Spartans edge Cougars in final JV football game of ‘09

By Cody Dalton
sports@southwesttimes.com

DUBLIN – The junior varsity squads of Pulaski and Salem matched up on Thursday in a prelude to Friday’s annual Cougar-Spartan varsity rivalry. With the JV district title on the line, the Salem Spartans would use a 13-0 halftime lead and a three touchdown performance from running back Devin Wygal to hold off Pulaski at Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium on Friday, 27-6.

Salem (9-0) would start off with the ball after the Cougars won the opening toss and deferred to the second half. The Spartans would get some early help, as a late hit moved the ball 15 yards on the first play of the game.

The Spartans would continue to move the ball and even appeared as if they would get on the scoreboard first. Spartan running back Devin Wygal would rush for 45 yards on the drive, including a huge 34-yard run down to the Cougar 20-yard line. However, a fumble by Wygal would be recovered by Pulaski’s James King deep in Cougar territory.

Pulaski (6-4) mounted their own drive, vying to be the first team to score in the game. The Cougars would get near midfield before being stifled on a fourth-and-one. Cougars coach Greg Allen would make the call to go for it. Zack Akers would prove the decision to be the right one, taking a pitch to the right side and get two yards for the first down.

Yet another Cougar possession would stall three plays later and Allen once again decided to make the decision to go for it on fourth-and-one. This time, Akers would take a pitch unsuccessfully for a loss of two yards, giving the Spartans back the ball just before the scoreless first quarter ended.

“We said that it was the last game and for the district title,” Allen said. “We were going to leave it all on the field. If it was on near the 50-yard line and forth down and short, we were going to give ourselves a chance to keep the drive alive and go. We got it the first time and unfortunately, it bit us the second time. If I had to do it again, I would definitely do it again.”

The Spartans would take the ensuing drive and go 56 yards down the field for the first score of the game. Brandon Ali capped the drive with a 26-yard touchdown run. The extra point was missed wide right, but Salem still took the early 6-0 lead.

Pulaski’s squad tried to get things going on the next drive, but the solid Salem defense held tight. After Marcus McClanahan got the Cougars a first down on a 7-yard run and followed that up with a 1-yard run on first down, the Spartan defense would clamp down and sack Cougar quarterback Tyler Dotson twice. Bryan Spangler and Spencer Hite were in on the sacks. That forced the Cougars to punt.

Salem would once again capitalize on the change of possession, driving the ball downfield 58 yards. Wygal once again scored, this time from three yards out, as the Spartans took a two score lead, 13-0, into the halftime break.

During halftime and heading into the third quarter, Allen tried to motivate his players and also make some offensive adjustments to counter the Spartans defensive attack.

“I told them that I had put them in a couple of formations that didn’t give us a chance to run the plays we were running successfully,” Allen said. “I told them that we would get that corrected, to trust it, to keep playing physical defense, and not give up any big plays, and we would be in the thick of things. I thought they fought hard and played for four full quarters.”

Salem wouldn’t need defense in their first score of the quarter. After the Cougars went three-and-out, Arius McConnell would take the oncoming punt 47 yards for the touchdown, increasing the already big Salem lead to 20-0.

The Cougars wouldn’t let that huge play get them down and they would show that in the very next drive. They would march 71 yards down the field with the help of running back Brandon Brock, who rushed for 33 yards in the drive. Akers would cap the drive off with a 4-yard run, which got the Cougars on the board, 20-6, after missed two-point conversion attempt.

Pulaski continued to press on and got the ball back at the beginning of the fourth quarter. A strong balance of pass and run marched them down the field. On a first down and ten, Dotson would scramble for a small gain, but the ball came loose. The play would first be ruled a fumble by Dotson, but was later changed to an incomplete pass, giving the Cougars the ball back and a fresh set of downs on change of possession.

Salem continued the defensive pressure though, forcing the Cougars to commit a holding call and once again sacking Dotson. Pulaski tried to recover from the two mistakes and got it down to a crucial fourth down and 12. They would go for it and try to convert through the air. Dotson would find Corky Hall down to the Spartan sideline and go out of bounds right at the marker.

“We knew if we could get him [Hall] out in space, we always feel like with his height and the way he could run and jump, that we could throw it up to him and let him make a play,” Allen said. “He has done that all year long for us. He’s went up and fought for balls and made plays for us.”

However, another controversial call in the measurement for the first down showed the ball just inches short, giving the Spartans back the ball. That turnover in possession once again led to a Spartan score. After a 5-yard Spartan pass to set up third down and 10, Salem quarterback Thomas Weaver would find John Repass for a long 42-yard pass. On the very next play, Wygal would score for the third time in the game on a 34-yard run, sealing the Spartan victory and district crown.

After the game, Allen commented on the performance of his team in the game and season, despite having to combine both the freshman and junior varsity football teams due to lack of turnout at tryouts.

“These kids from the beginning of the year were literally playing a ninth grade schedule and then having to come play a JV game,” Allen said. “We had one week where we had two games in a week and had to prepare for two different opponents. After we came together as a unit and were just playing our JV season, they started to gel and play together. I’m so proud of the unity they have displayed as the year displayed. They’ve progressed and played their best football. Not tonight necessarily, but we are playing our best football right when we want to be. The future of our program is bright. I don’t care what anyone says. That is a young group over there. Even the games we lost, we were right in the middle of them. I’m very proud of them.”

(11-5-09)