Saks hands Coosa second straight loss to start year

Marc Greenwood

Published Saturday, September 5, 2009

In a match up pitting the Saks Wildcats against the Central-Coosa Cougars, the Wildcats’ bite was lethal, as they defeated Central-Coosa 27-7 at Central Stadium. Saks improved their record to 2-0, fueled by their running game featuring running backs senior Lee Anthony Dorsey, junior Brandon Johnson and junior Shedric Long.

Both teams’ defenses excelled, as the offenses struggled early in the game. But then the Saks’ playmakers went to work. Operating from the Coosa 20, senior quarterback Rodney Sturkie dropped back to pass, two Coosa players had Sturkie in their crosshairs, but he performed a David Copperfield number, sprinted outside the pocket and fired a touchdown strike to Lee Anthony Dorsey for the game’s first score, with 1:35 left in the first quarter. Saks missed the extra point and led 6-0. The quarter ended as Coosa struggled to move the ball.

With 4:17 remaining in the first half, Coosa running back Chris Smoot took a handoff from Marcus Judkins and fumbled the ball. Senior Kevin Beard recovered the ball for Saks at the Coosa 9-yardline. The Wildcats capitalized, as Lee Anthony Dorsey scored the touchdown. Saks junior running back Brandon Johnson scored the two-point conversion making the lead 14-0 for Saks at halftime

Coosa’s Chuck Bradley boomed the second half kickoff into the end zone. Saks took over at their 20. On the first play Lee Anthony Dorsey ran for 5-yard gain. Brandon Johnson burst for 36 yards and now the ball sat on the Coosa 36-yard line. Pressing the accelerator Saks fed Dorsey who broke off an 18-yard run. Now the ball rested on the Coosa 20, and the Cougars were reeling. Shedric Long blasted 20 yards for the score with 10:14 left in the third quarter. Saks drove the ball 80 yards in 1:46 seconds, without throwing one pass.

Coosa’s offense continued to sputter. They received the kickoff, and on 2nd-and-10 they mishandled a handoff, and sophomore Quinton Thomas recovered for Saks. The Wildcats took possession at the Coosa 28- yard line with 8:25 left in the third quarter. On the drive’s sixth play, Brandon Johnson ran off right tackled, swerved hard to his left and raced in for a 41-yard touchdown, but a Saks holding penalty nullified the play. Undeterred, Saks handed the ball to Shedric Long who blasted up the gut for a 33-yard touchdown run, to push Sak’s lead to 27-0 with 3:15 left in the third quarter. Sophomore Jakendall Whetstone intercepted Rodney Sturkie’s two-point coversion pass. An indication that coach Rick Cahalane is succeeding in instilling mental toughness in his players.

With 5:40 left in the game, quarterback junior Jamal Burns intercepted Rodney Sturkie’s pass. Coosa’s senior quarterback Marcus Judkins ran for a 9-yard gain. Senior John McGee chipped in with a 6-yard gain. And then Judkins darted and skittered though the Saks defense for a 37-yard touchdown. “Marcus scored on an option,” said Coosa coach Rick Cahalane. “We want the ball in his hands.”

Saks sophomore Justin Grier was denied a touchdown as the Cougars tackled him on the 1-yardline as the game ended. Another play where the Cougars, though outmanned, embodied the heart and passion of coach Rick Cahalane.

Senior Romie Judkins suffered a left shoulder injury and didn’t play in the second half.

Coosa coach Rick Cahalane still believes, as evidenced by this, quote, “We ‘re going to beat Childersburg next Friday.”

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