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On
Eagles Wings (Rome
News-Tribune)
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Photo by
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Coosa counts on veteran leadership 07/23/04
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Blue Cooper and Patrick Dupree are no longer well kept secrets and
coach Scott Chandler has two full seasons at the helm.
Now with the Eagles heading to a straight region schedule against some
of the best teams Region 6-AA has seen in several years, Coosa will depend on its veterans to pull them
through.
“The biggest key in a full region schedule is injuries,” Chandler said.
“You can’t take a week off so if one of your big dogs get hurt you are
in trouble.”
Cooper returns as one of the best overall athletes in Greater Rome and
its most experienced quarterback.
He was refined by fire his sophomore season and had a solid year in
2003, drawing the attention of college scouts.
This season he is in imposing physical shape, seems well polished and
fully aware of his role as the team’s unquestioned leader.
“Blue has been to a camp and at Jacksonville
State, and really looked good
over there,” Chandler
said. “I feel like he will have a chance to throw more.”
Dupree, when healthy, has dazzled throughout his career at Coosa and impressed coaches both at home and on
the road.
He will be a big part of the Coosa
offense that has buttered its bread with the running game.
“The key with Patrick is keeping him healthy,” Chandler said. “The two times he’s
gotten hurt it’s happened in practice, so he might not get a lot of
practice.”
Coosa missed the playoffs last season in a
year that was up and down.
One bright spot was discovering the multiple talents of Matt Staples
and his brother Andy, receivers Briones Barnett and Chris Clemmons, and
running back Alex Engram.
All those players return this season, noticeably larger from extensive
offseason weight training and will be keys to success.
Brandon Carter is the cog on a line that lost plenty from last year.
“One of the great things has been our sophomore group from last year,” Chandler said.
“They get bigger and stronger year after year and we will expect big
things from them.”
This week the Eagles have been in two-a-days in shorts, helmets and
T-shirts since official practice in pads doesn’t start until Monday.
Coosa has been practicing in the morning and
evening,c and lifting weights in between sessions.
“We’re trying to install as much as we can,” Chandler said. “We’re trying to get
as many people involved as possible.”
Since the offseason is a full week shorter, Chandler said the first part will be
used on the basics and the next will be preparing for scrimmages and
games.
“If we want to look decent in the scrimmages we have to prepare,” Chandler said.
“So you don’t get a lot of young kids a lot of looks because you have
to prepare the older ones.”
The Eagles scrimmage Rome and Gordon
Central, and open at home with Dade County
on Aug. 20.
True to Blue, The Johnny Cooper Story
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Walk into the house and you might hear rap music blaring in the back,
walls rattling, dust scattering.
It certainly will not be coming from Pops’ room, you can count on that.
Maybe 30 years ago, Pops might have blasted some Skynyrd or Allman
Brothers on his way out the door to party all night.
But not now, not when the kid is still his number one priority.
That’s just the way it has been for Johnny Cooper since his son Blue,
the quarterback at Coosa High, was born. Everything is now done in
moderation, except loving the kid. That, he’ll tell you, is the biggest
joyride he’s ever experienced. And there has been many a ride.
Blue was born in 1986, when Pops was in his 40s and his girlfriend was
much younger. The two split about 1987 and Blue moved to Florida with his
mother for a short time. Johnny gained custody in 1988 and has since
raised Blue on his own. “I had no family here and my closest relative
lived 65 miles away,” Coosa senior
quarterback Blue Cooper is a three-year starter for the Eagles. Johnny
said. “Here I am with a young kid, a second shift job, by myself.”
Johnny had wanted a life of freedom, living on the open road and riding
his motorcycle until he got good and tired of it.
But with Blue being just a toddler, those dreams had to be put astern.
So Pops worked second shift at General Electric and wondered how he, a
former motorcycle outlaw, would raise a towheaded son on his own.“I
felt totally alone,” Johnny said. “That was the worst part. I sat awake
wondering a lot of nights if I would make it.
“But I gave all my attention to him and I promised I would never leave
him to go party. He had all my attention.”
It was a lot to give up for someone fully entrenched in a lifestyle so
diametrically opposed to that of other fathers. It was an existence
right out of “Easy Rider,” a lifestyle of hard living and long nights,
many of which never ended. Parachuting Off The Mountain
Sand Mountain, Ala., in the 1950s and ’60s wasn’t much of a place to
make a living unless you owned some land. If you didn’t farm, you maybe
ran moonshine or went into the service, much like Pops did.
He left Ider, Ala.,
in 1958 and joined the Army, signing up for the 82nd Airborne. “The
first plane I ever stepped onto I jumped out of,” he said. “I was
working for my uncle for 50 cents a day and I couldn’t get another job
so I joined the Army.” Pops stayed in the Army for three years and
missed the Vietnam War by literally days.
When he got out of the service he climbed onto a motorcycle and headed
out west. By 1974 he was divorced, with an ex-wife and two kids in
Missouri.That was a different dimension for Johnny, long before Blue
was born, when life was pretty much lived highway to highway and dive
to dive.
Freedom Seeker In the 1970s, Johnny was a founding member of the
Freedom Seekers in Rome,
a motorcycle club that pretty much had the term “bad boy” carved into
their foreheads.
In essence, if you wanted to leave a bar with all your teeth, you left
them be.
Most of the original Freedom Seekers are in their 60s now, still living
in Rome
and riding motorcycles like always. Pops, 64, is one of them, although
he is officially retired. A picture still hangs in the Cooper house of
the old crew, their beards still full of color and the tattoos newer.
As a younger man, Johnny would take Blue and head off across the
country on a Harley Davidson to see what the world had waiting for
them. Even now, despite a sore back and bad knees, Pops still climbs
aboard from time to time. But not Blue.
He’s never gotten into the lifestyle, despite seeing the motorcycle way
of life become the latest trend in pop culture.
Instead, Blue has embraced sports and life in the classroom.
A star in both football and basketball, Blue also carries a grade point
average around 3.5, which gives Pops his greatest satisfaction.
“If he had been a bad kid, I couldn’t have done it,” Johnny said. “What
makes Blue so cool is before he leaves every day he says, ‘Pops, I love
you.’ It doesn’t matter who it’s in front of. He has so much respect.”
It’s mutual.
A Blue Horizon Johnny keeps his walls lined with pictures.
There are some of his late parents, his two children from his first
marriage lifetimes ago, but most are of Blue.
There’s Blue playing mites football, Blue in braces, Blue playing
basketball and Blue sporting a mullet. There are plaques, awards and
certificates on the walls close to the seven or eight rubberband-held
stacks of recruiting letters for Blue. The only thing not Blue is the furniture.
Pops keeps a lot of stuff too, stuff like highlight films and newspaper
clippings. He’s also kept some cards Blue made him on Mother’s Day as a
child, because Pops has always been both mom and dad. “I didn’t notice
not having a female around until I was old enough to go to other
people’s houses and there were women living there,” Blue said. “I
didn’t realize until I was older that a woman was supposed to be
there.” On Friday nights Pops is Blue’s personal cheering section,
although he isn’t alone. Blue and the Eagles have quite a following
since Scott Chandler took over as Coosa’s head football coach two years
ago.
