There’s nothing like Football Friday Night in Brownsville, KY , especially when it’s a game featuring one of the biggest and longest standing rivalries in the area. That’s exactly what happens at Edmonson County High School when the Grayson County Cougars come to town. This is a game that is circled on most fans’ schedules every year. This game is widely revered as the Tobacco Bowl Game! The rivalry has been a good one, and when these two teams meet, all stats and records are thrown out the window, and both teams bring their best to the field. The Cougars returned 22 Seniors this year, and hoped that the experience and maturity factory would prove beneficial for them.
After moving the ball effectively against a much bigger Grayson County defensive line, the Wildcats got on the board first in the 1st quarter. Brett Brannon was dead center on a 27 yd. field goal. After the Edmonson County kick-off, the Cougars marched down the field very controlled eating up chunks of yardage with each play. The Wildcats defense came up with a some big stops to end the first quarter. After 1 quarter of play, the Wildcats lead 3-0.
Early in the 2nd, the Cougars got on the board with a 2 yd touchdown run on a quarterback keeper by Talon Gary. The second quarter was a defensive battle from both teams. Each coming up with big plays when needed to keep the opponent from scoring. At the half, Grayson County lead 7-3.
The 3rd quarter was much like the second, both teams making necessary adjustments at halftime, but unable to score.
With less than 5 minutes left to go in the game the Wildcats took over at their own 9 yard line trailing 7-3. The Cougar’s blitz and forced Edmonson County quarterback Jake Dial to fumble the ball and the Cougars recovered on the 9 yard line. The Edmonson County defense stepped up and made stops on the first three plays, forcing a FG attempt on 4th down. The field goal was good, and Grayson County lead 10-3 with less than 4 minutes left in the game.
The Wildcats moved the ball down the field, aided by a spectacular ricochet catch by Tyler Hayes on the near sideline. The play was good for 40 yards, and took the Wildcats to the Grayson County 19 yard line. On the next play Quarterback Jake Dial kept the ball on a quarterback keeper that was good for 6 yards. At the end of the play, Grayson County was flagged with a personal foul penalty for picking Dial up and throwing him into the ground. This put the Wildcats 1st and goal from the 6 yard line. The Grayson County defense held tight and forced a 4th down and goal with time running down. The Cougars blitzed and forced an interception at the 2 yard line. The Cougars took over with 1:46 left to go in the game, and knelt down on three plays to seal the victory, 10-3.
In talking with Edmonson County Head Football Coach Kyle Pierce after the game, although he admitted he hates losing any game, he did see a lot of positives from the young Wildcats this week. Coach Pierce said that he is very pleased with the defense, and overall the offense moved the ball well for the most part. Although this is a game that he would have liked to have won, he is very proud of the growth that the Wildcats has shown since the beginning of the season, and it bodes well for us come playoff time.
The Wildcats travel to Hancock County next Friday night. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.
