COUGAR PRIDE Sports News
Friday, April 11, 2025
Page 5
Cougar Soccer Continues to Show Improvement STAFF REPORT Cougar Growl Staff Staff Photo Alexander Flores moves the ball downfield against Radford last week. The Cougar varsity squad sat at 1-2 on the season heading into their game with Cave Spring.
mel said. “We fell just short last week and felt like if we improved in some key areas we’d have a chance at a bet- ter result. Unfortunately, that’s not al- ways how the game goes and we lost 4-2. While the Cougar varsity squad did come up short on the final score, it was closer than that score indicates. “It was 3-2 going into the final 20 minutes of the game, and we tried to push for the tying goal and conceded late again,” Dremmel said. like what I’m seeing so far from our first year players,” he said. “Adjust- ing to being a coach again has been a major learning curve for me, but I think I’m starting to get well- adjusted and forming a trust with the players.” Bragg had previously worked with the Cougar basketball team before taking a long hiatus from coaching. Upon hearing from some of the players that the team was en- tering the season without a coach, Bragg stepped up and volunteered to take the role. When asked how he thought the season was going so far, first-year player Ryan Mann was optimistic. “We’re doing better than I thought we would, considering how much has changed since last season,” he said. “Our new guys are growing and progressing at a high rate, and our returning players are steadily improving as well.” While the season has gotten off to a slow start, it’s certainly hard not to see the upside in a team with so many new and rapidly progressing players, a committed group of returning players willing to help with said progression, and an experienced coach committed to helping his guys in any way that he can.
Mason Covey scored two goals, another free kick and a penalty, both assisted by Sammy Carrasco. “We were right there again, and I know it can be frustrating for the team, but I am proud that they fought until the whistle and are buying into what we are trying to build,” Coach Dremmel added. With the loss, the varsity squad moves to 1-2 with a win over Carroll County and the two losses to Rad- ford.
The Junior Varsity squad also took on the younger Bobcat team. When the two squads met last week, the JV squad won 2-0. They repeated that performance, winning 2-0 again with goals from Isaiah Kilbourne and Tan- ner Warden. That win moves the JV squad to 3-0 on the season with two wins over the Bobcats and a 1-0 win over Carroll County. The Cougars were scheduled to be back in action April 4, when they were to host the Cave Spring Knights.
With only one game last week, the Cougar soccer program hosted a familiar foe in the Radford Bobcats. While they didn’t get a win at the var- sity level they were hoping for, they did show more sparks of improve- ment. “After just playing Radford last week, the team was ready for the re- match,” Head Coach Matthew Drem-
Cougar Tennis Rebuilding, Showing Big Improvements
By RAYCE FOX Cougar Growl Staff
The Pulaski County High School boys’ tennis team has returned for another season and is already well into their 2025 campaign. The team has grown larger this season. After having only six play- ers last year, the minimum number to qualify for competition, the team entered this season as a group of nine. While two of the team’s former players graduated, former first-seed Camden Hite and former second- seed Eli Duke, the team made up for this loss in the additions of new players Will Blankenship, Landon Clark, Rohan Kaul, Rayce Fox, and Ryan Mann. All previous members who were eligible also returned, including Ethan Worley, Jack Powell, Jonah Arnold, and Ryce Washington. Worley, who is the only player on the team in his third season, has since stepped up as the team’s number-one seed and taken a large leadership role alongside first-year Head Coach Evan Bragg. Coach Bragg is excited about the potential of his team. “A lot of our guys that just joined are improving rapidly, and I really
Meet Cougar Madison O’Dell
By Nevaeh Newman Cougar Growl Staff
he’s always been at my track meets cheering me on and pushing me harder to get better at it. He’s the one I look up to.” Madison’s favorite coach is Coach Hodge and she say, “Even though she’s a lot sometimes, she pushes people to do their best if it’s at practice or a track meet.” After high school Madison want to get into a good college and continue on in track, but if that doesn’t work out she wants to become a nurse. Her favorite quote: Psalms 86:15 “When you feel like giving up, remember that God won’t give up on you.”
Madison O’Dell is in the ninth grade. She runs track and is in all district for choir. Madison has been involved with track and field since sixth grade. She runs the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles. Madison’s fastest time is 19 seconds for a 100 hurdle and 58 seconds for a 300 hurdle. She placed 4th overall on March 25 at the Bearcat High School Invitational. Madison is encouraged by her grandpa and say, “He’s been a runner since he was younger and
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