There was a sound for sore ears reverberating from Central Coosa’s sideline as it trounced Talladega County in its final game of the fall, a sound long missed in Keith Bullard Stadium after a struggling season. The sound of cheering and utter joy.
Unlike the start, the Cougars end to the season was anything but a struggle. The entire game felt like a party for Central of Coosa County after it opened the game up with a few game-changing plays from the Cougar’s senior star on both sides of the ball, Trae Butler.
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