Peewees triumph in OT

The Peewee Cougars' sixth grade squad improved to 8-0 on the season and clinched the top seed for the district playoffs slated for this Saturday in Rector with a thrilling 14-8 win over host Gosnell last Saturday.

Tied 8-8 at the end of regulation, the two teams were forced into overtime. Rector won the toss, getting the ball first in the extra frame. Much like college rules, the Pewee Cougars took possession at the Mini Pirates' 20-yard-line. Running back Lawson Ford needed just two plays to find the end zone, scampering in from five yards out for the go-ahead score. The try for two was denied.

Rector held fast when Gosnell's turn came, denying the hosts not only a touchdown, but stopping them on four straight plays to earn the win.

"It was a dogfight all game long," head coach Kirk Ford said of the victory. "We were the top two teams in our league. You couldn't have asked for a more exciting game."

Gosnell took an early 8-0 lead, scoring on the very first possession of the game.

Rector's defense held tough from there, denying the hosts any significant drives from that moment forward.

"We shut them down from that point on," Ford said.

With the near-constant rains, conditions were very muddy at Gosnell, slowing down the speed-oriented Peewee Cougars. Still, when the game was on the line, the young squad came through.

Austin Beck came up with a huge touchdown with 40 seconds remaining in regulation to keep Rector in the game. Lawson Ford added the two-point conversion to knot the game up and force the extended play.

Rector had threatened earlier in the fourth, after Lawson Ford connected on a 30 yard halfback pass to Ty Haney, but the blue team fumbled the ball away at the one-yard-line. The Cougar defense held true, though, forcing Gosnell to turn the ball over on downs at their own two-yard-line. Just when it looked as if Rector would punch through, another lost fumble raised the sense of urgency.

The Peewee Cougars would get the ball back at their 30-yard-line with just under two minutes left, setting up the crucial tying drive.

Although the fourth and fifth grade Rector teams didn't fare as well in their games, battling through shutouts against the tough Gosnell squads, coach Ford was clear about each player sharing in the victory and subsequent playoff picture.

"Hey, we've worked together as a team all year long in practice," Ford said. "Every kid on the team has had a part in everything we've done. By coming out and working hard in practice, every one of our players has made a difference. Even if they never scored a touchdown or made a stop on the goal line in a game, we worked together and practiced together to get where we are together. I couldn't be more proud of a group of kids."

The fifth grade squad will be moving up to join the sixth graders in Rector's 12:30 p.m. Saturday playoff game with Cross County. Rector is hosting the playoffs. Additional details are included elsewhere in this issue.