ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 16, 1996 TAG: 9611180118
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
MEMO: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.
No one could have asked for anything more. Not the fans, not the coaches and certainly not the players. After more than two hours of hard-nosed football in the biting cold, the Pulaski County Cougars prevailed in a 20-17 overtime shootout with the Stonewall Jackson Raiders to advance to the Group AAA Division 5 Northwest Region finals.
Tied at 17 entering overtime, Stonewall Jackson got first crack at the end zone. High school overtime rules give each team first-and-goal from the 10-yard line until a winner emerges. On first down Raider quarterback T.J. Mayes rolled right and threw back left to tailback Raymond Gee. Gee took the pass from about 7 yards out and raced toward the goal line before being brought down at the 1.
But wait - there was a flag.
A 15-yard clipping penalty was assesed, and quite possibly cost Stonewall Jackson the game. After two pass attempts from the 21-yard line fell incomplete, a third pass was intercepted by Cougars defensive back Dorian Hendricks. The turnover gave Pulaski the ball, needing only a field goal for victory.
"I thought that interception was the decisive point of the game," Stonewall coach Jim Powell said. "We played much better than the last time we were here [a 35-7 loss in 1994]. I think we even played a little over our heads."
Minutes later, after Stonewall called a timeout in an attempt to ice place-kicker Bryan Myers, who had missed a game-winning field-goal attempt from 33 yards with 1:16 left in regulation. This time, Myers booted the 27-yarder through the uprights for the victory.
"I missed the first one at the end of regulation," Myers said, "and in my business you don't miss two in a row."
Pulaski County coach Joel Hicks said he had no doubts about sending Myers in on first down.
"This is a kicking school right here," Hicks said. "We just execute, and that kid doesn't miss often. If he would have missed that one and we had another opportunity, I'd have put him right back in."
Tied at 10 after three quarters, the fourth period was full of ups and downs for both teams.
The Raiders went up 17-10 behind the running of Gee, their go-to player all season. He put Stonewall Jackson ahead with 11:16 to play on a 44-yard sweeep around left end. He danced around the corner then outran Hendricks to the end zone.
Gee led all rushers with 162 yards on 33 carries. Stonewall totaled 292 yards of offense.
But Pulaski's top runner, junior Craig Hodge, wasn't about to let Gee top him at his own field. Three plays and less than two minutes later Hodge broke one off left tackle 36 yards for the tying score.
Hodge led the Cougars with 13 carries for 79 yards. Pulaski finished with 192 yards of offense, 180 of those coming on the ground for a 10-yard rushing advantage over the Raiders.
"We had 10 more yards and three more points and that's all that matters," Hicks told his team after the game. "We're going to have to come in here every day next week and prepare ... this is playoff time and it takes heart to win.
"We showed heart tonight." see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. ALAN KIM STAFF Raymond Gee (top) of Stonewallby CNBJackson can't get over Pulaski County defender Jonathon Gilbert in
the second quarter of their Group AAA playoff game Friday night.
color
2. ALAN KIM STAFF Bucky Seagle (left) of Pulaski County reacts after
dropping a long pass behind Stonewall Jackson defender Thad Snow in
the first half.