Cougar JV Earns 2nd Straight WHC Title

By David Grindstaff
david@wkyk.com

yancsysports.com
The Cougars are distinguished as the only team to win two consecutive junior varsity football championships, going undefeated in their last 12 Western Highlands Conference games.

The Mountain Heritage Cougars (8-1, 6-0) wrapped up the regular season with what can only be called a dominating performance on both sides of the football over the Madison Patriots on Thursday night in Marshall.
Heritage led the Patriots from the start, securing a 30-0 lead in the first half. EJ Ochoa put the first points on the board for Heritage when he brought the game opening kickoff back 85 yards for a touchdown. Joey Brown added the two point conversion run and just like that the Cougars were on top 8-0.
Heritage almost immediately regained possession and upped the score to 16-0 with an 80 yard drive capped off by a 5 yard TD run by Joey Brown.
Ochoa opened up the second quarter with a 49 yard TD catch from Avery Austin that put the Cougars comfortably in front 22-0.

Later in the second quarter, Ryan Meadows broke off a 14 yard run for touchdown, followed by 2-point conversion run by lineman Austin Hoilman and the Cougars were cruising at the intermission 30-0
The final scoring drive of the first half was aided by pass completions from Austin Avery to Ochoa and Blake Fox.
In the third quarter, Madison blocked a Cougar punt and scored on a one yard QB keeper a couple of plays later and then added the two point conversion with a completed pass for their only points of the night.
Meanwhile the Cougar subs showed a glimpse of what the Heritage JV fans can expect from their team next year as Coach Eric Buchanan emptied his bench in the 4^th quarter.
Backup QB Job Kennedy scored the final touchdown of the 2012 season for the Cougars when he broke free on a 15 yard run to give Heritage it final margin of victory at 36-8.
The Cougar JV will graduate 19 players to the varsity squad come next season but the cupboard is not bare with around 24 players expected to return next year for their sophomore campaigns.