Saturday, September 10, 2011

SPORTS>>Panthers can’t cover Bruin kicks, fall by 30

By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor

Score, cover on-side kick, repeat. That was the formula for Pulaski Academy Friday night at Panther Stadium, and it worked to perfection. The Bruins scored four touchdowns before Cabot snapped the ball. With 8:35 still left in the first quarter, Pulaski Academy led 29-0, and eventually took a 64-34 decision over the Panthers.

When Cabot finally covered an onside kick, it ran four plays and gave the ball back on downs. Two of the plays were certain touchdowns had the passes not been overthrown. PA put 11 in the box and bothered not to cover any receivers, but the throws were not there.

Once PA got the ball back, it took five plays to score again, taking a 36-0 lead with 6:08 left in the first period.

Again Cabot got the ball, but again it failed to get a first down. This time, the Panther defense held. On the next play, halfback Weston Conard went 38 yards and Cabot finally got on the board. The extra point made it 36-7 with 2:18 left in the first quarter.

Cabot then covered a PA fumble on the kickoff, and took just two plays to make it 36-14 with 1:31 left in the first.

The first-quarter scoring was not over though. Cabot tried its own on-side kick and failed to cover. PA needed just one play to score again. Junior Cody Adcock took a handoff up the middle for 49 yards and the score, making it 43-14 with 1:21 still remaining in the first quarter.

Yet again, Academy covered an onside kick, and drove eight plays to score again, making it 50-14 with 9:44 left in the half.

Cabot scored on its next possession, a nine-play, 77-yard drive that almost stalled inside the 10. On fourth and goal from the 9-yard line, Craig found Conard in the flat for the score with 4:40 left in the half. The Cabot defense held on the Bruins’ next possession and the two teams went into half with Pulaski Academy leading 50-20.

Cabot got the ball to start the second half, and scored on the first play when Conard picked up the fumble-rooskie and took it 51 yards for the score that made it 50-27. The hope didn’t last long. PA scored again, got another onside kick and scored again. With less than two minutes gone in the second half, it was 64-27, and the mercy rule clock began.

Cabot scored again with 7:49 left in the game to set the final margin.

“They’ve got a good scheme on those onside kicks,” Cabot coach Mike Malham said. “We practiced for it quite a bit, but I don’t know, it looked like our kids kind of froze and didn’t know what to do.”

In all, PA covered five onside kicks, and scored after each one.

“When we had the ball we were able to move it on them pretty good,” Malham said. “Maybe we could’ve changed things a little bit if we had connected on those passes where we had the guys wide open. But I don’t know. You look out there, there’s no doubt who had more talent on the field.”

Pulaski Academy finished with 620 total yards to 323 for Cabot.

Bruin quarterback Fredi Knighten finished with 365 yards passing and five touchdowns, connecting on 22 of 26 attempts. He also ran for 138 yards and two scores on nine carries, none of which were called run plays. Cabot’s defensive front got into the Bruin backfield a lot, but couldn’t catch the fleet-footed Division I prospect.

Cabot halfback Weston Conard led the Panthers with 122 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. He also had two receptions for 33 yards and score, giving him 155 total yards and three touchdowns.

The first two missed passes were the only ones for Craig. He finished five of seven for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers, 1-1, will travel to Springdale next week for their first road game against Har-Ber High.