COUGAR PRIDE Sports News
Friday, March 28, 2025
Page 5
Gary Clark raised the bar for receivers both in Pulaski County and the NFL during his playing days.
Gary Clark: From the Cougar Den to the Super Bowl By NEVAEH NEWMAN Cougar Growl Staff
As a 5’9”, 180-pound wide receiver, he earned the Virginia Offensive Player of the year award in 1982. He went on to attend James Madi- son University. When Clark was at JMU, he caught 155 passes for 2,863 yards and 16 touchdowns. In 1994, he was the first at JMU to have his jersey number retired. After his college days were over, Clark had the drive to continue his foot- ball career. He went sixth overall in the USFL draft and played two years with USFL Jacksonville Bulls. After that, he signed with the Washington Redskins
in 1985 where he gathered the reputa- tion of being one of the toughest wide receivers in the NFL. Gary Clark played for the Wash- ington Redskins (1985-1992), Phoenix Cardinals (1993-1994), and the Miami Dolphins(1995). “The promise I made to myself was I’m going to be one of the best Redskin receivers number-wise while I’m here,” Clark said. Clark was a member of the “Posse” along with Ricky Sander and Art Monk when they played for the Redskin. They were the first team to have over a thou-
sand yards in one season receiving. Over Clark’s eight seasons of playing with the Washingtons he earned two Super Bowl rings and four Pro Bowl appearances. He ended his time with Washington ranked third in the team’s history in receptions. He was later in- ducted into the Washington “Ring of Fame” as one of 50 standout players. Clark played in the NFL for 11 years and finished his career with 699 catch- es. (Note: Nevaeh Newman is related to Gary Clark and conducted this inter- view with him to get the quote.)
It’s a rare thing for a student-athlete to reach the very top, but for at least one Cougar alumni, that goal has been met and recorded in history. Gary Clark was born and raised in Pulaski, Virginia, and attended Pulaski County High School. He lettered in three sports at PCHS, including foot- ball, baseball, and track. He earned All-American Honorable mentions his junior and senior year of high school.
Pics of the Week Photos by PCHS Student Photographers
Cougar Soccer Program Shows Improvement In Season Openers By CELIA CARRICO Cougar Growl Staff Staff Photo Thomas Farris (left) and Sammy Carrasco celebrate after a Cougar goal.
possible,” Coach Dremel said. The first goal was an own goal after a probing pass from Alex Warden. The second was scored by Mason Covey on a superb free kick after Alex Flores was fouled. The final goal was scored by Thomas Farris after a great pass from Ben McPeak and solid pressure on the goalie by Sammy Carrasco. Kasch Morrell also made some big stops and ended up with six saves for the game. The JV also won, this time by a final score of 1-0 with a goal from Mike Gonzalez. “After a tough couple of seasons it was good to have a week with two competitive games and a win,” Dremel said. “It also marked a first for Pulaski County. With our middle school team winning on Wednesday and both high school teams winning on Friday, all three teams recorded wins for the first time in Pulaski County history!” The Cougars will be back in action this week with a return match at home against Radford set for Friday, March 28. JV action will begin at 5:30, followed by the varsity contest at approximately 7 p.m.
The Cougar men’s soccer pro- gram had an impressive week to open the 2025 season, with each team recording at least one win. The team started with a road trip to Radford. “Radford is always a tough game, a lot on the line for local bragging rights,” varsity Head Coach Matthew Dremel said. “We played well and had our chances, but lost 3-1. It was 2-1 until the final five minutes when we were pushing for another goal to tie the game.” Sammy Carrasco scored the Pulaski County goal with an assist from Thomas Farris. Kasch Mor- rell made six saves in goal. The JV Cougar squad turned in a much better result, earning a 2-0 win over the Bobcats. Goals were scored by Mike Gonzalez and Anderson Rodriguez Next up for the Cougars was Carroll County in the home opener. “This is always a physical contest and our coaches tried to prepare our players as much as
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