Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 14, 1995 TAG: 9509140100
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-16 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DALEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
At that time, Lark was a first-year player at Lord Botetourt High School. He had moved from Roanoke City where he attended Stonewall Jackson Middle School and played freshman football at Patrick Henry.
Cox still was a freshman at James River and was little known to Timesland football fans. Last year Cox transferred to Lord Botetourt, Lark moved to fullback and the two became runner and blocker.
How successful was this tandem of Cox, then a sophomore, and Lark, a junior? Cox rushed for 1,488 yards and was named to the Timesland Sizzlin' Sophomore offensive team.
``If I hadn't had Rocky last year,'' said Cox, ``I wouldn't have gotten half my yards. I'll miss him a lot next year.''
Spoken like a typical back.
From Lark: ``I know if I'm blocking and he [Cox] gets a lot of yards, it helps the team.''
These words are music to the ears of Lord Botetourt football coach Andy Ward, who can only hope that this togetherness will help the Cavaliers improve on their 3-7 record of a year ago.
``I first saw Wesley at Botetourt Intermediate. When he played against us at James River, he gained 100 yards against us. Initially, I would have been surprised if someone told me he'd rush for 1,488 yards. After I saw him in practice, I knew we had something special,'' said Ward.
As for Lark, Ward says he's an offensive guard playing fullback. In fact if Lark, an honor roll student at Botetourt, has a chance for a college football scholarship, it likely will be as an offensive lineman.
``He'll carry the ball seven to 10 times a game, but Rocky's main duty is blocking. He knows his role. It's well designed,'' said Ward.
``Sometimes he'll come back to the huddle and tell Wesley, `I'm sorry I missed that block.' One thing is that if it's fourth-and-one, I won't hesitate to give Rocky the ball. He's a big power back and he can get that yard for you.''
Cox did not play in the backfield until his seventh grade year at Botetourt Intermediate. He was a lineman, of all things, because people hadn't seen his potential as a runner. Then BI coach Tony Hart, now an assistant at Lord Botetourt, felt Cox would be better carrying a football rather than opening up holes.
``He suggested I go there [to the backfield] and I liked it,'' said Cox. ``It was better than playing on the line.''
``I don't ever remember Wesley saying he wanted to play the line,'' Hart recalls.
What Hart does remember is a phone call from Cox in the summer prior to his coming out for the BI team.
``He called me and said, `Is this Tony Hart?' I said, `Who is this?''' recalled Hart.
``He said, `This is Wesley Cox,' and I told him I didn't believe that I knew him. He said, `I'm going to play football this year.'
``I said, `If you want to play football for me, it's Mr. Hart or Coach Hart.'''
With that established, both coach and player discovered that not everything turns out as forecasted.
``Wesley said he wanted to play fullback. He figured out that we had a running back returning from the year before,'' said Hart.
``We still took a look at him at tailback and he looked good. After a week, he didn't want to play fullback any more. He had figured it out [that was a blocking position].''
Cox had beaten out the returning tailback. ``He was special,'' said Hart.
By the next year, Hart had both Cox and Brian LeFlore, now a wingback at James River who ran for 458 yards last fall. He put them both in the BI backfield.
Now Cox is special at Botetourt, though assistant coach Tater Benson jokes, ``We're thinking about moving him to guard.''
``I wouldn't let you move me to guard,'' Cox shot back at Benson.
Cox faces a return engagement this week with his old teammates from James River when the Cavaliers take on the Knights for the championship of Botetourt County. Last year, Cox rushed for 261 yards on 23 carries and scored three touchdowns in a 37-13 victory over the Knights.
The Cavalier back said he had no animosity in switching schools a couple of years ago. ``My mom [Judy Cox] wanted me to come to Lord Botetourt, try Group AA football and I agreed. It had nothing to do with [James River coach Doug] Ross. He's a good guy, I just wanted to try it over here,'' said Cox.
As for Lark, Cox has become friends off the field with his fullback, though it's not likely the Botetourt fullback will join the tailback for one of his favorite hobbies when hunting season arrives in November.
``I moved out here to live with my grandfather,'' said Lark in explaining how he arrived at Lord Botetourt. He doesn't miss trying to play at Group AAA Patrick Henry, which has been to the playoffs the last couple of years.
``I'd see a lot of the Patrick Henry players and they'd ask why I don't come back over there,'' said Lark. ``I think I've gotten more playing time here than I would with them.''
by CNB