NORTH BULLITT-- The Cougar varsity football team showed it was not yet ready for the upcoming season as they were outscored three touchdowns to two at Friday's scrimmage at North Bullitt High School.

There has been a lot of anticipation and positive talk about this team because of last year's success and the fact that the team had a large bunch of seniors returning. If Friday night was any indication of how the team will play this season against a very tough schedule , it could be another long year for Cougar football.

Head Coach Keith Graham did not mince words after the scrimmage.

"I'll tell it to you straight, we stunk tonight," Graham said. "Some of you older guys just disappeared. They just whipped us up front."

Graham told his team they had a long way to go if they hoped to have a successful season.

"Our schedule this year is tough. If you play like you did tonight and fall behind, they will bury you."

Graham was particularly upset with the way his team tackled. He challenged his team, and in particular his seniors, to play better beginning in this week's practices, in the next scrimmage and in the upcoming regular season games.

At the beginning of the scrimmage each team had 10 possessions to move the ball beginning at the 20-yard line. The Cougars went first and failed to take the ball past midfield. The Eagles then took over on their 20 and began moving the ball against the Cougar defense.

They went into Grayson County territory on the fifth play and had it at the 22 by the ninth play. A penalty backed them up to the 27 but the ninth play gained to the 14. On the tenth and final play of the possession, the Eagles used some misdirection and punched it in for a touchdown. They missed their extra-point opportunity.

On the next set of possessions, the teams went to down and distance and Grayson County began having some success. The Cougars converted on a third-and-three situation, then faced third-and-six at their own 34. Quarterback Timmy Langley hit a wide-open Gavin Logsdon with a pass good for 38 yards and a first down at the Eagle 28. That big play seemed to charge up the Cougars and three plays later Langley swept the left end from 12 yards out for the tying score. Logsdon kicked the extra point to give the Cougars a lead.

Both teams had unsuccessful possessions before the Eagles took over at their own 37 following a punt. North Bullitt converted a third-and-nine situation, but then faced a fourth-and-five at the Cougar 46. Using a hard count and a head bob, the Eagle quarterback got the Cougars to jump offside and give his team a first down.

That gave the Eagles some incentive and they moved it the rest of the way down the field, scoring on a quarterback sneak from inside the one-yard line. This time the kick was good and they led 13-7.

On the Cougars' first play following the Eagle score, sophomore running back Nathan Gordon raced through a huge hole on the left side and went 80 yards for the tying score. Graham didn't even try for the extra point, instead bringing his players back to the 20 to run some more plays. They were able to move the ball into Eagle territory, but gave up the ball on downs at the 33.

At that point the JV squads took over and the Cougars forced a punt on the first Eagle possession. Taking over at the Eagle 40 it took just three plays for the Cougars to score. First-year junior Chris Elmore ran 29 yards for the touchdown.

After the Cougars held once more, the freshmen took the field, followed one last time by the varsity. Getting 10 plays once more, the Cougars could advance only as far as the Eagle 40 before turning the ball over.

On the Eagles' fourth play, their fullback swept the right side for 67 yards, down to the Cougar two. Two plays later they scored and the scrimmage was over.