West Side snaps five-game skid

Updated: October 8, 2011 4:08PM

GARY — The Northwestern Conference was holding breast cancer awareness night on Friday, with pink being sported by both Lew Wallace and West Side (2-6, 1-0). And the Cougars put the region on notice that they are back in the mix after a sluggish 1-6 start to the season with an impressive 48-0 conference victory.

The Cougars (2-6, 1-0) struck first when Regan Atkins-Frazier slid behind the Hornets defense and hooked up with quarterback Wynton Jones for an 11-yard touchdown reception.

On the Hornets’ following possession, the Cougars defense clamped down.

They forced the Hornets (3-5, 0-2) into a punt situation and blocked the attempted kick, creating a scramble for the ball in the end zone and an eventual safety.

Jones wasn’t done in the first half, connecting with Lonnie Johnson midway through the second quarter for a 16-yard score. Jones found Roderick Jones for the two-point conversion for a 16-0 lead.

The Cougars kept pouncing on the Hornets, as their defense cracked the scoreboard for a second time with a fumble recovery in the end zone by Malcolm Carson; Nate Bride slipped through the Hornets special teams for a two-point conversion.

As the final seconds of the first half ticked away, the Cougars drove 69 yards and capped it off with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Roderick Jones to Johnson, slamming the door on the Hornets. Jones added another score in the fourth when he scampered 15 yards. Deante Maholm chipped in a 2-yard score and followed it up with a conversion.

The Hornets offense struggled all night and only finished with 100 yards with Darius Mahome leading the way with 61 total yards.

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