Carson Cox helps Dublin Coffman excel in short-yardage situations
Carson Cox is a throwback player who helps ignite the offense for the Dublin Coffman football team when it needs to pick up crucial yards.
When the Shamrocks are in a first-and-goal situation or a fourth-and-one, they call on the 6-foot, 220-pound junior.
Through six games, Cox had a team-high 10 rushing touchdowns despite having run for only 172 yards on 34 carries. He led the way with 62 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries in a 14-9 win over Olentangy Liberty in the OCC-Central Division opener Sept. 23.
“I get in mostly during short-yardage situations, so it’s me and (defensive end) Will (Smith Jr.) goes in with me, and we just pound the rock,” said Cox, whose team was 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the league before facing Olentangy Orange on Sept. 30. “The line usually does most of the work.
“Our offensive line is a hard-working unit and they like to mash. They love doing their work and they’re the basis of our entire offense. They get it done.”
Second-year coach Geron Stokes likes the hard-nosed approach displayed by Cox and said his short-yardage specialist is a good example of what he wants Coffman football to be.
“We have a heavy package, and we bring in the big boys,” said Stokes, whose team plays host to Hilliard Davidson in an OCC-Central matchup Oct. 7. “He’s been a nice change of pace for us. He’s bigger than the guys we have. He’s just a blue-collar tough guy, and that’s what we love about him.
“He also plays linebacker and is our leading tackler, and is part of our special teams. We just love guys like Carson Cox. He’s the tough guy that we want in our program.”
Cox enjoys football, but is first to admit his primary sport is baseball. He played a key role for the Shamrocks last spring as a starter at third base.
“Explosiveness is the big thing (between the two sports),” Cox said. “In football, you play for four to six seconds, but in baseball, it’s about swinging fast and running fast.
“I just like to go out and compete with the boys and just go hard. That’s how you win football games. (Stokes) has been talking about going hard and giving it your best. That’s our game.”
Stokes said Cox doesn’t give a half-hearted effort in anything he does.
“Carson is a tough guy, No. 1, and he’s super-competitive,” Stokes said. “He’s a baseball player who lifts like crazy all year round. He’s not a dabbler in either sport. He commits to both of them and does it the right way. Those are the kind of people that you always have success with.
“He’s a strong kid. He doesn’t miss a lift. If he’s at a baseball tournament, he gets his lifts in. If he has a baseball game, he gets his lift in. He’s all in.”
Cox scored on a 34-yard run against Liberty for his longest touchdown run of the season. His previous long was 8 yards in a 14-7 win over Toledo St. John’s in the Aug. 19 opener.
“It was the longest one, that’s for sure,” Cox said. “The boys up front were doing the job for me, so I just took the yards.
“On offense, we pound the rock and attack the defense. (The defenders) need to rise to the challenge. If they do, then they’ll beat us. But we’re going to give it our best.”
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Football: Cox helps Coffman excel in short-yardage situations
