With their 4-0 start in mind, the Cougar football team and its fans could be forgiven for any positive feelings they might have had about their meeting last Friday night against the South Warren Spartans, who came into the game ranked second in the Class 5A standings, and in the top 10 in the entire state.
Those good vibes were quickly erased as the Spartans scored three times in the game’s first seven minutes, then went on to take a 41-7 win at Cougar Field.
To look at the stats, one would wonder how the Spartans could have scored so many points. They ran for a modest 94 yards and threw for 115, very pedestrian numbers. But when you begin drives at the opponent’s 19, two and six-yard lines, there is not a lot of ground to cover.
Senior quarterback Gavin Spurrier threw just nine times, completing seven for 89 yards, but five of those throws went for touchdowns. And in case that name seems familiar to you, yes, Spurrier is the grandson of former 49er quarterback and legendary coach at the universities of Florida and South Carolina, Steve Spurrier.
The Spartans began the game with a 51-yard drive for a score, with Spurrier finding senior Clayton Bush for a 25-yard TD pass that made it 7-0 at the 8:57 mark.
After the Cougars went three-and-out on their first possession, the first of several unfortunate special-teams play occurred. Taking the snap at his own 20-yard line, punter Logan Kopp hit the ball off the side of his foot and it went out of bounds at the 19, a loss of one yard on the kick.
One play later, Spurrier hit junior receiver Tomi Mustapha with a pass at the 6:46 mark and the Spartans led 14-0.
The Cougars were forced to punt once more, and displeased with Kopp’s previous effort, coach Ed Smart brought in senior Cameron Harris to punt the ball from the Cougar 19. Unfortunately, the snap was high and Harris could not corral it. Harris was able to fall on the ball at the two to prevent another score.
However, Bush took a direct snap on the next play and he hopped blithely over the Cougar line and into the end zone to make it 21-0 with 5:12 left in the first quarter.
The Spartans scored three more times in the second half, two on short passes to senior receiver Trent Rice and the other on a 38-yard bomb to Bush to make it 41-0 with 3:54 left in the half, and the clock began running continuously.
Playing against Spartan backup players in the second half, the Cougars scored their only touchdown on a beautiful, 49-yard pass play from Noah Bullock to Andrew Haycraft that made it 41-7 at the 8:11 mark of the third quarter.
That was it for the scoring in the game as the Cougar defense prevented any more carnage.
The Cougars (4-1) will be on the road this Friday as they travel to take on the Allen County-Scottsville Patriots (3-2) in a 7 p.m. game.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
