Big plays — big first win
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
Welcome back to 9-man, boys.
The Central McLean Cougars picked up their first win of the grid season Friday, attacking from the ground and the air as they pummeled the Tioga Pirates by the score of 38-7.
Back in the 9-man ranks after a few years playing 11-man, the Cougars showed they’ve got a player or two with the break-out speed that comes in handy when the line makes a hole in the defense – or when that speedster tucks and runs for a touchdown on a punt return, or finds the end zone after an interception.
All of that came into play Friday night as junior running back Zach Cottingham rushed for 78 yards on nine carries, while junior Blake Anderson returned a punt for a 70-yard score, and Cottingham found the end zone after picking off a Pirate pass at the 32.
"We were able to be balanced by throwing the ball and running," said Cougar Head Coach Kevin Dockter. "That was a big thing for us, and also we got that punt return and interception for touchdowns -- those were huge."
"In 9-man, big plays like that are huge," commented quarterback Hunter Jacobs, who spearheaded the Cougar’s air attack.
Jacobs completed four of nine passes for a total of 125 yards and three touchdowns.
