The Copper Basin High School Cougars football team finished up it’s season Thursday, October 30, with a game on the road against Sale Creek and is ready for it’s playoff game Friday night November 7 at Clay County High School in Celina, Tennessee.
“I told these guys at halftime, I feel like Sale Creek is a better team than Clay County. This is the best practice you are going to get,” said Cougar Head Coach Brett Graves.
In the game Thursday, Basin had a rough start. Sale Creek led 35-0 at the end of the first quarter, then Basin played three solid quarters of football.
Basin had two long drives. One ended in a touchdown. It came in the fourth quarter and was the result of a 75-yard drive. It included runs by Drew Crowder and Nathan Spencer. Spencer scored on a 51-yard run. The drive also featured a fumble recovery and eight-yard run by Basin center Darius Harris. “It’s always exciting when a lineman touches the ball,” said Graves.
Basin’s other long drive was the second quarter. It was 74 yards and 19 plays. It featured two receptions and two rushes by Crowder, three rushes from Nick Bird and two rushes from Spencer. The drive was extended once on a fourth-down eight-yard rush by Spencer. The drive ended at the Sale Creek 16-yard line.
“I am very proud of that and how we can milk the clock on somebody. But, we have to finish those drives,” said Graves.
Graves said the Cougars felt they had success on Sale Creek last year. Last year, we had a 22 play drive that we ended up scoring on. “This year, we felt like we could do the same thing. They used the same front they played last year. It’s all about matchups in the game of football. For some reason, with this matchup, with the different schemes we play, there is success in what they do defensively. They are a very good team.”
Basin last went to the playoffs in 2021. Basin’s last playoff win came in 2014 against South Pittsburg. The Cougars won 22-15.
Last time Basin played Clay County was in 2020 at home. Clay County won 21-0. Basin was 8-1 and Clay County was 6-4.
Graves said the 9-1 Clay County Bulldogs are the number one seed and he said they need to do better of finishing drives. “We’re going to give them everything we got. We’re not going to change our identity. We’ve got to find energy on the road. It’s going to be the same thing that has kept us in games. We’ll have some wrinkles to throw in there too.”
Clay has a ground game team. “Their quarterback does a good job when they do pass. They want to run the ball. They can pass the ball if you make them,” said Graves. “I don’t want anybody running 300 yards on us. That’s the number one priority. And, worry about the pass after that.” He said the Cougars will try to control what they can and “let the pieces fall where they may.”