Past Meets Present

Past Meets Present

By: CJ Harvey

September 16, 2012

 

 

                The Friday night started cool and turned cold very quickly for the Princeton Tigers as they visited Laidley Field in a showdown with the hot Capital Cougars. The crisp, smooth air made almost a perfect opening to a night that brought both past and present together. This football game was not just for bragging rights or trying to keep the perfect record, this game was to respect and to commemorate the former head Capital coach, and now late, Jack Woolwine, and Capital did just that.

                Last we saw the Cougars, they were leaving St. Albans after destroying the Red Dragons 61 to 34, but Friday was a different story because this would be the first time the team was playing home this season. In the inaugural “Jack D. Woolwine Jr. Memorial Football Game”, which is now going to be the title of the first home game for Capital each season, the Cougars were trying to do something they haven’t done in a very long time. The red hot Cougars were attempting to become the last unbeaten team in the Kanawha Valley. Almost everyone would agree that the Tigers had no chance in a game that featured Kennedy award nominee Tyhree Pratt and star receiver Kashaun Haley. It was only a matter of time before Capital attacked, but ironically it was not the offense that scored first. In only 71 seconds the Cougars had already scored nine points, without Pratt or Haley touching the ball. After going three and out on Princeton’s first offensive drive, a bad snap left the punter kicking the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety, and on a botched Princeton kickoff seconds later, Rashaad Cunningham took the ball 38 yards for a Special Teams score. As always Coach Carpenter never looked back his team scored 35 total points in the first half. Princeton left town with only 113 total yards of offense, which is a defensive best for Capital this season, and for the third straight game Capital had another 400+ yard game with 237 of those yards on the ground. A proud Coach Carpenter’s Capita football team left the game winning 49 to 7.

                Each game has seen the offense firing on all cylinders but this game was not about how many yards Capital could get, but how many yards could they limit Princeton to. The Tigers held the ball for close to 30 minutes of possession, but that did not stop the stout defense who had five tackles for loss, a sack from James Walton, and 44 ½ total tackles. Princeton only converted 45% of the time on third downs, and did not convert once on fourth down. Jonathon Pittman had six solo tackles, while both Isaiah Carvens and Khalil Bush each had 4 solo tackles. Princeton averaged only 1.7 yards per rush, and 2.4 gain per play. Offensively Pratt had another good game passing with 126 yards, while still rushing for 42 yards. KaShaun Haley ran for 124 yards, and Cliff Pratt caught three balls for 63 from his brother, two of which were for touchdowns.

                Next week the Cougars take on South Charleston High School at Oaks field.  The last time these two met at Oaks Field, Capital ended South Charleston’s undefeated season winning 8 to 7 in a muddy game