By Ike House

Bonds are not built over night and for this class of seniors for the Cougars it could not be anymore correct. Some of the players have been together since their Sardis Falcons days and a bond like that can get you through some tough moments  like when you are not playing the best but you can pull together to squeeze out a victory.

“These guys have been together for a long time even since peewee football,” head coach Carl Diffee said.

The Cougars needed that bond on Friday night as they had a battle against Charleston that ended in a final of 14-0.

The first drive for the Tigers was a game of Tug-O-War as they were able to gain yardage but the Cougars were there to knock them backwards but they ultimately ended up punting the ball. On the next offensive drive the Cougars would put the first points up on the board. The drive was short as after one play Pride found his favorite target in Carl Robinson for a 15 yard pass that Robinson exploded pass defenders to take it 68 yards for the score.

The Cougars did not get the two point conversion but still led 6-0.

It would be late in the fourth before any more points are out up on the board but it would come from a familiar connection of Pride and Robinson on a 22 yard pass that put the final stamp on the game after the 2 point conversion. The Cougar defense came through huge as they only gave up only a total of 133 yards.

Pride finished the night 5-10 for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He also had eight carries for 33 yards.

Leading the Cougars on the ground was Davonte Pratcher with 15 carries for 82 yards. Others rushers were Walls with three carries for 12 yards; Alex Gross with two carries for 11 yards and Robinson with a carry for three yards. Leading the receiving corps was Robinson with three catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Other receivers were Walls with a catch for 33 yards and Roderick Taylor with one catch for six yards.

“We were bang up on the offensive line this week, we had a bad week of practice and it showed,” Diffee said “So now we have to come back next week and be 1-0 everyday not just every week.”

Leading the defense was Eric Williams with seven tackles, two tackles for a loss and two sacks. Other defenders were Xavier Glover had seven tackles and three tackles for a loss; Steven Edwards had seven tackles and two deflections; Taylor with six tackles; Dakyian Edwards has five tackles and tackle for a loss; Jamauri Milton and Quardequarious Walls both had two tackles each; Gross had three tackles, two tackles for a loss and two sacks; Kenndan Lyons had three tackles and two tackles for a loss; Jimmy Turner had three tackles; Walls had two tackles and Robinson had a deflection.

The Cougars will be back at home next week to face  a 2-1 Calhoun City who just came off a close win over Choctaw County.