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FAIRMONT — Fairmont coach Lonnie Cox could be very clear what he’s seen on movie from the Westover Wolverines — a bodily bunch.
That physicality might be on show Friday when the Wolverines come to Fairmont for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday at Hal S. Floyd Stadium.
“They’re a really bodily bunch, and they’ll hit you, and hit you and hit you once more,” Cox mentioned. “I’ve been telling our boys since we watched movie on them that they higher be prepared for a battle, as a result of Westover actually performs with a chip on their shoulder.”
The Golden Tornadoes (0-1) have been in Westover preparation mode since final Thursday, when their Week 2 recreation in opposition to Purnell Swett was canceled as a result of COVID-19 circumstances within the Rams program. Cox feels that additional couple of days of on the point of face the Wolverines might assist his workforce, but in addition says that in Week 3 of the season below a first-year coach, the Golden Tornadoes are nonetheless targeted on making themselves higher no matter who their opponent goes to be.
“It’s nonetheless an us vs. us mentality,” Cox mentioned. “We’re simply persevering with to work by means of our installs on offense, protection and particular groups, and I imagine that we’re on track in all three phases of the sport.”
Westover, coached by former St. Pauls coach Ernest King, is coming off a 27-3 win over Southern Lee on Aug. 20; the workforce didn’t play final week. The Wolverines have been 1-5 final season, although Cox believes they’re “a much-improved soccer workforce.”
Offensively, the Golden Tornadoes will look to enhance on the 14-point output of their opener Aug. 20 in opposition to White Oak, whereas going through a Westover workforce that stored its lone opponent this season out of the tip zone.
“They run rather well to the ball on protection, and once they get there they’re going to hit you,” Cox mentioned. “Once they present as much as the occasion, they’re coming to hit you.”
Westover’s offense was balanced in opposition to Southern Lee, with quarterback Joshua Jones finishing 11 of his 17 passes for 140 yards; Jansen Gibbs (14 rushes, 98 yards, two touchdowns) and Kaivaughn Spence (10 rushes, 97 yards, one landing) each starred on the bottom.
Fairmont allowed 314 speeding yards in opposition to White Oak in Week 1.
“They’re actually multi-dimensional in that they use numerous movement and numerous misdirection,” Cox mentioned. “They’ll run jet sweep and get 5 – 6 yards on the perimeter, after which they’ll flip round and faux the jet sweep and run the soccer again inside, so it’s going to be extremely vital for our protection to stay disciplined this week, keep gap-sound, and make tackles in house.”
Cox expects depth and conditioning to be components within the recreation; he brazenly admitted Fairmont was not well-conditioned within the loss to White Oak.
“We’ve got ran each single day, and we have now modified the best way through which we’re operating,” Cox mentioned. “Some days we’ll focus extra on our long-term conditioning, by way of operating longer, after which different days we’ll simply line up and run 20 or 30 10-yard sprints, as a result of we’ve been making an attempt to impress upon our youngsters soccer is performed between 5 and 10 yards, and also you’ve obtained to be keen to line up time and again and go full-speed at 5 to 10 yards.
“I feel one other large X-factor on this recreation is Westover is fairly deep with their line; they’ve obtained much more numbers up entrance than we do, so it’s simply going to return right down to can we hold the sport shut and aggressive early and make the most of errors they make.”
Westover has received three of the 4 earlier conferences between the colleges, together with three in a row since Fairmont’s lone win within the sequence in 1997. The latest assembly was in 2016, a 52-32 Westover victory.
Lumberton at Laney
The final time Lumberton confronted Laney on Sept. 13, 2019, the Pirates earned a 21-14 win over the Buccaneers. Lumberton hasn’t received a recreation since — however the Pirates hope historical past will repeat itself once they journey to Laney for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff Friday.
Laney will play its residence opener after a 34-24 win over D.H. Conley on Aug. 20. The Buccaneers rushed for 301 yards within the win, led by Jacob Johnson (11 rushes, 143 yards, two touchdowns) and Eli Rivera (19 rushes, 131 yards), whereas Ty Little (8-for-15 passing, 116 yards) threw for 3 touchdowns.
Laney was 2-5 final season and is 5-10 general because the earlier assembly with Lumberton. Each groups have modified coaches because the 2019 contest, with Luke Little now main the Buccaneers.
Lumberton misplaced 43-0 at residence to Hoke County on Friday. Beginning quarterback Issiah Bartow is predicted to be again for the Pirates this week after lacking the Hoke County recreation resulting from harm.
Laney leads the all-time sequence 6-5 however Lumberton has received three of the final 4 video games, with wins in 2008-09 prefacing the 2019 victory.
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