VolViking

The Campbell Co. Cougars rushed to their 4th consecutive victory, blanking the Bearden Bulldogs 34-0. Behind the outstanding blocking of Josh Evans, Matt Goins, Toby Young, Sam Silva & Joe Whitaker, Jr. TB Chris Johnson shredded the Bulldogs for 270 (another school record) on 25 carries. Johnson's first touch went for 83 yds and a TD. His 2nd carry went for 88 yards and another TD. The defense played another stellar game with Jesse Bowman, Oscar Byrge, Brian Slover. Clark Woods, Mitchell Tipton, Justin McCloud all playing big. Woods and Bobby Russell each recorded interceptions. Bearden is added to the Cougars Defense shut-out list that includes Morristown East, South Doyle & Sevier Co. More later after a more thorough review of the stats. thumb

VolTimesSportsEditor, will the bomb threat this morning at CCHS have any impact on the schedule for tonight. It is my understanding that school officials sent the students home. Do you have any info on this?

Offensively, it all starts up front with the offensive line. If Evans, Whitaker, Young, Silva & Goins are getting a push, watch out for #9 Jr. RB Chris Johnson. He will be listed in CoachT & PrepXtra as #26. He is about 150 away from 1,000 yards for the season. If the Dogs try to stack up to stop Johnson, Soph QB Brance Stiner has been effective in the QB option or throwing downfield. Stiner's favorite target is Sr. WR Josh Allen, but Eric Summers, Billy Davis & CLark Woods have all made big plays. Allen is very dangerous after the catch. More on the Defensive playmakers later . . .

Hang on a minute there 'dog. You can't talk the smack and then not hang around to see what the outcome will be. I had to take a few lumps from JC4Life after the JC slaughter, so you should come back late Friday night and either give us **** with "I told you so" or have to endure our celebration of a another big region victory.

You called it neighbor. Just trying to be polite to our visitors and throw them a bone. Next week, they can add the 5-2 Cougars to the teams they have lost to! thumb

For a amateur preview of the Campbell Co. vs. Bearden match-up, visit the Cougars' unofficial website at www.lafollettecity.com/cougarsmain Click on the link for the Seiver Co. win and follow the pages to the stats/preview page. I also found a good site on Bearden at www.beardenfootball.com. Their site is very impressive. I hope their team does not look as good as their site! One point of interest in this match-up. On paper, the Cougars should roll over the Bulldogs for an easy region win. However, Bearden's 1-5 record has came against opponent's with a combined 29-8 won/loss record. The Cougars have earned a 4-2 mark against a 12-25 opponent's combined records. Interesting stat. . .

Wow. And I thought Cougar fans may have been over-optimistic about our chances for a playoff run after losing to Clinton. Unless the Bulldogs have a magic potion that can create another monsoon (Hurricane Ivan), you had better bring some cat-nip to the Cougar Den Firday night to soften up the "kitties". Say what you want about the Cougars (I love the smack), but I don;t think the Bulldogs will hear too much purring Friday night. South-Doyle will be a blessing after the Bulldogs limp out of our stadium this week. But then again, SD shook up KDB for 3 quarters. Nothing this year is a given in 1 5A except a shredding of the pups this week by the Cougs!

THANKS! Your input is greatly appreciated. Are you planning on making the trip to CC this week?

Gotta give props to the Campbell Co. Cougar tandem of Brian Slover and Oscar Byrge. These 2 young men are one of the main reasons for the Cougars' turnaround.

bdog3741, do you know who the starting offensive linemen and the defensive linemen are?

It is critical to see how the Cougars respond Friday night hosting Bearden for homecoming. If they come in focused and play the game as they are capable of, they will win, perhaps handily. It is so important for this team to be able to handle prosperity (3 game win streak & counting) as well as adversity (upset loss to Clinton/35-0 beating by Jeff Co). If they take care of business and garner a convincing win vs. Bearden, things could get very interesting for the Cougar Nation and their playoff aspirations.

Very well said '08. Enjoy your impressive win over the Smokey Bears this weekend, but get ready for business on Monday. The Cougars are looking better every week, with an improving offense and very tenacious defense. It would be so tempting to overlook Bearden and look forward to a big game @ Science Hill. I don't think the Cougars overlook Bearden. You know what is at stake. Plus, Campbell Co. must keep in mind the Bulldogs beat Karns (monsoon game) who beat Jefferson Co. who thumped the Cougs. Still would like some info on the starting lines for the Bulldogs . . .

