The Shadow
SIDELINE TALK — Covington assistant coach Vance Gibson talks with Austin Waddell (61) during Friday night’s playoff win against Northwood. The Cougars will travel to Honaker next week for a second round match-up with the Tigers. (Darrell Gleason Photo)
SIDELINE TALK — Covington assistant coach Vance Gibson talks with Austin Waddell (61) during Friday night’s playoff win against Northwood. The Cougars will travel to Honaker next week for a second round match-up with the Tigers. (Darrell Gleason Photo)
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The Covington Cougars were victorious in a catfight Friday night at Casey Field.
Luke Moye ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, while Brandon Phillips rushed for 120 yards on just 14 carries, as the Cougars advanced in the Group A, Western Regional with a 41-18 win over the Northwood Panthers.
The 8-3 Cougars declawed Northwood with big contributions in all phases of the game. They churned out 407 yards in total offense, forced three turnovers to go along with a pair of sacks and used several nice returns on special teams to give their offense a short field.
“When we are playing our best, we get contributions from so many different kids, and that’s what it takes to make a deep run,” said Covington coach Rod Tenney.
To run a little deeper, the Cougars must now get past Honaker, last year’s state runner-up. The Tigers knocked off Bath County in another first-round contest Friday night, 48-6.
Phillips set the tone early for the Cougars. His 38-yard run on the first play from scrimmage gave the Cougars a first down at the Northwood 22.
Four plays later, Moye found paydirt from seven yards out. Derek Dressler tacked on the point, and the Cougars led less than two minutes into the contest, 7-0.
The Covington lead would be short-lived. On Northwood’s first play from scrimmage after the kickoff, they used a little trickery to catch the Cougars off guard.
Standing just inside the boundary on the Northwood sideline, Logan Henderson went undetected by the Covington defense and hauled in a 57-yard pass from Channing Call to give the Panthers a first down at the Covington 13.
Three plays later, 240-pound Blake Olinger scored from eight yards out. The two-point try failed, but the Covington lead was trimmed to 7-6.
The Cougars were back in business later in the quarter after a 23-yard punt return by Phillips gave them a first down at the Northwood 47.
Moye capped an 8-play drive with a 1-yard plunge, and the Cougars led 14-6.
They increased that lead to two touchdowns early in the second quarter. Moye found a streaking Raquann Matthews down the visitors’ sideline, and Covington’s junior speedster took it 78 yards to paydirt. Dressler’s conversion gave the Cougars a 21-6 cushion.
The Cougars threatened to increase their lead later in the second quarter, but Phillips fumbled just before crossing the goal line, and Tyler Jordan pounced on the loose football for the Panthers.
But Covington linebacker Mikey Woodson had Phillips’ back. Four plays after the Covington turnover, Woodson stepped in front of a Call pass and returned it 20 yards for the score.
Woodson’s pick-6 gave the Cougars a 28-6 lead at intermission.
“He’s made big plays for us all year,” Tenney said in reference to his senior linebacker. “For him to have a chance to score for the first time in his life, that’s pretty special. I’m happy for him.”
Call cut the Northwood deficit to 21-12 with a late third-quarter touchdown, but Jordan Miller returned the ensuing kickoff 25 yards, giving the Cougars excellent field position at the Northwood 28.
A Phillips-to-Colton Howard 28-yard hookup on 3rd-and-15 a little later gave Covington a 1st-and-goal at the Northwood five. Two plays later, Miller finished what he started, scooping up a low snap and scampering three yards into the end zone, increasing the Covington lead to 35-12 with just 25 seconds left on the third quarter clock.
Miller’s 53-yard interception return set up Covington’s final touchdown of the game.
Kashawn Carter then carried it three straight times, finding the end zone from three yards out to give the Cougars a 41-12 lead.
In addition to his interception, Miller forced a fumble that was recovered by Trever Jack, while Adam Persinger and Gavin Hunter had sacks for the Covington defense.
“I feel like we had a very strong effort in the first half,” Tenney said. “We were able to use our speed to take advantage of them — kind of what we thought we would be able to do — but we got a little complacent in the second half.
“That was something we addressed at the end of the game,” the Covington coach continued. “We have to be able to play 48 minutes in the playoffs.”
The loss ended a 6-5 season for the Panthers.
Meanwhile, the Cougars will now begin preparations for a catfight with the 10-1 Tigers next week.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge,” Tenney concluded. “They’re a quality football team, and we’re aware of that, but I feel like we are too. When we’re on, we can play with just about anybody around.”