Chandler has
since been Blue’s biggest cheerleader on the field.
“I don’t think you can find a better person than Blue Cooper,” Chandler said. “I
hope my two daughters grow up and be the kind of person he is. And that
is definitely a testament to Johnny.”
Pops will be in the stands on Aug. 20 when Blue makes the first start
of his senior season against visiting Dade County.
Eagles Scrimmage Warriors
Doug Hawley, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
CALHOUN — Players and fans from Coosa
and Gordon Central both came away happy in their preseason football
scrimmage game Friday night.
Coosa won the varsity portion of the
scrimmage, which consumed the last three quarters, by a score of 14-3.
Central, bolstered by the junior varsity, took a 17-14 overall victory
“Them being an AAAA school and us an AA school, I was surprised,” said Coosa head coach Scott Chandler. “They’ve got two
or three of the best skill players around.”
Both of the Eagles’ touchdowns came in the third quarter.
On the initial drive of the second half, running back Patrick Dupree
culminated a 70-yard drive with a 3-yard run off left tackle with 3:04
left in the nine-minute quarter. Jorge Galvis kicked his first of two
extra points.
Talented senior quarterback Blue Cooper tied the overall score at 14-14
with 25 seconds left in the quarter on a nifty 10-yard scramble.
“We’re hoping that Blue can put us on his shoulders and carry us this
season,” said Chandler.
A mere 56 seconds remained in the clash when the Warriors’ Hector
Martinez kicked a decisive 27-yard field goal to complete the scoring.
“Coosa had the incentive against us
and played very well,” Central head coach Bill Long said. “We knew that
they had some super skill people. We didn’t do as well as I had hoped
in the lines.”
Next Thursday, Coosa hosts Rome,
and Gordon Central visits Lincoln County Friday to wrap up the
preseason schedule.
Things are Looking Up for Eagles
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By Joseph Myers, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Last Friday’s first round of preseason scrimmages answered a few
questions, brought up more and produced some interesting football. One
of the more intriguing matchups was an all-Greater Rome
battle between Coosa and Gordon
Central at Ratner Stadium in Calhoun.
When it was over, the Eagles emerged from the three nine-minute varsity
quarters with a 14-3 victory over a team considered by many to be a
darkhorse in Region 7-AAAA this year. (The Warriors used a pair of
touchdowns from the junior varsity for a 17-14 overall victory.)
Coosa head coach Scott Chandler said he was
happy with how his team did in its first action this season.
“All of the talk I’d heard before the scrimmage was that Gordon Central
was a pretty good football team, and they are,” said Chandler. “They have some very good
skill players who are some of the best guys around here at their
positions.
“We came out and played harder in the scrimmage than we have in the
past and that was something we stressed to the kids before it started.
I was really pleased with our effort.”
Chandler was especially happy with the way the
Eagles’ offense looked against the Warriors, who went 5-5 and beat
7-AAAA champion Rome
last season.
“I thought we ran the ball well when we were in a one-back formation,
which is what we spent most of the night in,” said Chandler. “We ran some two-back
formation plays well, but we were in the one-back formation most of the
time.
“(Quarterback Blue Cooper) made some very good decisions with the ball
and ran the ball well for us when we were in the one-back set.”
Coosa’s two touchdowns came from the two
players it will count on the most this fall: Cooper and tailback
Patrick Dupree.
Dupree scored on a 3-yard run early in the second varsity quarter and
Cooper scrambled 10 yards for another TD late in the same quarter.
The Eagles host Rome
Thursday night at 6 in both teams’ final preseason scrimmage. Chandler said he
has some set goals in mind.
“We want to try and throw the ball more if we can,” said Chandler. “We
tried to pass against Gordon Central, but their defensive backs shut it
down.
“We also want to fine-tune our one-back formation since that seems like
what we’re best suited for this season.”
Having scrimmages against a pair of Class AAAA schools such as Gordon
Central and Rome wasn’t something Chandler did
intentionally, but he feels like it could pay off down the line.
“The biggest reason why we’re scrimmaging (Rome
and Gordon Central) is that we wanted to play somebody closer to home
and have a shorter bus ride,” said Chandler. “But playing these two
teams will show is where we’re at going into the season.”
Coosa opens its season Aug. 20 at home against Region 6-AA foe Dade County.
Eagles Ready to Fly
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Coosa anxious to hit the field for opener 08/17/04
Joseph Myers, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
The Dade County Wolverines are just 6-24 over the last three seasons,
but don’t think that the Coosa Eagles will be overlooking them when the
two teams meet Friday night at Coosa in both teams’ regular-season
opener.
“We had some assistants go and see (Dade) scrimmage last week and they
look improved,” said Coosa coach Scott
Chandler. “They have some big strong guys on their line and their
starting running back and quarterback are both back.”
The Wolverines — who lost to Coosa 34-7 last year in Trenton
— have a new head coach in Shaun Peek and he has some veterans to work
with, as Dade
County returns 12
starters (six on each side of the ball) this fall.
Leading the way is junior quarterback Jacob Case, who threw for 1,586
yards as a sophomore last year. He is joined by senior running back
Dakota Massengale, who led the Wolverines with 527 yards and nine
touchdowns on the ground in 2003.
“Dade County
uses three or four separate offensive sets and can both run and throw
the ball fairly well,” said Chandler.
“We’ll have to be ready for them.”
Dade County
also uses multiple fronts on the defensive side of the ball, said Chandler.
“They use two or three different fronts, so we’ll have to prepare for
anything they can throw at us,” Chandler
said. “I still think we have to prove that we can run the ball out a
two-back set and we have to do a better job of pass protection and
giving (quarterback Blue Cooper) time to throw the ball.”
While running the ball and pass protection are Chandler’s main concerns on offense,
the run defense and secondary are concerns on defense for the Eagles.
“Defensively, I think we need to be more consistent in our run
defense,” said Chandler.
“We’ll stuff a back at the line on one play, and they’ll gash us for a
big gain on the next play.
“Our pass defense needs some work as well. We gave up too many big
plays last week (in a scrimmage against Rome).”
Coosa’s two scrimmages came against Region 7-AAAA members Gordon
Central and Rome, and the Eagles fared
well in both of them, outscoring Gordon Central’s varsity 14-3 and
knocking off Rome
22-20.
But despite two good performances, including 133 passing yards and a
rushing touchdown from Cooper against Rome,
Chandler
knows that what a team does in the preseason doesn’t matter.
“I’m pleased with how we looked in our first two scrimmages, but we
still have a long way to go to compete in this region,” Chandler said.
“Starting on Friday, these games are for real. We just hope having two
tough scrimmages like we did will pay off, starting on Friday.”
Eagles Down Dade
By Richard Hassell
Rome News-Tribune Correspondent
Who says eagles would rather fly than stay on the ground.
Sparked by the running tandem of Patrick Dupree and Blue Cooper, who
com-bined for more than 260 yards, the Coosa Eagles rolled to a 24-14
Region 6-AA season-opening win over Dade County Friday night .
