The Days of Gold

Football has a long history in Pulaski County.There was once a time when the Dublin Dukes and Pulaski Orioles were among the best teams in the area. But some were surprised in the late 1960’s to hear that soon, the two schools would no longer exist and that there would soon be a single high school in the county. Some feared that the bitter rivalry would be too much to overcome. And at first, it looked like they may be right as the new time, the Pulaski County Cougars, struggled early in consolidation. But the effort was there.Then, in February of 1969, a man from West Virginia arrived in Dublin with lots of ambition. That fall, Joel Hicks led the Cougars to a stunning 9-3 season. They were suddenly one of the best teams around. For the next 24 seasons, Pulaski County would win over 200 games, rack up fifteen district titles, six region titles, and the 1992 VHSL Division 6 state championship. They’d climb as high as number ten in the entire nation in USA Today’s poll, pump out several Division 1 football players, and four NFL players, two of which would become NFL All-Pro selections.The 63 stairs from the field house down to the field, 2001 playing in the background, the big Cougar flat, the train horn, and several thousand Cougar fans at every game became tradition. And for many years, those years produced memories and good times that will always be cherished.