Any Bearden Bulldog fans on here that can provide the starting offensive lines and defensive lines for the 'Dogs? Any response will be greatly appreciated.

After an impressive shut-out win over the Seiver Co Bears, the Campbell Co Cougars return home to host the Bearden Bulldogs for homecoming. The 4-2 Cougars (2-1 Region) are heading into uncharted territories for a Campbell Co football team. In the school's 30 year history, 4-6 is the best record ever. With an 1-5 Bulldog team coming to town, the Cougars look to gain magical win #5 at their expense. But as ESPN's Lee Corso says, "Not so fast, my friend." The Bulldogs are not going to walk into the Cougar Den and concede. The Men in Orange had better be ready to play like they have since the 2nd half of the Clinton game, or a very promising season could sink quickly. Eyebrows are being raised around the region with this Cougar team. After the shutout of MoEast, the critics said MoEast was weak and had injuries. After the 35-0 beating by Jeff Co., the "experts" said "same old Cougars." The Cougars lost a close one to Clinton in their home opener and were written off, projected to win only 2 or 3 games. Then South Doyle came to town in the monsoon that Ivan brought. Chris Johnson broke out behind outstanding blocking and the Cougar D recorded their second shutout. Scott Co. followed with a highly touted RB Wesley Smith and were sent home with a 39-12 beating. Again the D dominated and Johnson ran wild behind excellent blocking. But the critics said it was only Scott Co, so what? Predictions for the Sevier Co game had the Cougars losing by as much as 21-24. Guess what. Opponents can't win if they can't score. The Cougar D racked up their 3rd shutout at the home of a 5A Region quality opponent. Why the season recap? Because you can already hear the naysayers stating the Cougars are set up for a huge letdown. However the ones that I listen to the most are the young men that make up this special Cougar team. They are enjoying a special chemistry that is unthinkable with young highschoolers. The D enjoys rising the the challenges they are confronted with. Sevier Co's line was said to be too big and would manhandle the smaller Cougar D-Line. Didn't happen. Chris Johnson was said to be a "one trick pony". That "one trick pony" gained 120+ vs. Sevier Co with exceptional blocking by his O-Line. Even more surprising, as the game progressed, the smaller Cougars actually wore down the Bears on both sides of the ball. Will the Cougars be prepared for the Bulldogs? My gut feeling is absolutely. Will the Cougars be overconfident and overlook Bearden? Listening to the comments on the sideline last night, I don't think so. These Cougars know what is at stake and what it takes to win. Bearden will come to town hoping to continue the string of bizarre homecoming upsets this year. I think they leave trying to tuck their stubby tails between their legs. More later after research is done on Bearden.

A very impressive victory tonight by the Campbell Co. Cougars. The Defense was absolutely amazing tonight. Twice in the 1st half, the Bears had excellent field position, once on a botched punt attempt (Bears at CC 33) and again on a Cougar turnover (Bears CC28). Both times the Cougars held creating a turnover inside the 20 with a hard hit on Pate by MLB Brian Slover and again on downs. Chris Johnson, behind excellent blocking again tonight gained 121 yards on 30 carries and scored the game's only TD. The PAT was wide, but the Cougar D, after a beautiful punt by Clark Wood was downed at the SC 1 by a hustling Larry Napier, got a good push and threw the Bears back for a safety. Although outsized mightily, the Cougar D and offensive line controlled the LOS most of the night. An overall hard fought game by the Cougars, moving them to 2-1 in the Region, 4-2 overall. Bearden comes to town next week as the Cougars hope to break the 5 win plateau for the 1st time in school history. With the 8-0 shut-out victory, the Cougars have recorded their third shut-out of the season.

Is Zacc Pate that much better than Shiverdecker of Jefferson Co.? The Cougars held Shiverdecker to his lowest total of the season, 115 yards. Granted, in the 35-0 blowout, he sat in the 4th, but I just don't see Pate, coming off an injured ankle, gaining 150+ vs. a very quick and tenacious Cougar D. THe Bears' big guys may control the line of scrimmage, but they better have an answer for LBs Byrge and Slover. Cougars win a close one . . .

DOes anyone know Zacc Pate's status for the Campbell Co. game?