Dupree rushed for 142 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns,
while Cooper added 123 more yards.
Dupree had touchdown runs of 11, 72 and 2 yards in only three quarters
of ac-tion.
Both teams appeared sluggish early on. However, the rain-soaked field
did not keep the Eagles from attempting to establish a passing attack.
The Eagles attempted six passes in the first quarter with only two
completed.
“We wanted to throw the ball,” said Eagles coach Scott Chandler. “Dade
dou-ble covered our receivers and we had to make some adjustments. I
think we were a little lackluster.
“Patrick (Dupree) and Alex (Engram) played well and Chris Warren ran
the ball well. Our offensive line deserves a lot of credit,” Chandler added.
After a scoreless first pe-riod, Coosa
gained momentum by rushing for 153 yards on 12 rushes in the second
quarter.
On the first play of the second quarter, Coosa kicker George Galvis
booted a 28-yard field goal, giving Coosa
a 3-0 advantage.
Coosa drove 73 yards in seven snaps for their
next score, with Dupree ending the drive with an 11-yard scamper off
right tackle.
Engram rushed three times for 34 yards and Eagle quarterback Blue
Cooper had runs of 9 and 11 yards in the drive. Galvis’ PAT gave the
Eagles a 10-0 lead with 4:58 left in the second quarter.
Early in the third period, Coosa’s Brandon Carter recovered a Wolverine
fumble at the Coosa 28.
On the next play, Dupree took a handoff from Cooper started to his
right, cut back to the left sideline and raced 72 yards for a
touch-down.
Galvis’ PAT was good, giving the Eagles a 17-0 lead with 8:21 left in
the third quarter.
Coosa traveled 51 yards, in six plays on their
next possession for their final score when Dupree scored from two yards
out to cap the drive. Galvis added the PAT.
Cooper, rushed for 123 yards on eight carries in the game.
Dade County was able to score two
late touchdowns against the Eagle reserves.
Coosa has an open week next week.
Eagles Choke on Success in Region Loss
By Erik Green
Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
EGreen@RN-T.com / 290-5261
If there was any doubt about LaFayette’s
grit it went bye bye Friday night.
Trailing 20-0 at halftime against Region 6-AA foe Coosa, LaFayette scored
28 second half points to win a 28-27 thriller.
LaFayette’s
Chris Battles rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
“I was happy with our kids’ character,” said LaFayette coach Eric Ed-wards. “They
didn’t quit. I’m very proud of that. A lot of people talk about it, but
we do it.”
The killer for Coosa’s stage play can
be broken down to two crucial scenes.
The first came on a botched two-point conver-sion with 49 seconds to go
in the half, which still allowed them a 20-0 lead.
That was what they call in theatre class, “the gun.”
And as they teach in that class, you never show a gun in the first act
if it doesn’t go off in the fourth.
The second circumstance was the inspired play of LaFayette’s Battles.
His biggest impact came in the fourth quarter.
With his team trailing 27-21 late in the game, Battles carried the ball
12 out of 13 plays to tie the game with 1:18 to go.
The extra point was good and it was 28-27 — the cli-max to act four.
And like any good hero in romantic fiction, Battles exited the stage
with an injury.
Edwards did not know the extent of the injury, but said it was likely
an ankle sprain.
Coosa (1-1, 1-1) had a chance to come back for
the win, but quarterback Blue Cooper, who had an other-wise tremendous
night, threw his only interception of the game.
“This is why you play four quarters of football,” said Coosa coach Scott Chandler. “We led 20-0 and we
think they are going to lay down. They didn’t.
“I’ve been here three years and we still don’t know how to win when we
have the lead,” he added.
By all appearances, Coosa seemed to be
well on their way to a win by half-time.
Coosa’s first score came on a four yard run by
Patrick Dupree with 9:02 to play in the second quarter.
The second touchdown came after a 35-yard run by Cooper and the Eagles
led 14-0 after George Galvis’ second PAT.
The third score was a beauty of a pass from Cooper to a wide open Jake
Thompson.
But after halftime, LaFayette
(2-1, 2-1) got good field position on the kickoff return and marched
four plays into the endzone.
The points came on an 8-yard pass from Matt Yarbrough to Casey Payne.
The point after was good and LaFayette
was back in it, as Chandler
screamed to his players.
Battles scored at the 4:20 mark of the third on a 13-yard run.
Coosa’s Dupree countered with a 90-yard
kickoff return down to the Ram-blers’ 7-yard line.
Staples took it from there for a touchdown on the first play.
After the PAT it was 27-14.
But soon after, Battles’ 12 carry stretch began, which resulted in two
TDs.
Cooper finished the game with 113 rushing yards, while Staples had 145.
Coosa is at Darlington next week while LaFayette hosts Chattooga.
Eagles Down Darlington
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Coosa shuts down Tigers to pick up 10-6 decision 09/11/04
David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
After seeing a 20-point halftime lead disappear in a stinging loss to
LaFayette last week, the Coosa Eagles knew they had a choice — it was
time to either give up or grow up.
The Eagles assertively chose the second option Friday night.
With the Coosa defense making huge plays every time it needed to, the
Eagles pulled out a 10-6 win over Darlington
in a Region 6-AA contest at Chris Hunter Stadium.
The victory gave the Eagles’ playoff hopes an early-season boost. More
importantly, it also gave their morale a nice shove, too.
“After what happened last week, we had a team meeting and talked about
which direction we wanted to go,” said Coosa
coach Scott Chandler. “And the kids really responded.
“This win tonight allows us to get in position to get in position,”
added Chandler,
sounding a little like Yogi Berra. “It’s like I told the newspaper
earlier this week: If we don’t win tonight, we’d really be behind the
eight ball.”
A one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Blue Cooper on the first play
of the second quarter, and an 18-yard field goal by George Galvis early
in the fourth provided Coosa’s only points of the night.
But thanks to the stalwart showing by the Coosa
defense, the skinny offensive production proved to be enough.
The Eagles, who surrendered 28 second-half points to LaFayette
in last week’s loss, allowed Darlington’s
rushing attack to gain just 52 yards on 23 carries.
Coosa’s Chase Tolbert made several big plays,
including breaking up a pass in the closing minutes of the fourth
quarter.
The Darlington defense was also
impressive, surrendering just 230 yards total offense.
“It was a great ballgame,” said Darlington
coach Tommy Atha. “All I ever ask of the kids is that they give us
their best effort, and I felt like they did that tonight. We just came
up a little short.”
Coosa’s Cooper completed seven of 10 passes
for 95 yards. His longest completions of the night both went to Chris
Jones — a 40-yard hookup in the first quarter and a 21-yarder midway
through the fourth.
Surprisingly, Coosa’s rushing attack
sputtered much of the night, with Patrick Dupree gaining 31 yards on 11
carries, and Matt Staples gaining 34 yards on 12 tries.
For Darlington, quarterback Greg
Phillips completed 10 of 20 passes for 123 yards. Running back Bert
Collier churned out 53 tough yards on 13 carries.
