When the Cougar JV football team was unable to answer an Edmonson County touchdown in overtime, the Cougars had to face the prospect of of an 0-2 start to their season following the 22-14 loss.

The Wildcats were the dominant team throughout regulation time, holding the ball the majority of the time. Still, the Cougars were the first to score in the game and the Wildcats did not get on the board until less than a minute before the end of the first half

Edmonson County had the ball first and put together a seven-play drive that took the ball from their own 39 down inside the Cougar one. But on a third-and-goal, Wildcat quarterback Josh Milam fumbled the snap and Cougar linebacker Michael Bounds recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback, giving Grayson County the ball at the 20.

The Cougars moved downfield in 11 plays, with Sean Tuttle carrying the final five yards for the score. The Cougars fumbled on the conversion attempt to leave the score at 6-0 with 35 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Tigers then used up the remaining time in the first period and all but 51 seconds of the second quarter to tie the score. Behind the slashing runs of Dean Jenkins and the straight-ahead power of Matt Caudill, the Wildcats moved 68 yards in 12 plays. A run failed and the score remained tied at the half, 6-6.

The Cougars were unable to move the ball on the opening possession of the second half and were forced to punt. But on their second play from scrimmage, the Wildcats fumbled again and Tuttle was able to cover it for the Cougars at the Wildcat 36.

Grayson County then moved in six plays to a first-and-goal at the five. A holding call on second down moved the ball back to the 12, but on the next play, Tuttle broke several tackles on his way to an apparent touchdown.

But the officials flagged the Cougars once more for holding and moved the ball back to the 24

As play began in the fourth quarter, the Cougars faced a third-and-goal at the 20. Quarterback Matt Van Meter then connected with Jared Tomes on a pass that took the ball to the six. The Cougars tried passing again on fourth down, but the pass fell incomplete and the Wildcats took over at their own six.

The Wildcats then held the ball for nearly seven minutes. They earned a first down at the Cougar 20 with 1:21 remaining. But a pair of penalties, a Cougar sack of Milam and an incomplete pass had the Wildcats facing a fourth-and-42 at their own 39 and were forced to punt.

The Cougars had just 16.4 second remaining when they took over at their own 28. Van Meter passed to Tomes again for a first down at the 49 and the Cougars called their last time out with five seconds left But Van Meter was intercepted by Caudill on the next play and the clock ran out as the Cougars brought him down.

The Wildcats had the ball first in the overtime and it took just two plays for Sherman Keown to get the ball in the end zone. He ran for seven yards on first down, then ran the final three on second down. Milam ran for the two-pointer and the Wildcats led 14-6.

Cody Bertram ran for three yards on the Cougars’ first play before Edmonson County was flagged for being offside. The ball was moved to the three and Tuttle scored on the next play. Tuttle carried again on the two-point try and skirted the left side to tie it at 14-14.

The Cougar defense forced the Wildcats into a third-and-goal at the eight and Milam dropped back to pass. A Cougar defender nearly got to Milam and when he was dragged away by a Wildcat lineman, no flags appeared. Milam then drifted to his left and threw a touchdown pass to Aaron Duncan for the go-ahead score. Keown added two points to make it 22-14.

Grayson County failed to gain any yards on first down, and when Van Meter’s pass on second was intercepted in the end zone, the game was over.

The JV squad will travel to Harned next Monday to take on Breckinridge County. That game is slated to begin at 5 p.m.