Freshmen fall short at Cookeville
|
Not only was the 30-20 defeat the first of this year’s freshman campaign, it was also the first time most of the Pioneers had been beaten since their seventh-grade seasons. And following the game, head coach Andy Evans said a lack of preparation and teamwork combined to cause his squad’s downfall.
‘I’m not happy at all with the way we came out for this game, and I’ll take responsibility for that,’ he said. ‘We didn’t look like we were ready to play until the second half, and that was just in a few spots.
‘Cookeville set the tone on their opening possession, and they never looked back. We were out-classed, out-disciplined, out-conditioned and out-played. But I believe in this team, and I believe they can step up, answer the challenge, come together as a team and bounce back from this loss.’
The Cavaliers took the opening kickoff and methodically moved downfield, with Dylan Martin converting a fourth-and-3 opportunity in the shadow of the Pioneer goalposts, then getting the ball again one play later, going in from the 5 for the first TD of the game.
The drive took 17 plays, ate nearly nine minutes off the first-quarter clock, and spanned 73 yards.
Warren County answered early in the second period, however, when Robert Harris broke through for a 13-yard run on fourth-and-2, and Caleb Northcutt took a pitch to the left side and sprinted downfield for a 46-yard touchdown run.
Both teams’ conversions failed, and the score remained tied at 6-6 until the five-minute mark of the period, when Cookeville’s Stephen Bush scored on an 11-yard run then added a conversion to put the home club on top 14-6.
The half ended with the Cavaliers still leading by eight, and with Michael Thrower protecting an injured wrist. But the Pioneer QB came back out for the second half, and tied the game late in the third when his 16-yard pass to Tyler Glenn was hauled in after being tipped into the air by Cookeville’s Ben Bucher. Thrower called his own number on the 2-point try, knotting the score at 14-all.
It wouldn’t stay tied for long, however, as Martin caught the ensuing kickoff at the 30, found an opening and streaked past the Pioneers’ coverage unit for a 70-yard TD. Bush added another 2-point run, and Cookeville went up for good at 22-14.
The Pioneers’ final touchdown of the game came on a 30-yard sweep by Northcutt, which put him over the 100-yard mark for the second straight game. But the conversion run failed, and four plays later Martin scored his third TD on a 33-yard sprint.
Thrower was intercepted on the next possession, and Warren County’s final drive ended on a Dustin Rhea fumble which was recovered by Jonathan Seals. Cookeville drove down to the Pioneer 1-yard line, but with just a minute left to play the Cavaliers took a knee, running out the clock and sealing the victory.
Thrower had 45 yards on 11 attempts, while Northcutt led the way with 11 carries for 127 yards and two scores. Harris finished with 82 yards on just eight carries, including a 30-yard run. The TD pass to Glenn was the Pioneers’ only completion in five attempts.
‘Michael had a tremendous game, especially considering he was playing in pain,’ Evans said. ‘Our offense did some good things out there, and our defense made a couple of stops that I was glad to see. But we’ve got to put all of it together, and do it for an entire game if we want to have a winning program.’