The Cougar football team will take the field for one final week of regular season action this week, and they’ll do so against a very familiar opponent in the Cave Spring Knights.
Pulaski County and Cave Spring have a long history that includes several great games over the years. In the 50-year history of Pulaski County High School, the two teams have played each other 47 times. The Cougars lead that series 32-15, but Cave Spring got the best of the Cougars last season in Roanoke by a final score of 12-2. The Cougars won the previous seven matchups. The Knights was six in a row before that.
The Cougars have played an extremely tough schedule this season, which has helped them maintain a spot in the latest VHSL ratings heading toward the playoffs. The Cougars are currently in the seven spot, with Cave Spring and Staunton River tied in the eighth spot.
Cave Spring has also played some quality teams, and they’ve played many of them tougher than some experts expected. The Knights opened the season with a big 42-3 win over Western Albemarle. That was expected. The Knights went on to fall to an energetic Northside Viking squad, which surprised a lot of people. The next week was a disappointing 7-3 loss to Glenvar, a team that is now 7-2.
The Knights traveled to Christiansburg next, and despite taking a loss, the final score shocked a lot of people. The Blue Demons won 42-33. The Knights 38-7 win over Blacksburg was not a shocker, but only falling to the 8-1 William Byrd Terriers by a final score of 12-14 was. The Knights crushed Hidden Valley 43-7.
Their next loss came against the 8-1 Patrick Henry Patriots, but the final score was a surprising 28-35. October 20, the Knights fell against Salem 51-3 before taking a bye week heading into their matchup with the Cougars.
“They’re a good football team,” Cougar Head Coach Cam Akers said. “Their quarterback can throw and run the ball. Their wideouts run good routes and are physical. Their running backs move the chains and hold onto the ball. Defensively, they have the same problem we have at times. We both give up way too many points. Their close games with William Byrd and Patrick Henry show they can get it done though. We’re going to need to put it all out on the line this week.”
The Cougars have been productive offensively all season. The running game has been solid. The passing game has given them some boosts at times. The problem has been fumbles and penalties.
Defensively, the Cougars have struggled against a lot of teams. They gave up 48 points against Lord Botetourt, 49 against Princeton, 44 against Christiansburg, 48 against Patrick Henry, 49 against Salem, 52 against Graham, and 19 in a win over Hidden Valley.
“We shouldn’t score 40 points against any team and lose the game,” Coach Akers said. “Big plays have killed us. Turning the ball over deep in our own territory has killed us. Holding a team to third down and long and committing a penalty to give them the first down has killed us. We can’t keep making those mistakes.”
A big part of the problem is a lack of depth. Many of the Cougar players go onto the field for the opening kickoff and almost never come off. Despite being healthy young men, the course of a game wears on a player.
“Bryant Nottingham is a good example,” Akers said. “He’s our kicker, our punter, our quarterback, and a defensive back. Last week he kicked off late in the game and was on the ground with cramps a second later. We’ve got to keep building some quality depth so we can get some of these guys off the field for a minute here and there.”
Last week against the Hidden Valley Titans, the Cougars controlled most of the game, but the final score didn’t indicate that. The Titans used their spread offense to hit the corners and throw into space throughout the game, forcing the Cougar defenders to expend precious energy. The Titans were held to just 58 yards rushing on 23 attempts, but gained 303 yards connecting on 14-of-32 passing attempts.
Meanwhile, the Cougars ran the ball 65 times to gain 426 rushing yards and completed two-of-five pass attempts for 50 yards. Trevor Gallimore carried a large share of the load, with 41 carries for 229 yards and five touchdowns, but Chase Lawrence (7 for 71 yards), Nottingham (5 for 64 yards), and Isaiah O’Dell (9 for 51 yards) helped out. Savion Thompson also ran three times for 11 yards, collecting his first varsity touchdown.
The Titans scored on a 48-yard pass, a 55-yard pass, and a 75-yard pass to earn their points.
“We’ve got to find a way to tighten up,” Coach Akers said. “I can’t fault these guys for their effort, because they’re giving it everything they’ve got. They want to win so bad they can taste it. This is a much better team than our 3-6 record makes you believe. Our goal is to go out and play a physical game, control the clock, and move the chains. That may get old to hear, but that’s what it takes to win. I believe in our guys.”
When the Knights take the field, they’ll be led by sophomore quarterback Garrett Lonker. He connected on 13-of-24 pass attempts against William Byrd for 127 yards and a touchdown. He added a 5-of-11 performance for 151 yards and two touchdowns against Hidden Valley. He connected on 13-of-15 pass attempts against Blacksburg for 221 yards.
Senior Owen Sweeney (6’3”, 185) is a VMI committed wide receiver. He had 98 yards and a score against the Titans, 87 yards and two touchdowns against the Bruins, and a touchdown catch and a sack against William Byrd.
“They’re going to come into the game ready to lay It all out on the line,” Coach Akers said. “Our guys better be ready to match that energy and effort.”
Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium/Joel Hicks Field.