The Shadow
NEW CASTLE – Run the football.
The message from the Covington coaching staff was stern and simple at halftime Friday night.
And that message was carried to the turf of Mitchell Field.
The Cougars marched 67 yards in a workmanlike 17 plays to open the second half, eating nearly nine minutes of the third quarter clock here Friday night.
And when quarterback R.J. Jeter escaped a couple of tacklers for a 17-yard touchdown run, Covington had the lead for keeps.
The Cougars scored 16 unanswered third quarter points and captured their fifth win of the season, a 30-20 victory over the Craig County Rockets.
“We set the challenge in the second half and the linemen stepped up,” said CHS coach Steve Dressler. “Josh LaPrade did a great job and we followed his lead blocks on the pulls – belly left and belly right.”
It was the running combination of Adam Simmons and Troy Helton that found the holes and at times created some more.
Simmons converted three third downs and a fourth down in the drive, rambling for 52 yards, while Helton carried eight times in his first significant playing time since late September.
“We had not planned on playing Troy tonight,” said Dressler about his tailback, who is nursing a sprained ankle. “But we thought we needed a little burst of energy. He said he was ready and he gave us the little burst that we needed.”
Behind the work up front of Jackson Hinkle, Mikael Thrasher, LaPrade, Chris Johnson, Devonte Laws, Aaron Fertig and Ryan Hall, the Cougars moved the football to the Rocket 9, before Helton was dropped for losses on back-to-back plays.
But on 3rd-and-goal from the 17, Jeter found the end zone and also ran in the 2-point conversion for a 14-7 lead.
After a 3-and-out, a bad snap on a Craig punt attempt set Covington up at the 49.
And just three plays later, Helton danced just inside the pylon from 14 yards out.
A shovel pass from Jeter-to-Helton for two pushed the lead to 22-7.
“The offensive line did a great job blowing people off the ball in that third quarter,” said Dressler.
The Rockets were able to slice the lead to 22-13 with six minutes left on a Josh Ouellette to Danny Alley 6-yard TD pass.
But after a failed onside kick, the Cougars sealed the win with a 6-play, 46-yard TD march.
Preston Waddell got the scoring call and Fertig added the 2-point run to seal the win.
Simmons (72 yards on 11 carries), Helton (58 yards on 13 carries) and Waddell (44 yards on 11 tries) helped the Cougars to 171 yards on the ground, 153 of that coming in the second half.
“Between Simmons and Waddell – they are two of the toughest runners in the Pioneer District,” Dressler added. “It’s going to take two or three guys to bring them down – they just run over people. It’s a tough combo.”
Jeter completed 7-of-12 throws in the first half, but never attempted a pass after the break.
Covington grabbed the lead through the air late in the first quarter.
Keenan Smith hauled in a Jeter throw and sprinted 53 yards to the end zone.
But Craig answered with a little trickery.
After Waddell had backed the Rockets up to their own 3-yard line with a nice punt, Craig coach Mark McPherson called a reverse on first down.
And freshman Matt Ouellette didn’t stop running until he had covered all 97 yards.
Jefferson Lee’s conversion gave the Rockets the 7-6 halftime lead.
“We knew that reverse was coming, but we didn’t stop it,” said Dressler.
Josh Ouellette completed 9-of-21 throws for the Rockets.
The Cougars, now 5-4 on the year, close their regular season next Friday night against Parry McCluer.
A win would be two-fold for Covington, who has clinched a postseason berth.
A victory would not only assure them their first winning season since 1999, but it would also nail down a first round home game in the Region C, Division 1 playoffs, the first at Casey Field since a 7-3 loss to Narrows in ’99.
“It’s big for us,” said Dressler. “The kids are excited and we are too.”
Holston and Eastern Montgomery both won Friday night to remain 1-2 in the region’s Division 1 point ratings.
Bath County remained at No. 3, Covington is fourth, Rural Retreat jumped to fifth and Narrows fell to sixth.
