Staff writer
LEITCHFIELD -- The eighth-grade Cougars got their football season off to a winning start with an impressive, 32-12 win over visiting Hancock County last Tuesday evening.
The seventh-grade team was locked in a 0-0 tussle with the visiting Cougars when the game was called just before the start of the second half because of a threatening electrical storm in the area.
The Cougar eighth-graders were dominant from the start. The visitors did not gain a first down until there was about a minute left to play in the third quarter. The Cougars already led 32-0 at that point and many of the first string players were on the sidelines watching the action.
Hancock got the ball first, but was unable to move. Facing a fourth-and-10 at their own 30, they dropped back into punt formation. However, the Cougars' Brian Beeler broke through the blocking to get a hand on the punt, and Michael Bounds covered the loose ball to give Grayson County a first down at the Hancock 24.
Aaron Deviney carried down to the two on first down, then Andrew Brooks carried in for the first score. Deviney added a two-point conversion and with 5:47 left in the first period the Cougars led 8-0.
Grayson County got another big break on the next Hancock possession. On second down, Hancock fumbled the ball and the Cougars recovered at the Hancock 33. Deviney and Brooks shared the load carrying the ball, moving quickly inside the 10. On a first-and-goal from the four, Deviney swept the right side for the second Cougar score. The Cougars pulled a reverse on the two-point conversion, with Deviney pitching to Bounds who went untouched into the end zone to make it 16-0 at the 5:06 mark.
Hancock continued to give the Cougars help on the ensuing kickoff when they could not handle the ball cleanly and Deviney covered the ball at the Hancock 30.
Grayson County just missed getting another touchdown on the first play from scrimmage when running back Corey Clark took a handoff around the right side, but threw a pass to a wide-open Brandon Lindsey. However Lindsey could not find the handle on the pass and it fell incomplete. The Cougars could not gain a first down and gave up the ball on downs at the Hancock 24 as the quarter ended.
The Cougar defense was tough and forced Hancock into a fourth-and-13 situation, but the visitors elected not to punt. The Hancock runner gained yardage close to the marker, but came up a yard short and Grayson County took over at the Hancock 33 at the 6:58 mark.
The Cougars moved to a first-and-10 at the 11, but on the next run, Deviney was stripped of the ball and Hancock recovered at the eight.
The Cougar defense was again up to the task and forced Hancock into a fourth-and-14 situation at their own four. Once again they unwisely elected to run and the Cougar defense stuffed it at the eight, where they took over first-and-goal. One play later, seventh-grader Hunter Gary waltzed through a huge hole for the touchdown. Deviney added the two-point conversion and at the 3:42 mark the Cougars led 24-0.
The Cougars stopped Hancock one more time on downs and took over at the visitors' 35 with 1:19 left in the half. Gary picked up a first down at the 22, then Deviney carried the rest of the way for a TD with 46 seconds remaining. Quarterback Jacob Clemons kept on the extra point attempt and carried over to make it 32-0 as the teams went into the halftime intermission.
The Cougar second-stringers kept the ball nearly six minutes at the start of the second half, but could not score, giving up the ball on downs at the Hancock 14.
Hancock began having success against the number-two defense, picking up their first first down at the 25. Hancock gained another first down at the Grayson County 40 as the period ended, then threw a touchdown pass as the fourth quarter began to make it 32-6.
The Cougars failed to move the ball on its next possession and Hancock took over the the Cougar 33.
Four plays later, Hancock was on the board again following an 18-yard run on second down with 3:57 left. The Cougars stopped the extra-point attempt again and the score was 32-12.
Grayson County began moving the ball once more, taking it from their own 31 to the Hancock 22, but time ran out and the Cougars celebrated their season-opening win.
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