Graham was in position to make plays last season....for the first time in this recent series... But the arm tackling and kids trying to strip the ball and Brian Mann breaking tackles in the backfield did Graham in. Graham is much improved on both sides of the ball. Graham has been on a mission this season to prove that they have more weapons than Cousin. However, Cousin needs to get the ball and get it often. He is the best player on Graham's team and he hasn't been getting the ball like he should. I"ll say if Cousin touches the ball 20 or more times, then Graham wins.... Less than 20 they lose. Also, Cooke needs to be targeted more....he had 4 receptions against Richlands and two went for TD's...another target was dropped that would've went for a TD and another was broken up in the endzone on an excellent defensive play.....
Cousin and Cooke will be the best two ball players on the field. Graham needs to stop trying that QB option all the time...it's not going to work against the likes of Giles and Richlands like it did against Bluefield and Tazewell... Meade is a good qb, but he is small and got absolutely smothered by the interior of Richlands' line and Graham kept doing the same thing over and over.... Cooke was 10 yards behind Richland's defense all night and was not targeted enough.... Cousin touched the ball about 10 times, that is ridiculous... One stat sheet had him touching it 15 times, but that same stat sheet had Jazaire Reed with zero carries... I think they credited Cousin with his carries.....
Cousin has touched the ball about 35 times in the first 3 games.... this is a kid that is being looked at by D1 schools... he is the best ball player on the field...GET HIM THE BALL, he is a playmaker. He can't make plays if he does not have the ball. We get it, Graham has other options that can hurt you, but they don't have anybody as good as Cousin as those other options. Cooke has the speed to burn you on just about every pass play. They are not being targeted enough.
I repeat, get the ball to Cousin.... get the ball to Cooke as often as possible. If not, Graham loses.
I would love to see Cousin take a halfback toss to either side and draw defenders to him and pull up and pass the ball. I think that would be a play that may work a couple of times for Graham this year.