The game took a weird twist early. Just as the first-quarter horn
sounded, a transformer (located near the south end zone) exploded,
resembling a pyrotechnic display. It blew again a split-second later,
causing half the stadium lights to fall dark. The two teams were sent
to the lockerrooms during the ensuing 40-minute delay.
Coosa hosts Pepperell next week while Darlington hosts LaFayette.
Eagles Down Pepperell for 1st Time in 19 Years
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Photo by D.
Patrick Harding, RN-T
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Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
A little thing like a broken hand didn’t slow Coosa’s
Patrick Dupree down Saturday.
Playing with a broken metatarsal, Dupree rushed for 168 yards and three
touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 23-15 Region 6-AA win over
Pepperell.
It was the first win over Pepperell for Coosa
in 19 years.
“I came back from two bad games running the ball,” Dupree said. “I
thank God I was able to have a good game with a broken hand.”
It was a big momentum win for Coosa
(3-1, 3-1), which is now one of three teams with just one loss in the
region.
It was also a personal victory for the Eagles, who finally seemed to
figure out how to close the door on a close one.
Leading 23-15 at halftime, Chandler
reminded his Eagles about how their only loss of the season came about.
They were leading LaFayette
by 20 and fell apart in the second half.
On Saturday, they didn’t allow a single second-half point and neither
did Pepperell.
The Dragons (2-3, 2-3) were at a bit of a disadvantage with standout
running back Jeremy Ferguson, who was on the sideline with an ankle
injury.
Pepperell’s Marcus Dublin did an admirable job in Ferguson’s absence.
But Ferguson’s
presence was clearly missed.
“We’ve got to do a better job of discipline,” said Pepperell coach Lynn
Hunnicutt. “You can’t win close games without discipline.”
The biggest plus for Coosa was, for a
change, its defense.
The Eagles sacked Pepperell quarterback Cody Evans five times in the
first half and caused a safety.
And, obviously, not allowing any points in the second half was big for
the Coosa coaches.
Of course, after the halftime speech Coosa
coach Scott Chandler gave his Eagles, anything less would have meant
countless grass drills on Monday.
“I challenged them at halftime because I was not pleased with the way we
ended the first half,” said Chandler.
“The defense really shaped up and I was pleased with their effort.”
Coosa might have won the battle, but Pepperell
fired the first shot.
After Coosa’s first series ended with
a punt, Pepperell used good field position to put points on the board.
Evans found Jonathan Holiday on a 13-yard pass for a touchdown with
8:26 to go in the opening quarter.
Brandon Lovering’s point after was good and the Dragons led 7-0.
On Coosa’s next drive, quarterback
Blue Cooper hit Chris Jones on a 39 yard pass play to put the Eagles on
Pepperell’s 2-yard line.
Two plays later Dupree scored his first touchdown of the night on a
1-yard run.
The George Galvis PAT was good.
Pepperell fumbled on the ensuing possession and Coosa
recovered.
On the very next play Dupree took it 47-yards to the house and after
the PAT, the Eagles led 14-7.
With 7:46 to play in the half, the Coosa
defense recorded the safety after two penalties put the Dragons near
their own goal line.
With 3:48 left in the half, Dupree took off again, this time 54 yards
for a touchdown and the Eagles led 23-7 after the PAT.
Pepperell’s final points came on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Evans to
Chris Hill and it was 23-15 after the PAT.
Eagles Once Again Shine in the 2004 Shrine Game
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By Erik Green
Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
EGreen@RN-T.com / 290-5261
There was some eerie deja vu for Armuchee on Friday in the 57th Annual
Shrine Game at Barron Stadium.
Only this time it was Patrick Dupree who rushed for close to 200 yards
in the first half to lead Coosa (4-1,
4-1) to a 38-7 win.
Last season Matt Staples had 200 plus yards against the Indians before
being pulled in the second half, much like Dupree Friday.
“I never dreamed it would be this kind of game,” said Coosa
coach Scott Chandler. “I thought we would have a dogfight from start to
finish.
“But this game is not indicative of the type of team Armuchee is.”
Dupree would finish with 192 yards and two touchdowns, with 171 yards
coming in the first quarter.
“Dupree is becoming a special player,” Chandler said. “In this game the last
two years he’s been on the bench (due to injury). He’s healthy and has
played exceptional.”
Dupree’s outstanding performance wasn’t much of a shock, considering
the aggressive nature of Coosa’s
offense in the first quarter.
On the very first play of the game, Chris Jones hit Briones Barnett on
a 62-yard halfback pass for a touchdown.
It took just 11 seconds.
And according to Armuchee coach John Mullinax it was pretty much down
hill from there.
“Coosa is a good football team,”
Mullinax said. “And trying to tackle Dupree is like trying to catch a
rabbit. His legs do not stop.”
After the trickery, Coosa’s Jake
Thompson picked off a Scott Terry pass on Armuchee’s second drive to
set up more Eagle points.
Dupree carried the ball for 11 yards on his first attempt, then broke a
47-yard run to put the Eagles in Armuchee’s backyard.
Two plays later Dupree scored from 6-yards out.
But he wasn’t done.
The very next time he touched the ball, Dupree raced 69 yards for Coosa’s third touchdown of the night.
After the George Galvis PAT it was 21-0 with 3:06 to go in the first.
During this time Coosa’s Blue Cooper
and Matt Staples weren’t even necessary for the Eagles.
In fact, Cooper rushed for just 11 yards and passed for 41 yards on the
night.
Of course, he did run for a touchdown and pass for another later in the
game.
On Coosa’s next drive Dupree carried
the ball six times to give the Eagles the ball on the Armuchee (0-5,
0-5) 8-yard line.
Cooper would add to the cause, running it in from there for a
touchdown.
After another PAT it was 28-0.
Cooper struck again near halftime, hitting Chris Clemmons on a 25-yard
touchdown pass.
It would be 35-0 at the half.
Armuchee’s lone points came on an inspired 66-yard run by Mo Abdellatif
and the Indians were on the board with 10:01 to play.
Galvis hit a 42-yard field goal to wrap up with scoring with 5:13 to go
in the game.
Abdellatif finished with 96 yards rushing for the Indians.
"Miracle Eagles" Defeat Adairsville
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Photo by
W.T. Martin, Rome
N-T
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By Erik Green
Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
EGreen@RN-T.com / 290-5261
The Coosa Eagles keep on making believers every week and they likely
added some more Friday.
Following a 38-21 win over visiting Adairsville, the Eagles (5-1, 5-1)
took over sole possession of second place in Region 6-AA.
Patrick Dupree had 272 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns and quarter
back Blue Cooper scored twice in the win for the Eagles.
“This is by far the biggest win I’ve had since coming to Coosa three
years ago,” said Coosa coach Scott
Chandler.
“The first half everything went wrong and I thought we looked nervous
and very tight. But we came out and played a good half.
Adairsville (4-2, 4-2) had taken a 21-7 lead by the 5:02 mark of the
second quarter.
But the Eagles scored four unanswered touchdowns and a field goal
through the remainder of the game to earn their fourth straight win.
