The Copper Basin High School Cougar football team was able to score two touchdowns in it’s home matchup with Whitwell, but the bigger and faster Tiger team forced a loss, 49-14.
The game summary is the tale of two halves. The Cougars had a solid second half. Basin had two solid scoring drives in the second half. Their first drive took them 83 yards on eight plays. The drive began on Basin’s own 17 yard line at the 7:43 mark of the third quarter.
Senior Nathan Spencer, who broke the school record for most touchdowns in a game last week, rushed for two yards. Senior Drew Crowder ran the ball next for one yard.
With solid blocking from the Cougar offensive line of junior Darrius Harris, freshman guard Dylan Beaver, freshman guard Trenton Davis, senior guard Cooper Floyd, and sophomore guard Thomas Seabolt, sophomore Quarterback Dawson Pittman handed the ball to Spencer and Spencer took off for a 31-yard rush to the Whitwell 48-yard line. An eight-yard rush followed by Crowder. Rushes for five yards by Crowder and seven yards from junior Nick Bird took Basin to the 29 yard line of Whitwell. After a 10-yard penalty by Whitwell, Spencer ran for six yards, then Crowder took into the end zone for six points on a 13-yard rush. The score came at third quarter buzzer.
Basin’s second touchdown came at 1:24 left in the game on a 72-yard drive and six plays. Spencer rushed the first play for four yards, then Crowder ran for six yards. Freshman Easten Dockery got in on the rushing game with a 15-yard and a three-yard rush on the next two downs. Spencer followed with a three-yard rush, then a 27-yard rush for the score. Dockery earned the two-point conversion.
Dockery was a bright spot for Basin, said Head Coach Brett Graves. “He ran the ball hard. He’s been a breath of fresh air.”
Graves said he told his running backs at halftime they need to keep their head down and get one yard at a time, and they listened. “Not every play will be a touchdown. We have to be happy with just at one yard gain.”
Graves said this years team is improving each week. Basin has 17 active players on it’s roster. There are six freshman and five sophomores. Each of them get sizable playing time, said Graves. Whitewell, alone, had 10 seniors. Basin has four. On the freshman class, Graves said this season is getting his young squad more experience, and they get better each down.
This Friday is do or die for the playoffs, said Graves. “We’ve got to keep fresh bodies offensively and defensively. I’m sure Lookout Valley is showing them the film from last year where we beat them 46-0. They are going to be prepared for this game, so we have to give it everything we got this week.” Basin plays Lookout Valley at home at 7:30 p.m.