Charleston Gazette, October 1, 2007

By Rick Ryan, Assistant Sports Editor

It was more than perceived; it was palpable.

When Nitro threw a 70-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the third quarter Saturday night, Capital’s players could feel it all slipping away — their four-game winning streak, their potential home-field advantage in the playoffs, heck, even their postseason status itself since some tough games still loomed on the schedule.

“For a minute, I thought we was going down, no lie,’’ said Cougars receiver-defensive back Tyrone Goard. “But then we came up big.’’

Capital put together a couple defensive stands in the fourth quarter and squeezed out a couple crucial first downs to outlast Nitro 42-36 in a memorable Mountain State Athletic Conference matchup at Laidley Field.

The win probably puts the Cougars (5-1) one victory away from getting back into the Class AAA playoffs, which they missed last season after a three-year run. Moreover, it gives them the confidence to believe in themselves.

Prior to Saturday, Capital had banked on defense to win games — the Cougars’ defense had permitted just five TDs in the first five games, and just two since an opening loss to George Washington. Teams had been scoring only 9.8 points and gaining an average of 148 yards against the Cougars.

Nitro (3-2), however, put up 36 points behind quarterback Michael Scott and racked up nearly 400 of its 486 yards by the end of the third period. Capital couldn’t have felt confident as the game wound down.

“They’re explosive and they’re going to make plays,’’ said Cougars coach Jack Woolwine. “They’ve got good players and you understand we have some good players, and players are going to make plays.

“Their guys made some plays, and [Scott] escaped out there from some third-and-long situations. Let’s face it: If you give them enough time to throw, they’re gonna throw it, and he had some time a lot of times.’’

But the Cougars found the antidote when they absolutely had to have it. Scott, who threw for 407 yards and five touchdowns, was kept off the board in the final quarter on Nitro’s two possessions. Goard picked off a pass to end one, and with David Pack broke up a fourth-down pass with less than a minute left to seal the deal.

“Our offense came up with some big passes,’’ Goard said, “and when we couldn’t pass, the running game came up. [Nitro] had some big-time passes, but I think we came up big on defense. This lets us know we can do anything. As long as we play hard and do what we can do, we can stop anybody.’’

With regular-season-ending games left against top-ranked Parkersburg (6-0) and No. 8 Riverside (5-1), Capital’s psyche can use the boost. The Cougars now know they’ve won games on both offense and defense.

“We knew this was a big ballgame,’’ Woolwine said. “That’s what it’s all about, getting ready to play another big game. In this conference, it’s tough as heck. We’ll gain from this, and I think we’ll gain confidence. I feel fortunate to win. I feel very happy to win.’’

Nitro’s Scott entered Saturday’s game with 17 straight completions, but misfired on his first three passes and six of his first eight. He also handled all the kickoff and punting duties because kicker Michael Wright was unavailable due to a soccer match.

To contact assistant sports editor Rick Ryan, use e-mail or call 348-5175.