Published: October 30, 2009 11:55 pm      

Cougars blank Bruins

ROACHDALE — Trailing 4-0 with 2:50 left in Friday’s sectional semifinal against North Putnam, Tri-West needed 98 yards for a game-winning touchdown.

But on the torn up, swamp of a field, that distance might as well have been a mile.

The Bruins managed to reach their own 20, but there on 3rd-and-10, North Putnam’s Caleb Vondersasar intercepted John Frederick to preserve the 4-0 win for the Cougars.

The final score may suggest an offensive struggle — North Putnam’s only points were on safeties — but both teams had chances inside their opponent’s 20 to crack the end zone.

“Nobody got it in,” Tri-West coach Chris Coll said. “When anybody sees the score, it’s obvious that it was all about field position.”

The Bruins started with a short field.

Cody Coll took the opening kickoff to the Cougars’ 49, but Tri-West’s first drive stalled when Coll couldn’t convert a 4th-and-8 from the North Putnam 23.

The teams traded punts.

Tri-West caught its first break of the game with 39.9 seconds to go in the first, when Andrew Keck recovered a fumble at the Cougars’ 23.

But the Bruins gave the ball right back on a fumble by Frederick.

Fumbles were a common occurrence all night, thanks to a steady downpour and a slippery ball.

“Obviously, it set both teams back,” Coll said of the weather. “Both teams have quick backs who can run, cut and do some things out on a good field, but I don’t think either one of us had an advantage tonight.”

Midway through the third quarter, Tri-West stuffed North Putnam’s Hank Spencer on 4th-and-inches near the Bruins’ goal line. But on the next play, Cougar Tyler Watson dragged Cody Coll down behind the goal line to give North Putnam a crucial 2-0 advantage.

From that point on, the ball remained in Bruins territory.

The Cougars notched their second safety with 5:10 left in the game. Frederick took a bad snap on a punt, and purposely ran out the back of the end zone to prevent North Putnam from gaining possession inside the Bruins’ 5.

Tri-West forced North Putnam to punt with less than three minutes to play, but Cougar punter Brock Jones pinned the Bruins at their own 2.

The Bruins finish the season 5-6.

“I’m satisfied with the fact that the boys fought through a lot of things this year,” Coll said. “I’m proud of the fact that they came back week after week and got better.”

kevin.leibrock@flyergroup.com