Cobb, Saks run to win
- Updated: September 15, 2018
Cobb scores first two times he touches the ball, rushes for 190 yards, 4 TDs; Saks nearly rushes for 500 as team
Saks’ Johnathon Cobb (3) helped get the game off to a rousing start, scoring two touchdowns on long runs the first two times he touched the ball. (Photos by B.J. Franklin)
To view a photo gallery from the game visit www.bjfranklin.smugmug.com
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
When Johnathon Cobb is fast, which is pretty much all the time, he’s pretty good. When he’s fresh, he’s even better.
Folks who were late getting to their seats at The Hill Friday night missed the most electrifying part of Saks’ 42-13 win over Wellborn.
They missed three touchdowns in six minutes and they missed a fresh Johnathon Cobb breaking off two of them.
Wellborn opened the scoring on a 70-yard burst up the middle by Kentrez Hunt four plays into the game, but Cobb answered the first time he touched the ball.
On Saks’ first play from scrimmage Cobb raced 60 yards for the tying touchdown. The next time he touched it – right after Roilan Torres had an 82-yard touchdown run reduced to a 58-yard gain by a block in the back – he went 34 yards for another score.
That’s two touches, two touchdowns, 94 yards, 14-7 Saks lead.
“That’s how anybody should want to start a ballgame, so I’m proud of myself,” Cobb said. “But I want to give all the credit to my offensive line because I had some big holes they opened up for me and all I had to do was run.”
Saks coach Jonathan Miller was excited his Wildcats answered Wellborn’s opening punch right away, returning the momentum of their sideline.
“It was huge,” Miller said. “We screwed up, gave them a big play, and to see our offense answer like that, that’s just big for the entire team. And not only answer, but then build a (21-7) lead in the first quarter. It really took the pressure off.”
Miller and assistant coach Michael Easley both were impressed with the physical way the second-ranked Wildcats (4-0, 2-0) ran the ball against a young Wellborn defense that has eight sophomores. Panthers coach Jeff Smith was impressed with Saks backs’ strength.
“I don’t know if we really realized how strong those backs were, and they came busting through there,” Smith said.
Cobb finished with 190 yards rushing and four touchdowns; he also scored on runs of 17 (with a Superman flourish) and 5. Torres ran for 129 yards and an 8-yard touchdown. Two victory formations in the red zone late in the fourth quarter kept the Wildcats from rushing for 500 yards as a team.
“The offensive linemen, you can’t help but to want to block for them because the way they ran the football; they ran that thing hard,” Miller said. “They’re physical, they’re tough and if you give them a crease they’re going to make something happen.
“Cobb is a little guy, but he runs the ball physical. A lot of times he’s banged up. We don’t see the Johnathon Cobb that’s 100 percent all the time, but tonight he felt pretty good. When he’s feeling good he’s tough.”
NOTES: After Wellborn’s opening burst and 139 yards rushing in the first quarter, Saks held the Panthers to 64 yards rushing the rest of the game — 19 in the second half … Saks kicker Anthony Cornejo hit all of his extra points and put all but one of his kickoffs into the end zone (and that was because Cobb’s Superman flourish had him kicking off 15 yards deeper than normal) … Miller gave Cornejo a shot at a 46-yard field goal at the end of the first half. The kick was wide left.
Saks 42, Wellborn 13
Team stats Saks Well
First downs 24 14
Rushes-yds 47-496 40-203
Passes 0-2-1 6-11-0
Passing yds 0 85
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0
Punts-avg 2-37.5 5-27.8
Penalties-yds 7-47 3-30
Scoring summary
Saks 21 7 7 7 – 42
Wellborn 7 0 0 0 – 13
W – Kentrez Hunt 70 run (Logan Brooks kick), 10:34 1Q
S – Johnathon Cobb 60 run (Anthony Cornejo kick), 10:14 1Q
S – Johnathon Cobb 34 run (Anthony Cornejo kick), 6:20 1Q
S – Roilan Torres 8 run (Anthony Cornejo kick), 2:18 1Q
S – Terventius Gibbs 1 run (Anthony Cornejo kick), 1:47 2Q
S – Johnathon Cobb 17 run (Anthony Cornejo kick)
W – Jett Smith 1 run (pass failed), 11:00 4Q
S – Johnathon Cobb 5 run (Anthony Cornejo kick), 7:39 4Q
Wellborn’s Kentrez Hunt streaks downfield on his 70-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring and got an exciting opening six minutes of the game started. (Photo by B.J. Franklin)
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