"Aren’t you glad you didn’t go home early?" the voice in the press box said, as the most intense part of the game was about

to commence. Indeed, this game was not to be missed. It will take its place among the great games in Cougar history.

The Cougars won the toss and elected to receive. Travis Roop took the kick at the 1, and returned it for 30 yards. On 3^rd-and-4 from the PC 37, Cobbs took the sweep left, but was caught a yard shy of the first down. Paul Taylor punted on 4^th down. Michael Hamlar took the kick from the 16 up to the CS 30.

On 3^rd-and-7 from the Knights’ 33, QB Jacob Lewis faked a handoff, and rolled left. Bryan Hamilton caught Lewis’ pass for a 12-yard gain and a first down. On the next play, Hamlar took the pitch right. He made his way down the sideline, out-racing the Cougar secondary to the endzone. Daniel Payne’s PAT made it 7-0 Knights, with 7:44 remaining in the first quarter.

The Cougars’ Alan Wheeling returned the kickoff 42 yards to the CS 44. On 2^nd-and-8 from the 42, Frank Cobbs ran for 9 yards and a first down on a fullback dive. On the next play, Josh Calfee ran left for nine yards. On 2^nd-and-1, Calfee ran left, and broke a tackle. He then raced into the endzone. Taylor’s PAT attempt was kicked into the line. The Cougars were within a point at 7-6.

Taylor’s kickoff went into the endzone. The Knights took over at their own 20. On 3rd-and-6, Lewis kept right on the option play, but could gain only 2 yards. Payne punted for Cave Spring. The ball bounced to Wheeling at the Cougar 30. He unwisely attempted to field a difficult hop. The ball ricocheted off of his leg, and the Knights recovered at the 34.

Cave faced 4^th-and-8 at the PC 32. Lewis passed to Hamilton, who was able to get just enough for the first down. The Knights faced another 4^th down at the Cougar 22. Payne’s attempted field goal was blocked. The Cougars had dodged a bullet, and took over at the 20.

On 1^st-and-10, Calfee gained 13 yards. Cobbs then gained 4 yards on two plays. Facing 3^rd-and-6 from the 37, Coach Hicks decide to go deep. Getting excellent protection from the line, QB Roop dropped back to pass. With a beautiful throw, he found a wide-open Cobbs over the middle. He caught the ball at the 30, and coasted in for the score. The Cougars went for two. Surely Coach Ben Foutz knew what play the Cougars would run in this situation. With Jeff King blocking down and DeWayne Burkes pulling around, the sweep left to Calfee has been unstoppable at the goal line all season. Calfee took the pitch, and walked in untouched. PC took the lead 14-7, with 11:07 to go before halftime.

Taylor again booted the kickoff into the endzone. The Knights got a first down before facing 4^th-and-1 at their own 39. Lewis carried on a quarterback sneak for a first down at the CS 41. Two plays later, on 2^nd-and-7, Hamlar took the pitch right. He fumbled after being hit, and the Cougars came out of the ensuing pile with the ball at the 43.

On 3^rd-and-5, Cobbs carried for 9 yards on the criss-cross going left. Calfee then

ran for a gain of 9. The Knights called time out. This did not stop the Cougar momentum. Cobbs took the fullback dive, and burst through the line untouched, not stopping until he hit paydirt. Taylor added the PAT for a 21-7 Cougar lead. The Knights had 5:37 left in the half to get something going.

The kickoff switched the momentum towards Cave Spring. Hamlar caught the ball at the 1, and returned up the middle all the way to the PC 40, where he was tackled by Derek White. Two pass plays gave the Knights a first down at the 11. Hamlar gained 4 yards on 3^rd-and-5 from the 6. He then bulled his way into the endzone on 4^th down. Payne added the PAT. PC 21-14 with 2:54 left before the break.

Roop gave the Cougars excellent field position with a 36-yard kickoff return to the PC 45. However, 3 plays gained only a total of 2 yards. Taylor punted on 4^th down. The ball went into the Knights’ endzone for a touchback. Cave had 1:40 left to score before the gun.

An illegal procedure penalty followed by an incomplete pass left the Knights facing 2^nd-and-15 from their own 15. Lewis passed to Swisher for a 14-yard gain. He then ran the quarterback sneak for 2 yards and a first down. On the next play, Lewis grounded the ball to stop the clock with 1:01 left before the half.

Cave Spring Coach Ben Foutz then brought out his bag of tricks. Lewis threw a quick pass left to Payne, who caught the ball around the 38. Payne pitched to the trailing Hamlar, who streaked down the left sideline for a TD. Payne’s PAT was good, tying the score at 21-all, with 43 seconds showing on the clock.

