Cougar defense takes shutout
By By Thomas Burton/special to The Star
November 9, 2002
DECATUR Great walls have always served a purpose, the Berlin wall the great wall of China. Well, another wall is making a case.
The Newton County defense held visiting North Pike scoreless winning 36-0 in a Class 3A first round playoff game.
The Cougar defense allowed North Pike a total of 74 yards, with 53 coming in the first half.
Newton County led by the running of Darry Mapp scored 26 unanswered points in the second half.
From the beginning, Newton County had very good field position. The Cougars started its first drive from the Jaguar 31.
North Pike held Newton to a field goal attempt. Mylan Anderson's kick flew wide left to keep the game scoreless.
With 7:56 remaining in the first quarter the tide turned for Newton County. Kennard Johnson. from inside Jaguars territory, swiped an interception from North Pike quarterback Dusty Davis. Johnson returned the ball to the 17-yard line.
Darryl Mapp, with some help from Terrance Patrick's 9-yard pick up, ate up some ground for the touchdown. Mapp sealed the deal with an 8-yard run to get the score. The PAT by Taylor Nichlos was good for the lead at 7-0.
The Jaguars put up a fight on their next drive. Led with runs and close 4th down plays by Clyde Brumfield, North Pike gained a total of 33 yards.
Once inside NCHS turf, Davis looked for Dominic Pittman. Pittman fumbled as Dexter McCune recoverd to help set up a drive from the Cougar 44-yard line.
Newton County didn't waste any time. Quarterback Colby Amis threw a strike to Hastings Westbrook for a gain of 20 yards to end the first quarter.
Amis used his feet to make a gain and then David Fielder's run got the Cougars to the 11-yard line of North Pike. A holding call hurt the chances of getting a touchdown. Amis' third down pass fell incomplete and the Cougars had to settle for a field goal.
Newton County, on 4th-and-17, got the score on a 26-yard field goal by Anderson put them up 10-0 with 8:05 left in the half.
Newton County brought out its A-game for the second half. Darryl Mapp and Derek Mapp provided highlights with runs of 15 yards and 11 yards that led to the second touchdown for the Cougars.
Derek Mapp capped off the drive with a six-yard run touchdown as Nichols hit the PAT to increase the lead to 17-0.
Pike County never found momentum with pressure coming from the Cougar defense. With 6:49 left in the third quarter, a low snap by the Jaguars was fumbled and recovered by Newton's Brandon Golf.
The fumble led to a touchdown by Golf who ran it in from 40-yard out to get way out in front. The PAT by Nichols went wide right keeping the score at 23-0.
With 1:27 left in third quarter, Newton County got an excellent return by Goff who recovered a punt and placed the Cougars at the Jaguar 24-yard line.
The plan of Amis to Derek Mapp worked again early in the fourth quarter. Mapp gained 16 yards to score the touchdown. The PAT by Tommy Strange missed to put the lead at 29-O.
The final score of the night was started by a huge run of 38myards by Darryl Mapp to put the Cougars at North Pike 31. That led to Mapp handing duties over to Terrance Patrick and Wille Windham.
Windham finshed off the dirve with a run from the three for final touchdown. Nichols followed with the PAT to win 36-0.
Newton County will play Frankin County for the second round playoff game next week.
