Saturday, November 13, 2004
Salem slams Pulaski
The Spartans claim their first playoff berth since 2001 by mudding its way past Pulaski County.
Then the Spartans went out and wallowed in victory. Completing a topsy-turvy River Ridge District season, Salem hogged the championship all to itself with a 30-3 rout of Pulaski that clinched the Spartans' first Region III Division 4 playoff berth since 2001.
Salem did the job by forcing six turnovers - two that were returned for scores - as the Spartans held Pulaski's offense without a touchdown for one of the few times in Dobson Stadium.
"We knew we had to get this," Salem senior safety Bryan Webb said. "Our life depended on this."
Salem (9-1, 4-1) will play at Liberty next week in a first-round battle between Timesland's top two teams. Pulaski (8-2, 3-2) will miss out on the playoffs for the third straight year.
Four weeks ago when Salem blew a 21-point halftime lead and lost to Christiansburg, it appeared the Spartans might also have a bleak future.
"We didn't change a thing after that game," Salem coach Stephen Magenbauer said. "Our kids just decided after that game, 'Wait a minute, we might be out of this thing.'"
Salem's defense took the Cougars out, recovering five fumbles and picking off a pass.
Webb had three key plays: intercepting a pass on Pulaski's first series of the game, forcing a fumble that teammate Cameron Chaney returned 67 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead, and finally icing the victory with a 28-yard fumble return for a TD that put Salem up 24-3 with 2:36 left in the third quarter.
"As a coach, the stuff you can't control is what kills you," Pulaski coach Jack Turner said. "It seemed like every time we had something going, we'd have a fumble or a penalty. But my goodness, Salem's got a great football team. I'm not sure I'd like to play 'em on a dry field with all that speed they have."
Trailing 3-0 after a 32-yard field goal by Salem's Grant Hall, the Cougars had the ball at the Spartans' 37 when Chad Thompson tried to spin out of a tackle on a sweep. Webb drilled Thompson in the chest and the ball floated to Chaney, who took it 67 yards to the end zone before Pulaski could react.
"I saw it pop up and I just grabbed it and ran as fast as I could," Chaney said. "It was hard to find a dry spot to run on, but I guess I found one."
Pulaski lost a second fumble five plays later when Ernie Hodge and Chad Thompson missed connections on a criss-cross handoff. Nathan Carter had the first of his two fumble recoveries for Salem.
The Spartans quickly drove for a 17-0 halftime lead on a 6-yard TD run by halfback Andre Hairston, who had a game-high 136 yards on 16 carries.
Pulaski got its only points of the night early in the third quarter when Luis Piscura hammered home a 32-yard field goal while slipping to the turf.
After forcing a punt, the Cougars had one chance to get back in the game. Instead, Salem linebacker Joey Daniels knocked the ball loose from quarterback Ryan Dean, and Webb scooped up the fumble and put the Spartans up 24-3.
"We just remembered Christiansburg," Webb said. "We didn't want to have that feeling again."
Hairston added a 26-yard touchdown sprint with 8:14 to play, well after many of the home fans had already abandoned their seats.
"I feel bad for our seniors, but look where we are," Turner said. "We were picked third in our district and we finished 8-2. Salem just did the job tonight. They deserve all the credit."
Magenbauer, whose last playoff experience as a player or a coach came when he suffered a career-ending neck injury as a Salem sophomore quarterback, had a smile not even 100 yards of mud could hide.
Facing the pressure of replacing VHSL coaching legend Willis White at his alma mater, Magenbauer guided the Spartans to a hard-earned district title.
"What I'm proudest of the most about these guys this year is they played consistent," Magenbauer said. "A lot of things happened in this district this year and to be able to play the way we did says a lot."
Maybe Chaney managed to say even more.
"We knew it was going to take a while to get our defense going at the start of the year," Chaney said. "We're getting there."
Salem 3 14 7 6 - 30
Pulaski County 0 0 3 0 - 3
S - FG Hall 32
S - Chaney 67 fumble return (Hall kick)
S - Hairston 6 run (Hall kick)
PC - FG Piscura 32
S - Webb 28 fumble return (Hall kick)
S - Hairston 26 run (kick failed)
Salem PC
First downs 6 10
Yards rushing 156 207
Passes C-A-I 2-5-0 0-2-1
Yards passing 19 0
Penalties-yards 1-5 7-58
Fumbles-lost 1-0 5-5
Punts-average 4-25.0 2-40.0
Individual statistics
RUSHING - Salem, Hairston 16-136, Daniels 6-26, Shawver 3- (-6). Pulaski, Crouse 24-103, Thompson 14-50, Dean 9-40, Hodge 2-14.
PASSING - Salem, Shawver 2-5-0-19. Pulaski, Dean 0-2-1-0.
RECEIVING - Salem, Hairston 2-19.
