Cougars pounce on the Red Dragons in the second half to win their first game of the season.
Coming into Friday night’s game, St. Albans (0-3) and Capital (0-2) were each seeking their first win of the season.
The game was filled with turnovers. But as almost all football fans know, the team that wins the turnover battle has a great chance of winning the football game. And that is exactly what Capital did. But it did not start out in their favor.
Capital would receive the opening kickoff. Capital’s junior Darius Thomas had a long return, but it was brought back on a holding penalty. After two runs by Capital running back Tony Rush Jr., Capital quarterback Davion Sloan dropped back to pass but was sacked and fumbled. St. Albans recovered the ball deep in Cougar territory.
St. Albans would strike first with a run from 10 yards out by quarterback Dillon Padgett. The Red Dragons led 6-0 after the failed PAT.
Capital would start the ensuing drive from midfield. The Cougars had another short possession. On 3rd-and-1, Davion Sloan’s pass intended for Tony Rush Jr. was broken up by Brayden Sattfield, who hit Rush hard on what would have been a first down.
On St. Albans’ second possession, the Red Dragons moved the ball downfield. Dillon Padgett picked up a first down on a 4th-and-one. After a 4-yard run by Chance Cambell, St. Albans’ Padgett dropped back to pass, but Mikaden Hale intercepted it. Hale would return the ball all the way to the St. Albans 8-yard line. Tony Rush Jr. would run it from 1 yard out to give the Cougars a 7-6 lead.
Red Dragons’ next possession ended with a safety. Padgett was called for intentional grounding in the end zone. Putting Capital up 9-6.
After a completion to Mikaden Hale, Capital gave the ball back to St. Albans after a fumble by Tony Rush Jr.; Alonzo Long recovered the football for St. Albans.
Now deep in Cougar territory, St. Albans would look to score. Jason Quintrell picked up 12 yards on the run to the Cougars' 16-yard line. After failing to pick up the first down, St. Albans lined up for the field goal, but was given a fresh set of downs after roughing the kicker.
With the ball on the 8-yard line, St. Albans’ Jason Quintrell ran it in for the score, but it was called back for a chop block. St. Albans would eventually turn the ball over on downs.
Capital would then return the favor to St. Albans with a snap over the head of quarterback Davion Sloan. Resulting in a safety. Capital would lead 9-8 with 4:55 left in the half.
On the ensuing St. Albans drive, the Red Dragons would march down the field. Leaning heavily on the run. Chance Campbell picked up multiple first downs on the ground. On 4th and 12, Mikaden Hale got his second interception of the half as he picked off Padgett’s pass in the end zone with 33 seconds to go.
St. Albans picked off Davion Sloan’s pass on the last play of the half.
Capital started the 3rd quarter with a 9-8 lead. St. Albans lined up for the kick return, but a mental blunder led to the Cougars recovering the kick deep in Red Dragon territory. Jahmez Mason ran it in for the Cougars. Capital would take the 16-8 lead.
St. Albans' next possession ended on a turnover on downs after the Cougars’ Cartier Smith stopped Chance Campbell.
On the ensuing possession for Capital, after a holding penalty on the Cougars, Capital would find pay dirt again. This time on a 36-yard pass from Quay Booth to Darius Thomas for the touchdown.
Capital leads 24-8 with 6:20 to go in the 3rd quarter.
The game was out of reach at this point. After a muffed punt return by St. Albans. Capital would start the drive in St. Albans’ territory. Tony Rush Jr. gained 24 yards to set up Capital at the 10-yard line. Darius Thomas would run it in for the Cougars, putting them up 30-8 with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Each team would score again in the 4th quarter. Final score: Capital 36, St. Albans 16.
Coach Turan Rush's first win as head coach for the Cougars. Rush is grateful for his team and coaching staff.
“It's the best feeling in the world. I can't even really explain it, but it's all glory to God, all glory to the kids and my coaching staff. This win feels good, but I can't take the credit for it, man. My coaching staff and the players show up day in and day out and bust their ass, man. And when things don't go our way, we get back to the drawing board, and that's what we did coming off the loss before our bye week, and we came into the St. Albans game prepared. We had to make a couple adjustments at halftime, and that's what we did. So shout out to the guys, shout out to my coaching staff, man. They did their job tonight, and I did mine. I'm glad I got to lead these boys to the first win of the season.”
With a 1-point lead heading into the half, coach Rush happy in how his team fought back.
“It means a lot when you can when you can come in from a half that you don't feel good about, and then come out and respond like that. And the reason why this game was a lot closer is because we couldn't take her the ball in the first half, so I'm glad our guys were able to take advantage of the drop balls they left on the field. But when you got a young group of guys responding like that after playing the first half in that way, it’s great to see. This is a young football team. But we're going to be really great in the future.”
“Like I said, if if these kids don't show up. We don't have nobody to coach, man. So, I give this all to these kids, man. They've been showing up, even when things haven't been going their way. They've been showing up ready to work and trying to figure out how to get better. And that's all I can ask for as a head coach. Now it's hard to coach guys that that when things don't go the way they down on themselves. But this group of guys, they just on the drawing board asking coach, what's next? What we got to do to get better? And this is a special group. Now I won't want it no other way.”
Capital (1-2) will take on South Charleston (3-1) on the road next week. St. Albans (0-4) will travel to Spring Valley (1-3) next week.