Trailing 21-17 at the half, the Eagles came out and held the Tigers
scoreless in the final 24 minutes, while leaning on Cooper and Du-pree
offensively.
“To hold Adairsville scoreless for a half if unbelievable,” Chandler said. “I
don’t think I have ever been prouder of my defense.”
Matt Sharp led Adairsville with 108 yards on the ground and quarterback
Drew Elrod threw for 149 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another.
“We shot ourselves in the foot in the third quarter,” said Adairsville
coach Johnny Gulledge, whose Tigers are now a half a game back on Darlington and Chattooga for third place in the
region.
“We missed some opportunities on big plays.”
Two big plays were really what kept Coosa
from getting blown out early.
After Adairsville had scored two straight touchdowns on a run by
Trimble and a catch by Trimble the Tigers were looking to walk away
with it.
But Dupree returned a kickoff 83 yards for a touch-down and it was 14-7
follow-ing a George Galvis PAT.
Adairsville countered with a 15-play touchdown drive capped by a 9-yard
run by Elrod.
But on Coosa’s first play from
scrimmage, Matt Sta-ples raced untouched 58-yards for a touchdown.
And after the PAT it was 21-14.
Brandon Carter and the Coosa defensive
line stuffed Adairsville on a fourth down try on the ensuing drive and
the Eagles took over.
Coosa closed the first half with a 43-yard
Galvis field goal and trailed by four at the break.
After another long drive by Adairsville was turned away on fourth down,
the ball began rolling for Coosa.
And Dupree was pushing it.
Coosa’s first drive of the second half went seven plays and ended with
Du-pree finding the endzone from 19-yards out.
The Galvis PAT was good and the Eagles led for the first time, 24-21.
Cooper scored a touchdown from 13 yards out with 6:49 to play and
another from a yard out with 1:35 left and it was 38-21 follow-ing the
PAT.
Chase Tolbert picked off an Elrod pass in the closing seconds, allowing
Coosa to take a knee.
Dupree would finish with 83 yards rushing, 30 receiv-ing and 159 on
kickoff re-turns.
Adairsville receiver Chris Hight was outstanding, catching six passes
for 52 yards.
Coosa is at Rockmart next week, while
Adairsville hosts Chattooga in what could be a must win game.
Coosa Ranked #10 in State Poll
Coosa earns top 10 poll spot
10/06/04
Staff, AP reports
ATLANTA — For
the first time since the mid-1980s, the Coosa Eagles are state ranked
in football.
After a 38-21 win over Adairsville last week, the Eagles broke into the
Class AA top 10 in the latest Associated Press poll.
The Eagles (5-1), who received five votes, are in a three-way tie with
Laney (4-2) and Thomasville
(4-1) for the No. 10 spot.
Chattooga received three votes but did not crack into the rankings.
Meanwhile, Calhoun (6-0) remains No. 4 in AA and Rome (6-0) stayed the same in AAAA at
No. 8.
Statesboro continues to lead Class AAAA.
The only class that didn’t have any changes in last week’s football
poll has undergone some significant shifts.
Vidalia (6-0) claimed the No. 1 spot in Class AA after Fitzgerald edged
Charlton 26-22.
The loss dropped Charlton
County, No. 1 the
previous week, to No. 6 as Fitzgerald moved up to second. Dublin fell out
the poll after a 23-3 loss to Vidalia.
Tift County
(5-1) bumped Valdosta
out of the Class AAAAA top 10 for the first time in school history with
a convincing 34-2 home win. It also marked the first time the Devils
had defeated the Wildcats since an 8-7 overtime victory in 1993.
Camden County was a clear No. 1 in
Class AAAAA, but No. 2 Lowndes kept it from being unanimous with one
first-place vote.
Parkview (5-1) has steadily climbed in Class AAAAA, moving to No. 3
with a 10-0 shutout of Brookwood. With the loss, Brookwood fell into a
tie for No. 5 with Roswell,
which is 6-0.
In Class A, Hawkinsville remains No. 1.
LaGrange remains atop the AAA standings at 6-0.
Eagles Hold Off Fiesty Rockmart
By Jeremy Stewart
Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
ROCKMART — The Rockmart Yellow Jackets pulled out to a six-point lead
against No. 10 Coosa Friday night, but the Ea-gles regrouped in the
fourth quarter to win the 6-AA bout 46-22.
“(Rockmart) coach Dan Duff did a great job,” Eagles’ coach Scott
Chandler said. “They schemed us on both sides of the ball and we were
very fortunate to win this game.”
Coosa (6-1, 6-1) used the dynamic duo of
Patrick Dupree and Blue Cooper to overpower the Jacket defense and put
up 21 unanswered points in the final period.
Running back Dupree had 29 carries for 223 yards while starting
quarterback Cooper ran 107 yards on seven carries.
“I thought we had a lot of people open in the first half and Blue just
wasn’t hitting them,” Chandler
said. “We need to work on that.
“Patrick has been real steady for the last four or five games. We’ve
got to rely on him to get us some yards.”
Rockmart (2-5, 2-5) scored the first points of the game with a 40-yard
run from sophomore running back Roger Glover with 5:01 left in the
opening quarter.
The Jackets held the Eagles through the rest of the first quarter until
Dupree spearheaded a 78-yard drive in the second quarter to end with a
23-yard touchdown run
The kick from George Galvis put Coosa
over Rockmart 7-6 with 5:25 to go in the period.
Cooper took charge of the Eagles next possession, passing the ball for
37 yards and rushing for 25.
An interception by Glover would have given Rockmart pos-session at the
50-yard line but a personal foul call on the Jackets brought the ball
back to their 11-yard line and Coosa maintained
the ball.
Then Dupree took the ball in for his second TD of the night and the
Galvis kick made it 14-6 with 1:25 left in the half.
A bad snap from center at the end of Rockmart’s next pos-session on
their own 13-yard line caused punter Blake Mat-thews to kick the ball
out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
With that, the score was 16-6 at halftime.
Cooper wasted no time at the start of the second half by blasting up
the middle for a 70-yard run to the end zone to put the Eagles up 22-6.
Rockmart halted Dupree on a drive from the Coosa
40-yard line just enough to force Galvis to kick a 36-yard field goal
for three points.
With the Jackets starting the next drive from their own 46, a 25-yard
run by LaTrenton Peek and an 18-yard quarterback keep by Lasiah
Hutchins gave the Jackets six points with 26 seconds left in the
quarter.
The pass from Hutchins to Miller helped Rockmart close the gap to 25-14
going into the final period.
Peek broke out of a mass of defenders in the beginning of the fourth
quarter to reach the end zone from 17 yards out.
Glover was on the receiving end of a two-point pass from Hutchins to
make it a three-point game, with Coosa
up 25-22.
But the Eagles would insure their victory with three more touchdowns in
the remaining nine minutes of the game.
Matt Staples flew downfield for a 59-yard TD and Dupree took the ball
in from five and eight yards out to make it 46-22 and put the lead far
out of the reach of the Jackets.
“Our guys put it all out on that field tonight,” Duff said. “We had a
chance all the way up to the fourth quarter to win that thing.
