Rushing, defense power Ocoee's first district win

OCOEE -- Jemerh Cosby and Jamel Hyatt reeled off big run after big run to fuel the offense in the Ocoee Knights' 28-8 victory over East Ridge Sept. 25 to open their home district schedule.

Cosby scored the last two touchdowns for the Knights (2-2, 1-1), the latter a 49-yard burst through a hole and past the East Ridge defense early in the fourth quarter. Hyatt had numerous runs for at least 10 yards, including three end-around calls to the right, to help Ocoee reach its goal of finishing more drives after squandering opportunities at Edgewater the previous week.

"We've got to punch those in," head coach Ben Bullock said of his offense's prime chances.

To start the scoring, John Mondesir caught a first-quarter pass from Steve Hogan shortly after one of Hyatt's long end-around runs.

Linebacker Antonio Vargas scored the winning touchdown in the middle of the second quarter, blocking an East Ridge punt before scooping the football and dashing to the end zone. It was his second straight week with a recovery.

"Antonio was tough," Bullock said. "We were ... blitzing him a lot, trying to take away (East Ridge running back Tirrek Hooten), who I think is the leading rusher in the area right now. We just kept sending him and sending him. He was getting beat up and tired, but he's a guy that won't quit on us. We ask him to keep blitzing, he's going to run through a wall and make sure he does everything he can for us to win."

Vargas anchors a defense that allowed no points to East Ridge -- which also blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, with two minutes left in the game -- one week after East Ridge scored 58 points against The First Academy. In its last three games, the Ocoee defense has given up just 28 points, an average of 9 1/3 points per game that has helped elevate the team confidence as it prepares for another tough rushing attack in Hagerty, Bullock said.

"I think the kids are starting to see what we've been preaching since the moment I got hired," he said. "They're starting to find out the process, to be more disciplined than other teams, taking advantage of situations, getting turnovers. ... They're starting to believe because they can see it."

Although pleased with the win, Bullock stressed discipline as something the team must continue to improve, as well as ball security in key moments. He said a fumble by Cosby at the East Ridge 1 and the punt East Ridge blocked for a touchdown cannot happen against the best teams in Ocoee's district.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].