One look at a Taft football game and their offensive game plan is obvious. They like to run the football with a "smash mouth offense."
Second year coach George Falgout says his Wildcats run the ball 95 percent of the time with most of those carries going to his senior running back Robert Cozine. "When the lanes open up and he sees it, he's gone," said Falgout.
This season Cozine has burst onto the prep scene. In just four games he's rushed for 14 touchdowns and close to 1,200 yards. "Last year it was just like 'Oh that's Robert Cozine," he said. But this year, "I feel like a celebrity."
He's quick to thank his big offensive line for making the blocks that create the space for him to find and says his only goal for this year is to help Taft win a valley championship ring to match the one Falgout won at Clovis East.
While valley is motivation for any player, Robert gets his from his mother. "Every time I come in the house she says she's proud of me and I just start tearing up."
Raised by a single mother, Cozine said he "messed around" his junior year and didn't find his focus until he had a heart to heart with his mother where he said," I promise you I'll make it better. My best year." But he says that change of heart is more than just football, extending to the classroom where he has brought his grades up to a 3.0 GPA.
His mother Laufesiliai couldn't be prouder. "(I) sacrifice everything. Not for me," she said. "It's for him."
Thanks to Cozine's fast start, Taft is hoping to win their first league title since 2010. Friday they face their toughest test of the year taking on Chavez at 7:30. You can catch all the highlights tomorrow on 23FNL at 11:14 pm.
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