Rain, miscues slow Cougars

The dismal, rain-soaked conditions at Temerian Field Friday night provided a dreary atmosphere for the Cougars' game with the Salem Greyhounds. The results on the field mirrored the conditions braved by the Rector fans in attendance, as the Cougars were downed by their guests, 37-6.

Salem got out to a quick start, setting the tone of the game early. Greyhound quarterback Ty Berry rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter, the second of which came on a 54-yard carry with 1:05 left in the period.

Berry remained the flavor of choice for the Greyhounds, as the senior scored two more touchdowns, both on the ground, in the second quarter, as Salem moved ahead 23-0 at the half. Highlytouted kicker Jason Huff put the ball through the uprights from 16 yards out with 15 seconds left for Salem's final points of the half.

Berry struck again in the third, going to the air for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 10:05 showing on the clock. Huff's PAT made it 30-0 in favor of the guests. With the game in hand, the Greyhounds went to their bench, but still managed another score on the ground with 3:42 left in the third.

Rector lit up their portion of the scoreboard in the fourth quarter. Starting at their on 16-yard-line, the Cougars struggled on the first two plays of the drive, falling to the 14 for a third and long. Seth Parsley kept the drive going, breaking free for a big gain, as he weaved his way on tired legs through several fresh defenders, bringing the ball out to the 40-yard-line. Again came the hiccups, however, as a holding penalty erased positive yards garnered by senior running back Rodney Hall, moving the Cougars back to the 37-yard-line. Another Parsley carry saw Rector move into Salem territory, as the talented senior battled to the Greyhound 45, moving the chains. Hall then carried up the gut for a gain of three on first down. Parsley broke free on a sweep right, avoiding tackles and tiptoeing along the soggy sideline all the way to the one-yard-line. He punched through on the very next play, scoring the lone Cougar touchdown with 4:00 left in the contest.

It was a tough night for the home team. Rector fumbled the ball four times, with possession going to Salem on three of the occasions. While the wet conditions played an obvious role in the miscues, Salem was also able to apply near-constant pressure with their defensive line.

"We came out and failed to execute on both offense and defense," Cougar coach Bob Alberson said. "It all comes down to execution and making plays. We didn't do either one of those things."

This week, the Cougars will celebrate Homecoming. The festivities will begin at 6:45 p.m., with Rector taking on Palestine-Wheatley at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Temerian Field.