The Knights were not done with their deceptive plays. The front line of the Cougar return team unwisely started retreating before the ball was actually kicked. Payne squibbed a short kick straight ahead, which he himself recovered at the Cougar 49. However, two incomplete passes and a personal foul penalty on Lewis (after the second pass play) left the Knights with 3^rd-and-25 at their own 36. Hamlar took the pitch right, and strangely chose to run out-of-bounds at the line of scrimmage, stopping the clock. Payne then punted to the Cougar 25. Wheeling returned the ball 13 yards to the 38. A mere 15.4 seconds remained before halftime.

On first down, Cobbs ran for 17 yards and got out-of-bounds. Roop then rolled right to pass, but was tackled for a 3-yard loss as the quarter ended. The crowd had seen an exciting first half, which ended in a 21-21 tie.

The Cougars kicked off to begin the second half. Wes Hall took Taylor’s squib kick from the 16 up to the CS 27. The Knights went 73 yards in 9 plays for a TD, not having to face any third downs. Lewis passed for 23 yards on the drive, while Hamlar gained the remaining 50 yards on the ground. Payne added the PAT, and the Knights had regained the lead at 28-21.

Payne’s squib kickoff went out-of-bounds, so the Cougars took over at their own 35. Calfee ran for 10 yards and a first down. Cobbs gained 8 yards on the next play, but PC was assessed an illegal motion penalty. Calfee lost 2 yards on 3^rd-and-6 from the Cougar 49. Taylor punted on 4^th down, sending the ball into the endzone. The clock showed 5:24 remaining in the third quarter.

The Knights then began a long drive from their own 20. On 3^rd-and-3 from the 27, Lewis ran the quarterback sneak for just enough yardage. On the next play, Hamlar ran for 12 yards and another first down. On 3^rd-and-3 from the CS 49, Hamlar gained 6 yards. On 3^rd-and-8 from the Cougar 43, Hamlar took the pitch right for 4 yards as the 3rd quarter ended. On 4^th-and-4, Brad Miller gained 5 yards. On 3^rd-and-2 from the 26, Chris Gould gained 20 yards to the 6. On 2^nd-and-goal from the 6, Hamlar gained yardage down to the 1. Gould was stopped for no gain on the next play. This set up a 4^th-and-goal situation for the Knights.

Coach Foutz must have looked at his team’s outstanding success on 4^th downs up to this point. The Knights were moving the ball at will, and had scored the last 21 points of the game. He disdained the field goal attempt, and went for the kill.

Lewis ran the quarterback sneak. This play was successful every other time in the game.

Not this time.

The Cougars stopped Lewis at the half-yard line, and took over on downs. The Knights ran 18 plays, gained 79½ yards, and chewed up almost 9 minutes of the clock. The only thing they did not do – was cross the goal line.

With 8:35 left in the game, the Cougars were down by a touchdown, and 99½ yards away from a tying score. Having just demonstrated a lot of pride with the goal-line stand, Pulaski County still had a long way to go.

A motion penalty on first down set PC back to the ¼-yard line. On 2^nd-and-7, Calfee ran for almost enough yardage for a first down. He was about a foot short. He then took the pitch left on the next play for 17 yards. Cobbs ran right for 10 yards, moving the chains. He then gained 8 yards on the fullback dive play on 1^st-and-10. Calfee gained 3 yards on the next play for another Cougar first down.

The clock showed 5:35 remaining.

On the next play, Roop rolled left, and found a receiver. Cobbs caught the pass, and carried all the way to the Knight 32. On 2^nd-and-7 from the 29, Calfee’s 5-yard gain was nullified by an illegal procedure penalty. Roop’s pass deep down the middle was bobbled and dropped by a Cave Spring defender. Then on 3^rd-and-12, Cobbs took the criss-cross right, gaining 11 yards. The Knights elected to call time out before the next play.

Facing 4^th-and-1 with 3:15 to go, Coach Joel Hicks called upon Cobbs once again, who carried the fullback dive for 4 yards behind a strong surge by the offensive line. Calfee took the pitch left for 8 yards on first down. Cobbs then ran for 6 yards, giving the Cougars a 1^st-and-goal at the 5. Calfee ran right, and cut back upfield, making his way into the endzone. Taylor’s PAT tied the game at 28-all with 1:48 left in regulation. The Cougars had driven 99½ yards in 15 plays.

It was fitting that Calfee scored the touchdown. During the third quarter, he broke Kwasi Scott’s single-season Cougar rushing record.

Taylor kicked a squibber down the right side. Hamlar touched the ball as it bounced over his head. The ball went into the endzone for a touchback. Hamlar only ‘muffed’ the ball, so it was not a turnover situation.

A roughing-the-passer penalty gave the Knights a first down at their own 35. On 2^nd-and-10, Hamlar gained 14 yards on a draw

play. Lewis then threw 3 consecutive incomplete passes. The third pass was broken up by Adam Brockmeyer. On 4^th down, Payne punted for the Knights. The ball was downed at the Cougar 16. There were 46.4 seconds left before a likely overtime.

