Goal-line stand lifts Consol past Dawgs Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 05:01 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald

COPPERAS COVE – One yard is all that stood between the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs and a chance for them to atone for an earlier loss to Bryan and have the chance for a run at the District 12-5A championship.

The Dawgs had three chances, but came up empty.

They are still heading to the postseason for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons. But the Dawgs will likely not defend their district title from a year ago, as A&M Consolidated beat Cove 21-7 on Friday at Bulldawg Stadium.

Cove (7-2, 4-2) drops into a second-place tie with Bryan (4-5, 4-2). They are behind A&M Consolidated (6-3, 5-1) and co-leader Belton (8-1, 5-1). The teams are 12-5A's four playoff representatives as well, with Cove and Belton both heading to the Class 5A Division II playoff bracket and Bryan and A&M Consolidated going to the Division I playoffs.

"It was a defensive battle and a great game," Cove coach Jack Welch said. "The thing about it is, when we play A&M Consolidated, we know it's going to be a knock-down, drag-out (game). The thing that happened is they beat us."

A&M Consolidated's goal-line stand ended a Cove drive in which the Dawgs covered nearly 80 yards and took more than seven minutes off the clock. Cove's defense had just erased a Dawg fumble, holding the Tigers to minus-11 yards on a three-and-out. Donnell Hawkins stopped Chris Nutall in the backfield on second down and Matthew Garrett followed, chasing and bringing down Tiger quarterback Rickey Smith for a 9-yard loss.

Starting at their own 22-yard line, the Dawgs slowly worked the ball downfield, with quarterbacks Cody Vaughn and Nik Greene rotating in and out under center. With Greene in, the do-it-all senior ran for 43 yards, including a 25-yard run on the first play.

Vaughn rotated in and handed off to running backs Brandin Byrd and Will Wright, but the senior completed a fourth-down pass to Johnny Sirmans to keep the drive alive. The two nearly connected again, but Sirmans caught the would-be touchdown out of bounds. A&M Consolidated was called for roughing the passer on the play, setting Cove up with first down at the Tiger 7.

Wright was stopped just short of the end zone on first down, and Vaughn was stopped twice on quarterback sneaks. Cove fumbled the snap on fourth down, turning the ball over with three minutes to play. The Dawgs were also called for a personal-foul penalty, giving A&M Consolidated the ball at the 17-yard line instead of the 2.

"Well I thought we were over it to be frank with you," Welch said. "I thought we were over that goal line twice, so we'll have to watch film and see, but the bottom line is we didn't get called across that goal line. We thought we had it but we didn't."

The stand was the final point on an A&M Consolidated defense that held the Dawgs' offense scoreless. Cove answered the Tigers' opening touchdown with a 93-yard kickoff return from Orlando Thomas, but the Dawgs had its first six offensive possessions end on punts (three times), a missed 53-yard field goal, fumble and fake punt the Tigers stopped.

"For our defense to have shut them out," A&M Consolidated coach Jim Slaughter said. "I guarantee you eight or nine weeks ago, I'd never believe that could have happened.

"That stand was tremendous."

Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.