No group has battled as much adversity all year as this group has. To continue this streak (RRD playoffs) shows the fight, desire, and competitiveness of this group. So proud of these young men.”
The Cougar JV squad found themselves in a much closer game, but were able to hold off a late Salem run to earn a 53-51 victory. The JV Cougars outscored Salem in each of the first three quarters, but the Spartans outscored Pulaski County 24-14 in the fourth and final period to bring on the close final score.
Justus Hash led the Cougars with 16 points. Jalere Harlow added 14 points. Bryant Nottingham scored six points. Silas Sweet, Sammy Carrasco, and Johnny Anderson added four points each. Braxton Merchant scored three points and Tanner Crawford added two points.
With their wins, the varsity squad is now 6-15 and finish fourth in the River Ridge District. The JV squad is now 14-6.
The Cougars will host the Radford Bobcats Thursday, February 9, for the final game of the regular season. JV action begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by the varsity contest at approximately 7 p.m.
Friday, February 10, the Cougars will travel to Roanoke to face off with the Patrick Henry Patriots in the first round of the River Ridge District Tournament. The Patriots are 21-2 overall this season, 12-0 in the River Ridge District, and are the district regular season champions. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Patrick Henry High School.