FRESNO – Football is a sport often won in the trenches, with either the offensive or defensive lines determining the game’s outcome. In Sanger West’s case, their trench skirmish with Hoover became the decisive move for Aaron Cox Jr. to display his full arsenal of play-making skills.
The Hornets’ size up front pushed around the Patriots’ defense, creating holes for Cox and the potent Hornet’s ground game, wreaking havoc and scoring at will en route to a confident 49-21 victory at C.L. McLane Stadium on Sept. 26. Sanger West got back on track, improving to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the North Yosemite League (NYL).
“We talked about it all week, executed, and that was a big thing,” said Sanger West head coach Rob Thompson. “It started up front with our offensive line. We told these guys, ‘gotta move the line of scrimmage for us to get this win.’”
Cox, the Hornet’s workhorse in the backfield, enjoyed the holes that opened for his physical and aggressive style of running. Cox plowed through Hoover’s defense, carrying tacklers and dishing out stiff arms while scoring a game-high three touchdowns in one of his most impressive performances of the season.
Back on Sept. 19, Cox and the Hornets lost the battle up front in a humbling 34-0 loss. In that game, Cox was held to a meager 12 yards rushing on just 10 carries. With that lack of production still lingering, Cox picked the perfect time to rebound.
And when Cox had to take a breather, Sanger West continued to pour it on against Hoover’s defense. Junior Khyliel Conway Muhammad came in and provided some highlight reel moments of his own, displaying fancy moves that kept the Patriots gasping for air. And just like Cox, Muhammad found the protection of the Hornets’ O-line to be extremely comfortable.
“Aaron’s one of our workhorses; it’s great to have Kyliel as our other back, those guys are a good one-two punch,” said Thompson. “We definitely made a statement with running the ball.”
Sanger West also received a solid game under center from senior quarterback Kelly Colgan. While Cox and Muhammad made his job easier, Colgan managed to remain poised, finding his open receivers when the ground game needed some rest.
“Shout out to our quarterback Kelly, he had a hell of a night,” said Thompson. “It’s a blessing to have him; when he goes, our offense goes.”
It’s also possible that Sanger West made a bigger statement with a huge league victory on the road. Facing the prospect of remaining winless in the NYL is something the Hornets can’t afford as they enter the most important part of their schedule.
“I told these guys that was a hard stretch of schedule, and now, coming out these next three to five games, we gotta set the tone,” said Thompson.
