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Cougars seize control after halftime, top Mounties 31-21
ROACHDALE -- After giving up a heartbreaker of a touchdown to surrender the lead for the second time in the first half Friday, the North Putnam football team needed a change of momentum.
They got just what they needed in the form of a three-minute touchdown drive capped by Max Haste's 5-yard touchdown grab with 10 seconds to go in the half. The score gave the Cougars a 17-14 lead at the half.
While it wasn't all smooth sailing in the second half, the Cougars never again surrendered the lead, moving on to a 31-21 win.
"I'm proud of these guys. They have handled adversity and responded in two weeks," Cougar coach Greg Barrett said. "Our no-huddle offense was flawless, right down the field."
The game began inauspiciously for the Cougars (2-0), as they twice recovered Southmont (1-1) fumbles deep in Mountie territory, but only converted it into a 3-0 lead, with Bailey Allen booting a 31-yard field goal with 6:37 remaining in the first quarter.
Then the Mounties appeared to gain the upper hand with an impressive drive capped by Kaleb Swick's 15-yard TD grab from Jarrett Todd as time expired in the first.
The score made it 7-3 Mounties.
As they did all night, the Cougars had an answer.
Moving the ball downfield primarily through the air, sophomore quarterback Hayden Rudes eventually found senior Cameron McPherson for a 32-yard touchdown that gave North Putnam a 10-7 lead.
The ensuing Mountie drive looked like it could be a killer. After driving down the field, the Southmont offense appeared about to stall out facing fourth-and-26 from the 27-yard line. That's when Todd again found Swick, this time for a 27-yard score and a 14-10 lead.
With 3:10 to go, the Cougar offense needed a spark, and again found it by going to the air.
When Haste scored the go-ahead TD, the Cougars had all the momentum going into halftime.
They capitalized to open the second half, taking the opening kickoff and finally finding their rushing attack for another scoring drive.
Ethan Christy capped nearly four-minute the drive with a 5-yard scamper for a 24-14 lead.
"The drive at the end of the half there was critical for us. Then we came out in the second half and scored," Barrett said. "We came back, put two drives together and that was critical for us."
After the teams traded punts and turnovers for several possessions, the Mounties again made it interesting when Nathaniel Farrabee scored on a 5-yard run with 6:20 to go in the game.
The Cougars again had an answer. Mixing the run and the pass, they burned more than three minutes of clock, before Christy again found paydirt, this time for the dagger on a 31-21 win.
Rudes had a nice night passing, going 14-of-21 for 146 yards, no interceptions and a pair of touchdowns. Haste was his biggest target on the night, hauling in four grabs for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Although the ground attack stalled in the first half, it was key to preserving the lead in the second. Christy ran 15 times for 69 yards and the two TDs.
Another performer Barrett highlighted was Corbin Judy, who had a pair of catches -- one on offense and one on defense -- he had to fight to get away from a Southmont player.
The first was a second-quarter pass from Rudes that appeared intercepted, but Judy wrestled it away to keep a drive alive.
The second was late in the game with the Mounties driving. Judy took the ball away for the game's only interception, ending the final Mountie drive.
Even in the excitement of victory, Barrett said there are things to work on.
"We have to do a better job of not getting ourselves in situations where we have to do that (respond to adversity)," Barrett said. "Any time you get five turnovers in a game and only get three points out of it, you have to get a little better."
Likewise, the Cougars need to minimize their penalties, as they were flagged 11 times for 112 yards.
The Cougars have the week to work on it before hosting WIC rival Owen Valley (2-0) at 7 p.m. next Friday.
At North Putnam
Southmont 7 7 0 7 -- 21
North Putnam 3 14 7 7 -- 31
1st
NP: Allen 31-yd FG, 6:37
Sm: Swick 15-yd pass from Rudes (Kick good), 0:00
2nd
NP: McPherson 32-yd pass from Rudes (Allen kick), 8:25
Sm: Swick 26-yd pass from Todd (Kick good), 3:04
NP: Haste 5-yd pass from Rudes (Allen kick), 0:10
3rd
NP: Christy 5-yd run (Allen kick), 8:05
4th
Sm: Farrabee 5-yd run (Kick good), 6:20
NP: Christy 15-yd run (Allen kick), 3:10
Team Stats
Southmont (1-1, 0-0 Sagamore):
Rushing: 29 runs, 128 yards, 1 TD
Passing: 9-16, 130 yards, 1 INT, 2 TDs
Total offense: 45 plays, 258 yards
Fumbles-lost: 5-4
Penalties: 7-61 yards
North Putnam: (2-0, 0-0 WIC):
Rushing: 36 runs, 145 yards, 2 TDs
Passing: 14-21, 146 yards, 0 INT, 2 TDs
Total offense: 57 plays, 291 yards
Fumbles-lost: 1-0
Penalties: 11-112 yards