Coach Hicks decided to trust his team in the extra period. Roop took a knee twice, and the 4^th quarter ended with the score knotted at 28-all. This same situation occurred two years ago. In that game, the Cougars defeated the Knights 31-28. This was PC’s first overtime encounter since that game.

Overtime in high school football works like this: As happens at the beginning of the game, there is a coin toss. The team winning the toss gets to choose who takes the ball first. Each team gets one set of 4 downs from the opponent’s 10-yard line. The play clock is still in effect, but the game clock is off. After one team takes its turn to try to score, the other team has the same opportunity. If the score is tied at the end of these two possessions, the teams walk to the other end of the field, and try the same thing again, with the team that lost the toss to begin overtime now getting to decide who should have possession first. This continues until one team is ahead at the end of a pair of possessions.

The Knights won the toss, and elected to have the Cougars take the ball first.

On first down, Cobbs ran up the middle for a gain of a yard. On the next play, Senior QB Travis Roop faked a handoff left, and ran around right end. He beat the defense to the goal line, and dove into the endzone. On this the last play of his high school career, Roop capped off his most outstanding game as a Cougar. Taylor added the PAT, giving the Cougars a 35-28 lead.

The Knights then got their shot. Hamlar took the pitch left for 5 yards. On second down, he took the pitch right, but found a host of defenders awaiting him. He both avoided and broke tackles, cut back upfield, and lunged forward. His touchdown brought the Knights to within a point.

Now came the final drama.

The Knights lined up to kick the PAT to tie the game. Coach Hicks called for a time out, and came out on the field to talk to his players. Again, the Knights lined up to kick. Again, Coach Hicks called time out, and came onto the field. During this second time out, the Knights picked up the kicking tee, and took it off of the field.

In his first 20 seasons with the Cougars, Coach Hicks never suffered a losing season. This game threatened to break that streak. The old Mountaineer fox from West Virginia was no doubt playing some head games with his less-experienced counterpart on the opposing sideline. He remained on the field as long as he could, only running off while the Knights were lining up to run their play. Perhaps in their haste to catch the Cougars with their Coach on the field, the ball was quickly snapped. Lewis, as he had done numerous times in the game, pitched left to Hamlar.

Michael Hamlar is an outstanding running back. He did his utmost to try to win the game with this play. He found a hole, cut back upfield, and ran straight for the goal line. DeWayne Burkes met him at the 1-yard line.

For the second time in the game – Hamlar fumbled.

Jesse Rakes picked up the loose ball. The game was over. The Cougars had won an absolute stunner.

Burkes’ last play of his Cougar career, and the last play of the season, will be remembered and cherished for years to come.

"I saw him jump, and I stuck my forearm in his chest and watched the ball come out," said Burkes of causing the game winning turnover. He preserved the win for the Cougars in a game that will never be forgotten.

"I’m really tickled how we held them with that goal line stand in the fourth quarter," said Coach Hicks. "Our defense could have just given [caved J ] in. Then we drove over 99 yards to score, after the penalty. That is the shortest penalty I’ve ever had. It must have been like this [Joel shows thumb and forefinger like a ‘U’]."

Hicks planned all along to kick the PAT and hold for overtime, instead of trying a two-point conversion near the end of regulation. "No question. How many times have we won in overtime in the last few years? We even beat Cave here two years ago in overtime," he explained.

"What a great job Coach Foutz has done in his first season there," Hicks remarked. "We’re better than our 5 and 5 record. He shouldn’t feel bad to lose to us. Our kids really stepped up tonight."

"This was a big one. We’re no pushover," said Frank Cobbs. When asked about his first game at fullback, he added, "I liked it. I got more carries, and there’s a more open field." When asked about his shoulder restraint he responded, "I wore it looser tonight than I have been."

"The crowd helped put us through the overtime," he added.

"This is the biggest win in my time," Travis Roop stated proudly. "They thought they were going to take it home, because they beat everyone that beat us. But like Coach Hicks said, ‘The RVD title has to come through Pulaski County’."

"It was the worst game I’ve played, but I don’t care, we won!" said Alan Wheeling, who was responsible for the Cougars’ only turnover of the night. "The punt was low, and I was going to play the bounce. But it went right toward my ankle, and back to them."

In addition, Wheeling was fooled on the hook-and-lateral play for the Knights third score. "It was a 10 yard out and I broke on the ball. I was just about to hit the receiver as he pitched it. I didn’t have time to adjust."

Senior Mark Fitzwater was sitting in his locker still wearing his full uniform after most of the team had trickled out of the locker room. "I’m going to miss this," he said, looking around with red eyes. "Coming in and playing around in practice. Not being able to breathe in two-a-days. Friday nights being so cold. The hard work, the players, the coaches getting in your face. Walking down the steps before the game. Wearing the uniform. Putting all you have into it, just for a game. I’m going to miss all of it."