Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 20, 1993 TAG: 9311200241
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
Based on the results of last year's demolition job of Hylton in the opening round of the Group AAA Division 6 Northwestern Region playoffs, selected members of Pulaski County's football team may have harbored the slightest bit of disrespect for the Bulldogs.
That no longer is the case.
In only its second year as a school, Hylton battled the defending state champions fiercely before bowing 21-13 at Dobson Stadium on Friday night.
"That was the toughest team we've played this year," said Cougars tackle Randy Dunnigan. "That was the toughest team we've played in a long time."
Pulaski County (11-0), which won its 19th consecutive game, plays host to Gar-Field, a 35-21 winner over Woodbridge, at 8 p.m. on Nov. 26 for the regional title. Hylton, crushed 38-0 by the Cougars this time a year ago, finished 8-2.
All the scoring came in the first half, with the teams combining for 373 yards of offense. Pulaski County clamped down in the second half, holding the Bulldogs to 44 total yards - 24 on the ground - and two first downs.
"I'm not making excuses, but they had two weeks to prepare for this game, and it looks like to me they took full advantage of it," said Joel Hicks, Pulaski County's coach. "In the first half, our players didn't see what they'd been practicing for all week. I don't think [Hylton] ran one play that we'd seen on film."
Fumbles hurt the Bulldogs more than anything else. Hylton's first two preceded Pulaski County touchdowns. The initial drop happened on the second play of the game, when halfback Robert Simmons lost it to the Cougars on the Hylton 26. Five Carl Lewis runs later, quarterback Andre Eaves leaped over from the 3-yard line for the touchdown.
The Bulldogs came right back with a 64-yard drive in nine plays, the last a 3-yard plunge by quarterback Eugene Simpson. With Scott Boyd's kick, it was 7-7 with 3 minutes, 41 seconds left in the first quarter.
Pulaski County responded with a 90-yard drive entirely on the ground. The big plays were a 22-yard Eric Webb slash on a wingback counter play and a 26-yard sprint by Tim Kimbrough. Brian Redd bulled 1 yard for the touchdown, but Shayne Graham's kick hooked left.
Hylton chugged right back downfield after the kickoff, but fullback Randy Tabit fumbled to Pulaski County linebacker Jammon Payne at the Cougars' 34. On second down, Lewis broke through a big hole and jetted 63 yards for the touchdown.
"The hole was wide-open," said Lewis, who scored on the subsequent two-point conversion and finished with 114 yards rushing. "I just broke a couple of tackles and kept speeding."
Hylton drove 83 yards for a touchdown just before halftime to make it 21-13. Byron Stevenson, who led the Bulldogs with 69 yards on 15 carries, scored from the 1-yard line. But Webb blocked Boyd's conversion kick with four seconds left.
Lewis almost broke the kickoff for a touchdown before colliding with one of his blockers deep in Hylton territory at the halftime horn.
Pulaski County controlled the second half, rushing for 126 of its 317 yards after intermission. Eaves had 64 of his 79 rushing yards in the second half.
"They came to play," Eaves said of the Bulldogs. "But I don't think they'd been hit as consistently hard as we hit them all year. They wanted it, but we wanted it more. We showed them who were the men and who were the boys."
by CNB