Published: October 27, 2009 03:46 pm      

Johnson scores lone TD in Mustangs' 6-0 victory

Somerset — The PCYFL Super Bowl on Saturday at Pulaski County High School ended the season for Pulaski and Burnside. Both teams began this Senior Super Bowl game with excellent records. The Burnside Generals came into the contest with an unblemished zero losses while the Pulaski Mustangs had one lone loss. Pulaski’s only loss came from the unbeaten Generals during the regular season.

It only took one touchdown for the Mustangs to win this one. Pulaski had to overcome a lost fumble in the inside the 5-yard line, a called back touchdown for holding, and a goal line stand in the closing minutes to hold off the Generals.

Jake Johnson got things going early for Pulaski with a 32 yd. punt return to give the Mustangs great field position on the Generals side of the field. Runs by Stephen Fitzgerald and Johnson got Pulaski all the way down to the 5-yard line. However, a Pulaski fumble turned the ball back over to the Generals. Burnside’s Austin Ballou was credited with the fumble recovery.

After Burnside turned the ball over on downs, Pulaski took advantage of the great field position once again. This time the Mustangs started this drive on Burnside’s 39-yard line. On the fourth play of the drive, Jake Johnson sprinted 28 yards for the touchdown. The Mustangs failed the one-point conversion, but had a 6-0 lead over Burnside with 4:05 left until halftime.

In the third quarter, both teams traded places on their two possessions. With 2:28 left in the quarter, Pulaski began their second drive with the ball on the Burnside 49-yardline. On the first play, quarterback Riley Hall got past the General defense for a 49-yard touchdown run. However, with a flag on the field, the Mustangs were called for holding, waving off the Mustang score. Multiple penalties and a sack forced Pulaski to punt.

Burnside had 6:49 left in the game and 66 yards to go. The Generals went marching down the field with Zach Coggin, William Lemmon, and Josh Ramsey having multiple first down runs to keep the drive going.

Now with the ball inside of the red zone, the Generals needed a first down to keep the drive alive. On fourth and four, the Generals had to get a first down. Coggin ran a quarterback draw and was tackled near the spot of the first down line. The chain crew was brought for a measurement and it was close. The referee signaled first down Burnside. The Generals now had first and goal with forty seconds left in the contest.

After three plays, the Pulaski defense had held the Generals out of the end zone. Now the Generals had one last shot to tie the game. On fourth and goal, Coggin and company decided to pass. Coggin sent a beauty to Chuck Burton. However, the ball was a tad bit too high for Burton to reach. The pass was incomplete. Pulaski made a great defensive stop to hold off the Generals.

“It (the defensive stop) was huge,” said Pulaski head coach Mitchell Johnson of the defensive stop at the end of the game. “It was just a bunch kids that play hard and I felt like that determined the outcome of the game.”

Pulaski received the ball back with two ticks left on the clock. The horn sounded after Riley Hall took a knee and ended the game. Pulaski won the game, ending the Generals perfect season with a 6 to 0 victory in the Senior Super Bowl. For some of the second-year seniors, this made their sixth straight Super Bowl victory.

“It felt great to send this group of second-year seniors out with another championship,” said Johnson.

Jake Johnson, Dylan Hopkins, and Jaxson Morgan were three kids to win six Super Bowls while Hayden Reynolds and Austin Morgan were apart of five.

“I think outside of one lost fumble and one holding call that went against us (Pulaski) us on a touchdown, I was really tickled with everything,” added Johnson while getting Powerade poured over him by the Mustang players.

William Lemmon and Zach Coggin each combined for 154 rushing yards on the night for Burnside. Lemmon rushed for 80 while Coggin had 74. On the defensive side, Tanner Parks and Floyd Fannin led the way for the Generals with three tackles each. Coggin, Ramsey, and Joe Floyd each had two. Lemmon, Strunk, Ballou, and Strunk each chipped in with a tackle.

Prior to the game, Oak Hill’s Brandon Pruitt won the Senior Punt, Pass, and Kick Contest.