The Shadow
BLACKSBURG, Va. (VR) – The Covington Middle School Cougars put together a dominant performance on the gridiron Thursday night, going on the road and defeating Blacksburg 32-8 behind a strong showing from both sides of the ball.
Quarterback Talin Rather set the tone early, connecting with Bentley Lewis on a 39-yard touchdown pass. Rather then found Ben Milton for the two-point conversion to give the Cougars an 8-0 lead.
Rather and Lewis hooked up again later in the half, this time on a 70-yard scoring strike. Alex Stevens powered his way in for the two-point run, extending Covington’s lead.
The air attack continued as Rather hit Jace Cantrell on a 30-yard touchdown pass, before converting the two-point try himself on a keeper. Rather capped off his big night with a 44-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful two-point pass to Cantrell.
Cantrell also starred on defense, coming up with two interceptions to help seal the victory.
After the game, the Cougars’ head coach Luke Moye praised the effort across the board, noting just how much the team has grown since last season. “We have a line who will get down and dirty with anyone,” Moye said. “Jace Cantrell and Bentley Lewis are really shifty in space. Alex Stevens and Ben Milton are powerful backs who can get the tough yardage. And everyone on my defense are tough kids who will hit anyone. They let me get gutsy on fourth down play calls because I know they’ll get me the ball back.”
Coach Moye also credited Rather as a huge asset to the program, both through the air and on the ground. “I’m very fortunate to have Talin Rather who can air it out down the field and who’s starting to make plays running the ball this year,” he said.
With the 32-8 road win at Blacksburg, Covington Middle continues to build momentum behind a balanced attack, a defense that refuses to back down, and a roster that has taken big strides forward since last year.