CCLineman, I'm not sure who you are, but you said it all when you said "We have respect for ourselves." That is the first step in working to gain respect. You must believe in yourselves and have respect for one another as a TEAM. I have been fortunate to be on your sidelines in every game except one. I like what I see and hear from the Cougars. There is good leadership on this team and an even better attitude. At the start of the season, all everyone was talking about was whether or not Chris Johnson could stay healthy. Chris is a very valuable asset to you guys, but it is being proven that it is a TEAM effort that puts games into the W column. THe way the O-Line rallied for Chris to make sure he set the school record for rushing was something very special and somewhat unexpected when you think about conflicting egos. This team is showing strong chemistry, maturity and grittiness that may stay with you for a lifetime. Stay focused, stay united and take care of yourselves one game at a time. This is a special team for Campbell Co. and you guys have the chance to post the first ever .500 or winning season in the school's 30 year history. Keep doing the special things you are doing and giving the extra effort. Respect will come with time. You have already conquered an important milestone. You have respect for one another and the respect of the community. See you at Sevier Co.! thumb

In watching the Cougars in every contest except South-Doyle (illness), I see steady improvement in all facets of the game. The O-Line is improving with each snap, Chris Johnson is back to his old form, Brance Stiner is getting better with each throw, and Josh Allen has emerged as a go-to WR. In addition, Eric Summers is emerging as another threat at WR and this team is beginning to believe in themselves. The offense is beginning to click with a balanced attack. I am "old school" and think control of the tranches is what will make or break this team as far as a winning season goes. On the defensive side of the ball, LBs Oscar Byrge and Brian Slover have having All-Region type seasons. With steady improvement from the D-Line of Jesse Bowman, Justin McCloud. Mitchell Tipton, etc., the D continues to impress. Larry Napier has good instincts and flys to the ball on D. The secondary is also improving, but subject to let a speedy WR slip behind coverage. Bobby Russell is a headhunter and Travis Leach has shown promise, but need better, more consistent play from the safeties. With all of that said, the match-up with Sevier Co. may be a very interesting game. Alot depends on the health of the Bears' outstanding RB Zacc Pate. Pate did not play at Oak Ridge, which was a contributing factor in the 52-0 slaughter. The Cougars will definitely have the edge at SC if Pate is unable to play. However, even with Pate sidelined, the Cougars must bring their A-game to defeat Sevier Co. in the Bears' home stadium. Two other keys to this game rests with the answers to the following questions: How will the Bears respond to the thrashing at OR? How will the Cougars respond to rare back-to-back victories? If they swagger into SC as they did at Jeff Co., they may limp back home. If they come in focused, control the ball without turnovers and eliminate the untimely and sometimes stupid penalties, they may find themselves with a 3 game win streak and a legitimate shot at their first ever play-off appearance . . .

What is the story on Zacc Pate and the reason he did not play @ OR? Is he injured? Will he play next week vs. Campbell Co.? Any info will be greatly appreciated.

ANYMORE? 825355622[/snapback] We have a slot dedicated to the Campbell Co. Cougars at the City of LaFollette's website.Campbell County Cougars

Unofficial numbers have Wesley Smith being held under 100 yds for the 1st time this season. According to my numbers, he gained 76 yards on 24 carries (3.1 avg) and scored 2 TDs. His longest run was for 25 yds and a TD. The "Battle of the Backs" did not happen as many, including myself, expected. The Cougar D was ready and the O-Line blasted gaping holes for Johnson. An outstanding game for the Cougars with the special teams even scoring on a blocked punt by Nick Lane and score by Bobby Russell.

Behind outstanding blocking by the Cougar O-Line (RT Joe Whitaker, RG Matt Goins, C Toby Young, LG Josh Evans, RT Sam Silva), Chris Johnson shredded the Highlander defense for a school record 264 yards on 21 carries, scoring 2 TDs. He also caught a beautifully executed screen for a 34 yd TD. The Cougar D also dominated, holding the talented Wesley Smith to less than 100 yards, probably around 50-60 as a guess. I will try to add his numbers tomorrow and post addition info. Always enjoy your posts, poosumcop, even when I disagree on ocassion! thumb

I hope the sarcasm and laughter is not coming from a SD fan . . . The Cougars self destructed against an opportunistic Clinton Dragon team. Of the 75+ yards in dumb *** penalties, at least 3 came at critical times to either stop drives and/or push the Cougs out of scoring postion. Clinton scored points off of 2 of the 3 Cougar turnovers. Not making excuses - simply stating fact. If Campbell Co. plays with the same ineptness, SD may very well end their losing streak. However, if the Cougars play smart, turn Johnson loose and give Stiner time to throw, the Cherokees will have a Halls flashback!

Does anybody have middle school scores/season records/info on Maynardville, N. Anderson Co. or SMMS? Any info would be greatly appreciated.