The Grayson County Cougar football team opened its 2021 season last Friday with a 43-0 whitewash of the Edmonson County Wildcats in Brownsville to retain the coveted Tobacco Stick.
Grayson County put up 402 yards of offense against the Wildcats, 293 on the ground and 109 through the air. Senior running back Chandler McCrady had a big night for the Cougars, running 16 times for 178 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Kaylor Decker completed nine of 10 passes and threw two TD passes to senior wide receiver Hunter Tomes. Junior running back Michael Wood carried once in the game, but made it count, carrying 41 yards for the final score of the night.
Defensively, the Cougars were led by senior Cooper Goff, who tallied 12 tackles on the night, six of them solo tackles. Tomes had 10 tackles. Sophomore lineman Sawyer Drake had six tackles on the night.
The Cougars had the ball at the start of the game, but were unable to move and punted the ball away. Edmonson gained nine yards in two plays and had two more chances to gain a yard, but failed to do so and the Cougars took over at their own 49-yard line. Five plays later McCrady carried in from the one and the Cougars led 6-0. A try for two failed.
The Wildcats gained a first down near midfield, but then bogged down and punted the ball away, with the Cougars taking over at their own 23-yard line.
McCrady got the ball on first down and weaved his way to the sideline and carried 77 yards for his second score. Decker hit Tomes with a pass for a two-point conversion and the Cougars led 14-0. with 4:26 left in the first period.
The Wildcats then failed to convert a fourth-and-three on their next possession and the Cougars took over at their own 49-yard line. They moved 51 yards in 10 plays with Decker hitting Tomes from four yards out to make it 20-0. A try for two failed.
The Wildcats failed to gain a first down on their next possession and the Cougars took over at the Wildcat 42 following a punt. Decker hit sophomore Jeren Van Meter for a first down at the Wildcat 31 before McCrady got loose on another touchdown run. McCrady then carried in for two to make it 28-0.
The Wildcats then put together their best drive of the night, moving from their own 20-yard line, down to the Cougar 28, but on third-and-nine, Goff stepped in front of a Daren Alexander pass and picked it off at the 25 and returned it to the 31.
Four plays moved the ball to the Wildcat 41, from where Decker hit Tomes for a 41-yard touchdown pass. McCrady ran for two and at the half, the Cougars led 36-0 and the clock began running continuously.
Edmonson County went three-and-out on the first possession of the second half and punted, and the Cougars took over at their own 34. With a first down at the Wildcat 42, Decker handed the ball to Wood, who swept the right side of the line and pulled up just short of the Cougar sideline. The Wildcat defense overran the play and the sideline opened up for Wood, who took it to the house. Jackson Kane added the extra point to make it 43-0.
Cougar head coach Bryan Jones inserted the JV squad at that point and the two teams failed to score any more.
Grayson County will be on the road again this Friday when they travel to Glasgow to take on the Barren County Trojans in the second game of a doubleheader at 8 p.m.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