“We turned a corner tonight because we played a team that could have a
chance to win our region and we had them on the ropes.”
Coosa will host Calhoun next Friday while Rockmart will travel to Walker County
to take on LaFayette.
Eagles Fall to Calhoun
By Erik Green
Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
EGreen@RN-T.com / 290-5261
The No. 4 Calhoun Yellow Jackets secured their fourth straight Region
6-AA title on Friday with a 42-25 win over No. 8 Coosa.
Calhoun’s Cody Worley passed for 265 yards and three touchdowns, with
all three scores coming in the first half.
The junior quarterback had two passes that covered 163 yards and resulted
in two touchdowns.
Calhoun (8-0, 8-0) tallied up 500 total yards of offense in the game.
“I was able to play well because the line blocked really well all
game,” Worley said. “That senior offensive line sets the tone in
practice and in the game.”
The win assured the Yellow Jackets of homefield advantage through the
first two rounds of the playoffs. The Eagles still remain alone in the
No. 2 spot in the region.
“These kids have worked their tails off to win this fourth title in a
row,” said Calhoun coach Hal Lamb. “The key from now on is getting
better.”
The threat of big plays had Coosa coach Scott Chandler worried all week
and they turned out to break the Eagles’ back.
The Yellow Jackets amassed 357 yards on six big plays that all resulted
in touchdowns.
The Yellow Jackets never mounted a lengthy drive and had two first
downs in the first half.
Usually that would indicate a team being held back by the defense, but
in this case, it was just the opposite.
The Yellow Jackets never needed a sustained drive.
“Somebody needs to fire the defensive backs coach and I am the
defensive backs coach,” Chandler said. “Any time you play a team like
Calhoun you cannot give up big plays.”
Calhoun’s first touchdown resulted from a big play: a screen pass from
Worley to Rashaad Montgomery that ended 70-yards later in the end zone.
Worley showed on Calhoun’s next possession why he is so good at selling
the play fake.Backed up on his own 7-yard line, Worley pulled the ball
out on the play-action and found a wide-open Kris Durham for a 93-yard
touchdown pass. After the PAT by Jimmy Little it was 14-0.
George Galvis gave Coosa its only points of the half on a 28-yard field
goal with 7:34 to go.
Calhoun scored its final touchdown of the half on a 16-yard pass from
Worley to Chris Reeves. It was set up by a 63 yard run by Eric Carter.
Leading 21-3 to start the second half, Calhoun struck again on a
42-yard run by Adam Urbano - big play No. 4.
Coosa finally countered with 4:41 to go on a 2-yard run by Matt
Staples.
But Calhoun just kept overpowering the Eagles’ defense.
Big play No. 5 came on Calhoun’s next possession, when Sam Pennel raced
for 43 yards to set up a Montgomery 4-yard touchdown. After the PAT it
was 35-10.
Coosa quarterback Blue Cooper got his team on the board with 1:25 left
in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chris Clemmons.
After the PAT, Calhoun led 35-18.
The Yellow Jackets’ final points came after Worley fired a 46-yard pass
to A.J. Baker.
Five plays later, Pennel took it in from 10 yards early in the fourth
period.
Staples scored Coosa’s final touchdown on a 1-yard run with 6:16 to go.
The vast majority of Coosa’s offense came from Cooper. The senior
quarterback rushed for 85 yards.
Coosa running back Patrick Dupree was limited to 45 yards on nine carries.
Calhoun is at Rockmart next week, while Coosa is at Model.
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Photo by
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Eagles
Crush Model, PLAYOFF BOUND......
October 22nd, 2004
By Jeff Gable
Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
JGable@RN-T.com / 290-5256
The entire Coosa Eagle football team had a good performance Friday
night, but Patrick Dupree stole the show.
Dupree rushed for 213 yards and five touchdowns, and he returned an
interception for another touchdown, as Coosa rolled to a 42-20 win over
Model at Blue Devil Stadium.
The win also assured the Eagles of a berth in the state playoffs.
"I can’t tell you how proud I am of this team,” Coosa coach Scott
Chandler said. “These players and coaches have come a long way.
“Patrick Dupree is a special guy,” he added. “He’s our workhorse. I’m
sure glad he’s on our team… he’s hard to bring down.”
Dupree’s 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter
broke open a 21-7 game, and his interception on Model’s first series of
that quarter made it 35-7 less than two minutes into the second half.
“What we tried to do tonight was control the ball, and we did that
pretty well for a while,” Model coach Gordon Powers said. “The real
killer for us was that first play of the second half, and then they
intercepted us and scored again on that next series.
“Our plan was to keep it close until the fourth quarter, but we just
couldn’t hang with them,” he added. “Coosa has a very solid football
team, and they are so well-coached. They are just hard to stop.”
Coosa (6-2 overall, 6-2 Region 6-AA) took control early, stopping Model
(2-7, 2-7) on the Blue Devils’ first series and forcing a punt. The
Eagles then marched 80 yards in just six plays, with Dupree scoring
from 5 yards out for his first TD.
The extra point by George Galvis made it 7-0.
Model put together a 65-yard drive and tied the game when Steven Powers
ran it in from 12-yards out, and Lukas Gonzalez hit the PAT to make it
7-7.
Early in the second quarter, Dupree struck for a 27-yard touchdown run,
and Galvis’ PAT made it 14-7.
Dupree hit for a 7-yard touchdown later in the quarter to give the
Eagles a 21-7 lead, and his back-to-back scores in the third quarter
gave Coosa a commanding 35-7 lead with just under 11 minutes left in
the period.
A 33-yard scoring jaunt by Dupree put the Eagles up 42-7 late in the
third quarter. The Eagles then placed the entire J.V. Squad in the
game. Model got a 7-yard TD run by Powers to cut the gap to 42-14, and
the Blue Devils put one more score on the board in the fourth quarter.
Freshman quarterback Matt Harris hit A.J. Mitchell on a 19-yard TD pass
for the 42-20 final.
Chris Graham led Model on the ground with 77 yards on 13 attempts,
while Powers rushed for 21 yards and passed for another 42 yards.
The Blue Devils close out the season at Rockmart next week, while Coosa
travels to Chattooga.
Chandler's Eagles Make History !!!!
Erik Green, Rome
News-Tribune Sports Writer
SUMMERVILLE — Coosa will be painting lines on the field this week.
The Eagles secured second place in Region 6-AA and home field advantage
in the first round of the playoffs with a 42-35 win over Chattooga
Friday.
Coosa (8-2, 8-2) will host Dawson County in the first round next week,
while Chattooga (7-3, 7-3) heads to third-ranked Buford.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of this team,” said Coosa coach Scott
Chandler, who got an early shower from a water bucket. “We got behind
early but kept playing and got back into it.”
Coosa’s Patrick Dupree rushed for 142 yards and four touchdowns.
Quarterback Blue Cooper rushed for 108 yards and passed for 102 and
fullback Matt Staples rushed for 93.
Chattooga’s Ronnie Wiggins, the area’s leading rusher, was merely human
on Friday, rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Coosa overcame three turnovers and a 20-7 first-quarter deficit in a
game completely void of defense until the very end.
