The Cougars bounced back this week with a statement win over Copiah Academy as they celebrated Senior Night in The Hole. The game was tightly contested in the first half, but the Cougars eventually found their rhythm and separated from their opponents for a 27-14 victory.
Each senior was recognized before the game and the senior football players were all present for the coin toss as cap
The Cougars set the tone early in the game on both sides of the ball. Barrett McKenney led the offense on a great opening drive where they moved the ball at will. A good mix of passes and efficient running saw the Cougars knocking on the end zone early in the first quarter. Hayes Berry punched in the first touchdown of the game to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead following a Parker Pierce extra point.
The Cougar defensive front did a great job limiting Copiah’s running back to minimal gains. However, the Colonels were able to get on the board after a deep pass was caught for a touchdown to even the score through the first quarter.
Then the Colonels scored first in the second quarter after their running game was able to take root. They continued to attack the middle of the Cougar defense before punching the ball in for a score.
SCA answered back midway through the second with a scoring drive of their own. Barrett McKenney made a phenomenal play, escaping two defenders and connecting with Parker Pinkerton on a deep pass over the middle for 40 yards. A facemask penalty was tacked on the end of the play to put the Cougars on the 5-yard line. A quarterback sneak helped even the game at 14-14 going into halftime.
The defense came out firing on all cylinders and the Cougar defensive front was getting great penetration to make plays in the backfield. Pinkerton made a great tackle on a third and short to force a punt. The defense swarmed to the football the entire second half and neutralized the Colonels’ rushing attack.
Late in the third quarter McKenney made a great read on an option play and broke for a 48-yard touchdown run to give his team the lead. A miscue on the extra point saw the Cougars lead 20-14 at the start of the 4th quarter.
The Cougar defense continued to be stifling as they limited the Colonels’ offense, forcing another punt. The Cougar offense started to march down the field with Hayes Berry and Parker Pinkerton running the ball hard to move the chains and keep the clock moving in the final quarter of the game until the drive stalled near mid field and the Cougars gave the ball back to the Colonels with 6:09 left in the game.
The Colonels’ quarterback rolled out to pass with Chase Adcock in pursuit. Adcock leveled the quarterback and forced a fumble that was recovered by his teammate, Jack Lee. It was a great play by Adcock and the takeaway gave the Cougar offense great starting field position.
The offense took over inside the 20-yard line. The Cougars turned to Ben Kennedy, and he ran the ball well to move the Cougars inside the 5-yard line. Hayes Berry scored his second touchdown of the game from three yards out to give his team a 27-14 lead with two minutes left in the game. The Colonels made a last-minute effort to score, but any hope they had was snuffed out when Adcock intercepted the pass to end the game.
It was a big win that saw the Cougars advance to 2-1 in district play. They travel to Leake Academy this Friday for their final game of the regular season.
