Cougars lose in nail biter to North Star
Cougars lose in nail biter to North Star
By Michael Johnson
A game that could have easily gone either way will go down as the second and final loss of the 2011 season for the Central McLean Cougars. The Cougars fought hard and nearly had the win after a 24-22 score held steady through the entire second half.
North Star, known for their quarterback/receiver connection, was nearly shut out by the Cougars’ defense. The Cougars’ ability to go from running to throwing was also held up against the North Star defense for much of the game.
It was a questionable ending in the eyes of 27-year head coach Kevin Dockter. The Cougars made a touchdown in the last remaining minute but it was called back by officials. Dockter said he has never questioned the officials before but that game changer meant a lot to the whole team.
“I was very proud of the way our team continued to battle until the very end of the game,” Dockter said.
After the first quarter, the Cougars were up 6-0. But the second quarter was a fight from the start as North Star went on a scoring rampage to earn 24 points. The Cougars quickly answered with another 16 and then the scoring was over.
“The entire game was exciting to be part of,” assistant varsity coach Kurt Ziebarth said. “The second quarter was full of scoring and I thought we were going to have a shootout in the second half, but it turned into a defensive battle.”
It was all about holding each other back after that. North Star managed to hold off numerous attempts by Central McLean near the end zone including a field goal attempt that was blocked.
“It was a very tight game throughout,” Dockter said. “De-fensively we played well outside of a couple of plays. We ran the ball very effectively throughout the whole game. Dylan Ruff, Matt Landenberger, and Aaron Morman all made big plays.”
The loss means North Star goes on to play Divide County in the semifinals this week. The Cougars, on the other hand, get to regroup and reflect on a great season that brought back the football fever in Underwood, Turtle Lake, Mercer and McClusky. The Cougars end the season 9-2.