Chattooga had a short field most of the night, either off fumbles by
Coosa, or huge kickoff or punt returns by Ronnie Wiggins.
But in the final minutes, with Coosa nursing a 42-35 lead, the Eagles’
defense forced two incomplete passes inside their 35-yard line to
secure the win.
“It was a classic game,” said Chattooga coach John Starr. “You hate to
lose, but I can walk out of here feeling like both teams played as hard
as they could.”
The game almost became a classic backside whipping after Chattooga
scored on the first play of the game and Coosa followed it by coughing
up the ball twice.
Chattooga had scored on a 76-yard halfback pass by Mark Johnson to
Jacquez Wiggins to start the game. But Coosa countered with a 9-yard
run by Dupree and the game was tied 7-7 after the PAT.
On Chattooga’s next drive, Coosa made the first of two huge goal-line
stands in the game and got the ball on its own 6-yard line.
Two plays later, however, Chattooga got the ball back on a fumble. Two
plays after that Ronnie Wiggins took it in from 5-yards out.
On the ensuing kickoff Coosa fumbled away to the Indians again. On the
first play of the drive, Jacquez Wiggins hit John Starr Jr. on a
36-yard touchdown pass. The point after failed, leaving Chattooga ahead
20-7.
Coosa followed with 14 unanswered points on touchdowns by Dupree and
Staples and the Eagles led 21-20 at halftime.
Cooper scored on Coosa’s first drive of the second half on an 8-yard
run, pushing the lead to 28-20.
But once again, no defense could be found on either side.
Ronnie Wiggins scored on Chattooga’s ensuing possession from three
yards out and after the two-point conversion the game was tied.
Once again, Coosa scored on its next drive on a 2-yard run by Dupree,
which was set up by 40- and 26-yard runs by Staples. After the George
Galvis PAT, Coosa led 35-28.
But, surprise, Chattooga wasn’t finished. Jacquez Wiggins called his
own number on a touchdown run with 5:51 to play and the game was tied
35-35 following the kick.
Dupree, as he had done all night, took it in from a yard out with 3:18
to go in the game, setting the final exhausting margin after the PAT.
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MMoore,
Rome News-Tribune
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ON TO ROUND TWO!!!" Do you believe in Miracles"
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photo by
Patrick Harding, RN-T
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Eagles notch first state win since 1969
11/06/04
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
For the first time in 35 years, the Coosa Eagles earned a win at home
in the playoffs.
Patrick Dupree rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns to lead Coosa to
a 21-6 victory over visiting Dawson County Friday in the opening round
of the Class AA state playoffs.
The Eagles (9-2) will host Greene County in the second round of the
playoffs next week.
Greene County, a four-seed from Region 7-AA, beat Decatur 28-24 Friday
to improve its record to 7-4. Decatur was the top seed from Region
5-AA.
“This game is a great tribute to our players,” said Coosa coach Scott
Chandler, who has led the Eagles to the playoffs two out of the three
years he’s been at Coosa.
“These kids have come a long way in three years.”
Dawson County’s Andy Myers, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the
regular season, was held to just 68 yards on 14 carries.
The visiting Tigers had 115 total yards rushing on 35 carries.
Meanwhile, the Eagles tallied 213 yards on 33 carries, including an
89-yard rushing performance by quarterback Blue Cooper.
“A lot of people had some great individual performances,” Chandler
said. “But this game was won in the trenches. “If we had the budget,
I’d give all the linemen a game ball.”
Dupree went into the game with a huge target on his back as expected,
and some Dawson County players called him out, he said.
But, unfortunately for Dawson, Coosa’s version of Barry Sanders was not
intimidated.
“It was the first time I had ever been called out,” Dupree said. “I
didn’t know how to take it at first. But we stuck to the plan and
pulled it out.”
Dawson County’s only points came off two field goals which were
preceded by goal line stands by the Eagles.
Alex Engram and Chase Tolbert each had interceptions for Coosa, both
stopping comeback drives late in the game.
The Eagle defense as a whole held Dawson (8-3) back on fourth down once
and on short third down situations four times.
Coosa fans had been waiting since 1969 for a home playoff win and the
Eagles weren’t going to give an inch.
They also managed to overcome a monstrous Dawson County 3-5-3 defensive
alignment and put enough points on the board to give the defense a
cushion.
Coosa’s first points of the night came on a 60-yard touchdown run by
Cooper, punctuated by a teeth-shaking block by Dupree.
Dawson got on the board after the ensuing 11-play drive ended with a
Chad Cunningham field goal.
Dupree got into the end zone on Coosa’s next drive on a 10-yard run.
The drive spanned 56 yards in three plays, two of which were runs by
Dupree.
George Galvis hit his second point after and it was 14-3 with 8:32 left
in the half.
After halftime, Dawson mounted another solid drive that ended in
another field goal by Cunningham and it was 14-6.
In the waning minutes of the game, Cunningham was picked off by Engram
to end Dawson’s best chance of a comeback. Dupree took it in from
12-yards out on the ensuing drive and after the Galvis PAT it was 21-6.
Coosa’s Tolbert sealed the deal a play later, picking off a second
consecutive pass by Cunningham to allow the Eagles to run out the
clock.
Eagles Headed to the "Swamp"
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Photo by
Ryan Smith, RN-T
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By Erik Green
Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
EGreen@RN-T.com / 290-5261
Get out the fan boat, Coosa’s going to the swamp for the state
quarterfinals.The Eagles will head to Folkston next week to face
Charlton County following a 27-20 comeback win over visiting Greene
County on Friday.
Quarterback Blue Cooper hit Briones Barnett on a 45-yard touchdown pass
to give the Eagles the lead for good with 59 seconds to go. Barnett
then closed the door by picking off a Greene County pass in the closing
seconds to give the Eagles a win.Barnett, who by his own admission has
had an up-and-down season, caught three passes for 129 yards and a
touchdown.“I have never won a game for a team,” Barnett said. “That has
been my dream. It feels really special right now.”It will be the first
quarterfinals visit for the Eagles since a state championship in 1969.
“We’re in the elite eight; I can’t believe it,” said Coosa coach Scott
Chandler, who joked that the Eagles would have to leave on Tuesday to
get to South Georgia.“Enough can’t be said about these players and
coaches. I could not be prouder.” The Eagles trailed 20-6 at one point.
But as it had done most of the season, Coosa rallied in the second
half.“I told the guys at halftime that the last time we were down like
that we came out and beat Adairsville,” Chandler said.
