varsity.roanoke.com

Photos by Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Pulaski County football coach Jack Turner raises the Region IV Division 4 title trophy after the Cougars beat Salem on Friday.

Pulaski County's Logan Haynes (19) celebrates while several fans rush the field following the Cougars' 38-0 win over Salem on Friday.

Pulaski County's Nubian Peak (5) runs past Salem's Donte' Harvey during Friday's Region IV Division 4 final at Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium in Dublin. Peak rushed for 223 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cougars over the Spartans. Go to sosalem.com for more photos.

Pulaski County's Zane Quesenberry (15), C.J. Burleson (55) and Tahrick Peak (11) close in on Salem quarterback Hunter Sturgill during the first quarter Friday night.

DUBLIN -- Snow fell early Friday at Pulaski County High School.

A few hours later, Salem's football team got snowed under.

Turning a highly anticipated showdown between longtime rivals into a rout, unbeaten Pulaski County smashed Salem 38-0 to win the Region IV Division 4 championship at Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium.

Nubian Peak rushed for 223 yards and two long touchdowns on 22 carries, and the Cougars' defense posted its second straight postseason shutout to set up next week's Division 4 semifinal at home against two-time defending state champion Amherst County.

"It's going to be a war," Peak said. "We know we've got a squad this year, but they're the two-time defending state champions so we'll see where we're at. They're going to be the best the state has to offer so we'll see what we've got."

Pulaski (12-0) and Amherst (11-1) are scheduled to meet next Saturday, but efforts have been under way to possibly move the semifinal to Friday to avoid a conflict with the Virginia Tech-Virginia game in Blacksburg.

Salem (9-3) couldn't find a good day to be on the same field with Pulaski this season. The Cougars posted a 34-24 comeback win over the Spartans two weeks ago in Dublin to claim the River Ridge District title, and the second meeting was never close.

Pulaski outgained Salem 352-89 and forced three turnovers, one an 18-yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive back Antwan Calfee that put the Cougars up 21-0 in the second quarter.

Salem's Donte Harvey lost a fumble on the opening kickoff. For the Spartans, things only got worse.

The visitors managed just one first down and 13 yards rushing in the first half, which ended when Pulaski's kicking team barely rushed on the field in time for Matt Songer to boot 35-yard field goal as the clock ran out for a 24-0 lead.

Nothing worked for Salem, as Pulaski's defense -- led by defensive end Brandon Hazzard, linemen Josh Miller and Jared Cole and defensive back Zane Quesenberry -- closed off all avenues, as Salem suffered its second shutout loss of the season.

"They're a good team," Salem quarterback Hunter Sturgill said. "They've got speed. They've got talent. I just don't think we came out and played as well as we should have.

"Last week we beat Bassett 41-0. That was awesome. We had a great week of practice. I guess we came up here overconfident."

Pulaski, which has outscored Salem 65-7 in the last three halves the teams have played, got a 6-yard TD run by fullback E.J. Dobbins for a 7-0 lead.

Peak added a 67-yard jaunt for a 14-0 Pulaski lead, then the Cougars' special teams made a big play as Harvey lost 8 yards on a punt return back to the Salem 12.

Two plays later, Harvey fell on the frozen turf on a pass route, Calfee picked off Sturgill's pass and strolled into the end zone for a 21-0 lead.

"He fell down," Calfee said. "I saw the ball thrown and I went and caught it and went for a touchdown. It was a big play for our defense, and we just kept the ball rolling."

Turner knew it was the play of the night.

"It was huge," the Pulaski coach said. "What a great break he made."

Pulaski removed all doubt in the third quarter. Quesenberry's eighth interception of the year gave the Cougars possession at the Salem 42 and Dobbins crashed in from 1 yard out for his second TD and a 31-0 lead.

Peak, a Virginia Tech recruit, added the capper with a 66-yard burst on his final carry of the night with 6:31 to play.

"Excellent blocking," Peak said. "I wasn't trying to overrun my blocking. I just let it set up. I saw a crack and tried to hit it full speed."

Salem players could only praise Pulaski and dwell positively on their own nine-win season.

"They're definitely a big team, a lot bigger than us," Salem senior Brandyn Turley said. "You can tell they've been putting in the work this year. I hope they'll have a good rest of the season, too. I'd rather it stay in our division than give it back to Amherst.

"We definitely had a fun year. We're not exactly up to the last few Salem years, but I'm definitely proud of this team."

The regional final was played only after volunteers cleared ice and snow from the field in a yeoman effort.

"I didn't know this weather was like this," Turner said. "My wife came in and said, 'Jack, y'all are closed today.' I said, 'Oh, gosh.' I hate for the kids not to be on their routine. Thank goodness somebody donated a tractor to get it off. It was kind of a Catch-22. It was great tonight but I don't know what it's going to look like on Monday when it thaws out."

Turner will now prepare Pulaski for its first state semifinal since 2001 when he was an assistant under Joel Hicks and the Cougars defeated Marion to reach the Division 4 championship game.

Turner couldn't relax all day Friday, so it will be a long week.

"I never have a good feeling before we play," he said. "We could be playing Dublin Middle School, and I'd be sick to my stomach and uptight and upset. I was taught by the most uptight coach in the world so I get it honestly."

Salem 0 0 0 0--0

Pulaski County 14 10 7 7--38

PC -- Dobbins 6 run (Songer kick)

PC -- N.Peak 67 run (Songer kick)

PC -- Calfee 18 interception return (Songer kick)

PC -- FG Songer 35

PC -- Dobbins 1 run (Songer kick)

PC -- N.Peak 66 run (Songer kick)

SA PC

First downs 4 15

Yards rushing 22-55 58-352

Passes C-A-I 5-16-2 0-2-0

Yards passing 34 0

Penalties-yards 5-36 4-37

Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-0

Punts-average 5-36 4-37

Individual statistics

RUSHING -- Salem, Dyer 6-27, Sturgill 6-11, Coles 5-10, Medley 4-7, Fisher 1-0. Pulaski County, N.Peak, 22-223, Dobbins 12-67, Parris 14-33, Martin 3-20, Wojcik 2-7, Smith 1-6, Edney 1-1, Watson 2-(-1), T.Cole 1-(-4).

PASSING -- Salem, Sturgill 5-16-2-34. Pulaski County, Watson, 0-2-0-0.

RECEIVING -- Salem, Harvey 2-16, Dyer 1-12, R.Barnette 1-3, S.Barnette 1-3.

Region III playoffs

Harrisonburg 47, William Byrd 14

Northside 24, Stuarts Draft 8

J. Forest 35, Rockbridge Co. 0

VIS playoffs

North Cross 42, Isle of Wight 25

Regular season

Blacksburg 17, Christiansburg 14

Hidden Valley 27, Cave Spring 6

Glenvar 26, EastMont 14

Floyd County 35, Radford 27

Giles 34, Auburn 7

Franklin County 20, E.C. Glass 14

Inside

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