The smile on David Foster’s face says old school.
While the Hebron Christian football coach wouldn’t mind handing the ball off each time and recreating the style of 3 yards and a cloud of dust football, his Eagles showed Friday night they don’t mind making the big play, either.
The bruising nature of Austin Foster combined with the play up front of Joey Ard, Troy Arnold, and Jacob Ware and the elusive running of Will-Corben Rogers and Taylor Coggins helped Hebron Christian cruise to a 48-20 victory against Victory Christian in an eight-man game at Coleman Robertson Field in Columbus.
Coggins rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Foster had 94 yards rushing and two touchdowns and caught another pass for a score. Rogers added 125 yards rushing and a score as Hebron Christian (2-0) built a 38-6 halftime lead and controlled the style of play.
“Drive it down their throats,” Rogers said when asked if coach Foster was “old school.” He said Foster would prefer to hand the ball to wear opponents down. He doesn’t mind that approach, either.
“I love it,” Rogers said. “Until a team can stop us, that is the way we’re going to play.”
You can tell in Austin Foster’s eyes, though, that he, too, would like to run the ball every play. For a former lineman turned fullback, that is the sound he wants to hear. Foster’s transfer from Houston High School to Hebron Christian has given him a chance to hit opponents — only this time carrying the ball — and to score touchdowns at the same time. With teammates up front who turn out blocks and have their backs, Foster feels the Eagles have a good mix of wrinkles, whether it’s on the ground or through the air, to keep people honest.
“He likes to hit them hard, and that’s what we do every day in practice,” Foster said. “We are just the kind of team that we like to hit heads and we like to hit and run up the middle.”
Coach Foster has the luxury of having a few more weapons and wrinkles he can throw at opponents. The toughness and effort he spoke of in the preseason were on display when receiver Ryan Moore had a block on the edge to free up Rogers for a 15-yard gain in the second quarter. He then checked back to Rogers and beat a defender on a jump ball reception that went for 19 yards to keep a drive alive. Rogers the used second effort to push through for a 7-yard touchdown run that kicked the lead to 22-0.
Also in the second quarter, Rogers made a tackler miss behind the line of scrimmage and scrambled free for a 9-yard run. Foster then slipped through a tackle and rumbled 48 yards for another score.
That’s the kind of toughness that makes coach Foster smile.
“I am an old-school guy,” said Foster, a longtime assistant coach who is in his first year as head coach at the school. “We’ll try to do a little spread stuff, but I just don’t like it. I have the guys who can run power stuff, and I am going to run power stuff until someone stops me.”
You wouldn’t think an eight-man team would thrive in a power rushing attack, especially not without a massive offensive line. But Foster said it is all in the mind-set.
“They scrap,” Foster said of his linemen. “They bought into what we do, and that’s all I ask them to do, to play hard every play.”
Austin Foster, who is one of two second cousins (Lucas Foster is the other) to coach Foster, is a senior who looks the part of a fullback, and he played that part well Friday night, blocking for Coggins. He also showed some speed and an ability to make plays as a receiver, catching a 22-yard touchdown pass, one of three thrown by Rogers.
Hebron Christian also scored three touchdowns on plays of 48 yards or more.
Victory Christian (0-2) played without sophomore playmaker Anthony Sharp and junior lineman Joshua Foxworthy. Sophomore Brandon Shaw also hurt his ankle and missed time before returning in the second half.
One week after giving up 68 points in a loss to Clinton Christian Academy, Victory Christian coach Chris Hamm said his defense is still learning. He said the team switched to a 3-3 formation that he feels fits its personnel better. The only problem was Victory Christian had several busted coverages that allowed Rogers to keep plays alive and find receivers deep for scoring plays.
Still, Hamm was pleased his players stayed competitive, tying Hebron Christian 12-all in the final 24 minutes.
“Hebron Christian has a good team,” Hamm said. “Those older guys, that is a very solid team. As far as a team and execution and getting to the ball and getting after it, Hebron is a very good team. There is no reason to hang our heads because we lost to that team. We did play good in the second half. We had a couple of guys who played through some bumps and bruises, and I commended that because that is what we have to build up, our toughness and our aggressiveness.”
Hamm hopes to get Sharp back next week. He said the sophomore should give the Eagles another scoring threat who can open things up for his teammates.
With Foster, Coggins, and Rogers, Hebron Christian has three options who can score on the ground or in the air. The preferred method? It’s not a secret, it’s old school, and the Eagles plan to keep going straight ahead and hitting opponents hard.
“We feel awesome,” Austin Foster said. “We ran it down their throat, and that’s what we came here to do.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.