ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 2, 1996 TAG: 9611050029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Other than the fact that Pulaski County beat Patrick Henry 28-0 to clinch at least a tie for the Roanoke Valley District football championship, there was nothing new to report Friday night from Dobson Stadium.
Another RVD regular season title goes in the Cougars' record book. Nothing new there. Pulaski County (8-1 overall, 3-0 RVD) now has won six in a row and 13 of the last 18. The Cougars played great defense, rushed the ball effectively, and had a sound kicking game.
No news there. That's been the Cougars' formula for success ever since Joel Hicks has been their head coach.
Although neither the style nor the results are anything we haven't seen before, the Pulaski County loyalists never tire of watching it on Fridays and discussing it the other six days of the week.
``We still have Cave Spring left,'' Hicks cautioned the well-wishers who mingled in the locker room afterward. ``Fleming could still beat PH and we could lose to Cave and we'd have to share the title. We don't want to share.''
They won't have to worry about that if the Cougars maintain their recent level of play. Patrick Henry moved the ball well enough, particularly in the first half, but the end zone was as elusive as a desert mirage.
``We got down close twice in the first half and didn't convert when we had the chance,'' said Patrick Henry coach Ed Scott. ``Then we had two fumbles that gave them two touchdowns in the second half and that was the ballgame.''
The first of the fumbles ended PH's first possession of the second half. Down 14-0, a fumbled PH punt gave Pulaski possession on the enemy 5. Craig Hodge scored his 25th touchdown of the year on the next play. With Bryan Meyers' conversion, the Cougars led 21-0.
``The fumbled punt buried them,'' Hicks said.
Another fumble on a poor exchange from center started the Patriots' next possession. Jonathon Gilbert recovered the fumble. On the next play, quarterback Ron Branch connected with Jerome Thomas for a 4-yard scoring pass with 7:23 left in the third quarter. That was all the scoring the Cougars would need.
PH (6-3, 1-2) ran the ball well, particularly tailback James Hickinbotham, who had 130 yards on 14 carries. But the passing game produced only 20 yards on one reception to go along with two interceptions, one thrown by each of the evening's two quarterbacks, starter Dennis Dunnaville and reliever Devon Battle.
Pulaski County's Branch played well on both sides of the ball. He had 108 yards total offense including 52 rushing. He also had an interception and two touchdown-saving tackles. The second of those tackles, when he caught the fleet Hickinbotham from behind inside the Cougars 20, was identified by Hicks as one of the plays of the game.
``I had a bad angle but with my long legs, I was able to run him down,'' Branch said.
Hodge, the Pulaski County fullback, continued to batter the opposition, this time with 162 yards rushing and three more touchdowns, giving him 25 for the year.
``This was my best game of the year,'' he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM\Staff. 1. Pulaski County quarterback Ron Branchby CNBdives after a 9-yard carry during second-quarter action Friday night
in Dublin. The Cougars clinched a tie for the Roanoke Valley
District title and a Group AAA playoff spot with a 28-0 shutout of
Patrick Henry. color. 2. Pulaski County defender Ryan Brockmeyer
(right) forces a fumble by hitting PH quarterback Dennis Dunnaville.
(ran in Metro only).