“To hold their offense scoreless in the second half is amazing. There
is no quit in these kids.”Cooper had his best passing night of the
season, throwing for 148 yards and a touchdown.But it was the work of
another player normally out of the spotlight that turned the game
around.For the second straight week, linebacker Alex Engram came up
with a big play. With the Eagles losing 20-13, Engram scooped up a
fumble and ran it in for a touchdown with 9:05 left in the game.Greene
County sported a massive offensive line and six running backs with the
potential to break the big one. On their second drive of the game, the
Tigers did just that.Running back Eric Davis took the first play of the
drive 76 yards for a touchdown. The point-after attempt failed, leaving
Greene County ahead 6-0.Coosa’s offense sputtered for the second time
on its next drive and Greene County found the end zone again, this time
on an eight play drive that ended with a 1-yard run by Davis. The
two-point conversion failed and Greene County led 12-0 after one
quarter.But Coosa was just getting started.On the first play of the
ensuing drive, Patrick Dupree raced 50 yards setting up his own 7-yard
touchdown run. George Galvis had a rare missed extra point, making the
score 12-6 early in the second.Greene County then took the ensuing
kickoff 80 yards, which set up a 17-yard pass from Josh Nesbitt to Orland
Nesbitt. After the two-point conversion, the Tigers led 20-6.In the
waning moments of the half, Cooper hit Barnett on a 43-yard pass,
giving Coosa good field position at the Greene County 21.Cooper called
his own number from there for a touchdown and it was 20-13 after the
Galvis PAT.In the second half, the Eagles defense got back to its
recent dominance and held the Tigers out of the end zone the rest of
the way.
Engram and Barnett did the rest.
Eagles FInish Miracle Playoff Run at Charlton County
November 19, 2004
By Erik Green
Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
EGreen@RN-T.com/ 290-5261
FOLKSTON — Coosa’s dream season is over.
The Eagles (10-3) dropped a 28-7 heartbreaker to Charlton County on Friday
in the quarterfinals of the Class AA state playoffs, bringing what had
been one of the best seasons in school history to an end.
“(This team) exceeded all expectations,” said Coosa coach Scott
Chandler. “I saw where some people had us picked to finish eighth in
the region and here we are, eighth in the state.”
Fans, coaches and players shed tears and Chandler and his team met for
several minutes in the locker room.
Afterward, they were greeted with applause by throngs of Coosa faithful
that had made the 350-mile trip.
The visiting stands were filled an hour before kickoff and the entire
crowd seemed to stream on the field in support.
“We’re all hurt right now,” Chandler said. “But I think in a week or so
we’ll all be able to step back and look at what we accomplished.”
In the end it was a powerful Charlton County defense and a few costly
miscues that cost Coosa the ball game.
The Eagles had just 134 yards of total offense in the game and didn’t
score until the final minutes of the fourth quarter on an interception
return by Alex Engram.
Coosa had the ball at the Charlton 25 once and the 5-yard line another
time, but couldn’t turn it into points.
“Some times two or three plays can decide a game,” Chandler said.
“There were some opportunities where we could have made the game go the
other way.”
However, the Eagles made it quite a game in the first half, much to the
displeasure of Charlton coach Rich McWhorter.
“Right now I’m not happy with the way we played,” McWhorter said. “I
didn’t think our focus was where it needed to be. We were fortunate to
escape this one with a win.”
The teams played to a scoreless tie after the first quarter but
Charlton used its ground game to put its best drive of the early going
together in the second quarter.
Quarterback Dwight Dasher capped an eight-play drive with a 7-yard
touchdown run with 7:56 to go and after the two-point conversion it was
8-0.
Charlton had a chance to put further points on the board late in the
half but a 32-yard field goal sailed wide right and the Indians held an
8-0 lead at the break.
The things started to get messy.
Early in the third quarter Dasher hit Justin Williams on a 36-yard
touchdown pass and after the two-point conversion failed the Indians
led 14-0.
Charlton County added its next points as time expired in the third on a
pass from Dasher to Patrick Brooks from 15-yards out and it was 21-0
after the PAT.
The final touchdown came on a late 49-yard touchdown run by Harry Gibbs
from 49-yards out and it was 28-0 with 4:06 to go.
Engram piked off the pass with less than two minutes to go and raced
into the end zone to avoid the shutout.
Coosa’s Blue Cooper finished with 62 passing yards.
Running back Patrick Dupree was limited to 39 yards on nine carries
Charlton (12-1) advances to the Georgia Dome to face Laney next week.
Eagles Thrive in Scrimmage against Wolves
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Photo by:
WT Martin, RN-T
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Last dance to prepare
Coosa, Rome quarterbacks shine in final scrimmage 08/13/04
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
One thing is certain: Coosa and Rome are set at quarterback.
The Eagles outscored Rome 22-20 at home in the final preseason
scrimmage Thursday night, one that included brilliant outings by
quarterbacks Blue Cooper and Brian Watters.
Coosa’s Cooper was 9-of-13 for 133 yards with a rushing touchdown in 24
minutes. Rome’s Watters rushed for 88 yards and completed most of his
few passes.
“(Fans) got to see two good, very different quarterbacks,” said Rome
coach David Humphreys. “They are able to do a lot of different things.”
Likewise, Coosa’s Patrick Dupree displayed his ability to do everything
as well.
He caught five of Cooper’s nine passes, rushed for 59 yards on five
carries and seemed to be in on every tackle on defense.
“Patrick is going to be a real good player for us,” Chandler said. “He
hasn’t been healthy for an extended period of time since I have been
here. And I’m just glad he made it through these scrimmages without
getting banged up.”
Rome’s Otis Spivey rushed for 23 yards on limited carries.
“We came in wanting to give Otis about four carries,” Humphreys said.
“We ended up giving him five or six and he played two series at
linebacker.
“What we’re doing is creating depth,” he added. “We had eight or nine
linemen rotating in and out.”
Defensively Rome’s Roderick Jackson and Coosa’s Brandon Carter both
stood out.
Jackson scored the first points of the night, gracefully picking up a
fumble and racing 32 yards for a touchdown in the first period.
The Tim Ramsay PAT was good and Rome led 7-0.
After Jackson scored his touchdown, Rome added another on a 1-yard run
by Spivey following a lengthy drive in the second quarter.
David Guilford hit the point after, giving Rome a 14-0 advantage.
Coosa got on the board on their next possession, a six-pass drive that
culminated with a 1-yard goal line dive by Cooper.
The Eagles tied the game in the waning minutes of varsity action after
Cooper fooled the Wolves on the option and Dupree sped off on a 35 yard
touchdown run.
After George Galvis’ second PAT, it was 14-14.
Coosa’s junior varsity had arguably the most exciting moment of the
game, blocking a punt and scoring a few plays later.
Coosa’s Jernays McNutt scored the touchdown from near the goal line and
Cooper passed for the two-point conversion.
Rome waited just 16 seconds to return the favor.
Rome’s Meco Johnson found Collyn Copeland on a pass down the Wolves’
sidelines which was taken 80-yards for a touchdown.
Emily Herren’s point after failed and the score was 22-20.
“I was pleased with our effort against a team like Rome, being able to
hang in there,” Chandler said. “I was pleased with the way we played on
both sides of the ball.”
On the ugly side, Coosa and Rome both coughed up the ball early and
looked sluggish on special teams.
“We had some trouble holding on to the football,” Chandler said. “But
(on the bright side) I felt like the line did a great job of protecting
Blue.”
Coosa opens its season Aug. 20 hosting Dade County while Rome is at
Murray County that night.
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