Photo by Jonathan Norris
The Eagles run onto the field before their game against Tuscaloosa County on Oct. 13 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham.
The final few games of the 2017 season gave a glimpse into what Oak Mountain High School head football coach Cris Bell believes his program can be.
Coming off four straight losses, the Eagles found themselves in a 21-0 hole against Mountain Brook. And that’s when something clicked.
Oak Mountain scored 28 unanswered points to take the lead. Although they were unable to seal the deal and lost their fifth straight game that night, the Eagles followed up that comeback with a dominant victory over Spain Park and another win over Hazel Green to finish the year with a 5-5 record.
The Eagles hope to see that strong finish translate into a full season’s worth of success this fall.
“We have to do everything with the mindset that the little things matter, because they do,” Bell said. “It’s that type of region.”
Bell said the difference between a 5-5 year and an eight-win season is “a play here, a play there in a couple ball games.” The Eagles haven’t had a winning season since 2014, but Bell believes the pieces are in place to raise the bar.
“We’ve matured enough as a program to where our expectation ought to be [that] we’re going to be in the playoffs every year,” he said. “If you want to be in the conversation, you’ve got to earn it.”
Now, it’s up to the Eagles to do just that.
OFFENSE
Oak Mountain’s option-based offense remains one of the few of its kind in the state. The Eagles will keep that identity, but have added some other dimensions to their offense to make it more dangerous.
“We’ve got a few tweaks in it this year that we think are going to allow us the ability to be a little more versatile when teams stack the box on us,” Bell said.
Heading into the season, the Eagles were still deciding between senior Luke Percer and freshman Evan Smith at quarterback. Percer has played running back previously, but knows the offense inside and out and provides leadership. Smith is simply young and inexperienced.
“They both have the ability to create and do things,” Bell said. “Evan’s probably a little more polished as a passer; Luke’s probably a little bit better as a runner.”
Photo by Layton Dudley
Zay Brown (2) celebrates during a game against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa on Sept. 1 at Heardmont Park.
Jonathan Bennett came on strong last fall and gave the Eagles a reliable option at running back despite injuries at the position. He will be the go-to back, while Judah Tait will be among others battling for carries.
At receiver, Cole Thomas returns and is a guy that Bell said is one of the best football players in the area. Trey Allen, Zach Paisley, Noah Young and Kyle Percer will also battle for targets.
Sam Johnson will attempt to fill the void left by dynamic tight end Carson Bobo. Johnson is more of a traditional tight end and Andrew Bearden and Ryan Reuse will also see time at the position.
On the line, Clay Collins anchors things at the right guard spot and is the only full-time starter returning. Zach Brown and Tyler Martin are competing at center and Alex Burns and Alex Mathis at left guard. Russell Autry, Drew Padgett and Nathan Gordon are all battling for the two tackle positions.
DEFENSE
After being disappointed in the defense in 2016, Bell said the unit improved last fall and is hoping for more improvement this season.
“We’ve got to continue to get better tackling and we’ve got to be able to consistently stop the run,” Bell said.
Zykeius Strong and Travis Thomasson are back on the front line, with Carter Owens and Jacob Katona expected to contribute as well.
Bell said, “Those four guys are some guys that we think can play for anybody and we like them.”
After starting at outside linebacker last year, Jacob Fitzgerald will move to inside backer along with Will Pfaffman and Nik Heino. Zay Brown has moved to outside linebacker from safety and will be joined by Jalen Thomas and Jacob Payne rotating in.
“I think we’ve got a good linebacker core inside and outside,” Bell said.
In the secondary, the Eagles have returning starters at safety in Garrison Frisch and Dylan Hoye. Conversely, they have no returning cornerbacks. Christian Hood, Zane Nelson, Aaron Brooks, Zach Taylor and Jimmy Harris will all “play in some capacity,” according to Bell.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Both kickers return for Oak Mountain, with Hood at placekicker and Johnson at punter.
“Christian has improved a boatload just with his placekicking and his leg strength,” Bell said.
Thomas and Brooks have experience in the return game.
SCHEDULE
The Eagles face an uphill climb in 2018, just by nature of being in Class 7A, Region 3.
Hoover and Thompson were two of the state’s best teams last year, with Hewitt-Trussville joining the fray this year as well. Spain Park, Mountain Brook, Tuscaloosa County and Vestavia Hills are also in the region.
“The league we play in, you’ve got a couple teams that are cream of the crop,” Bell said. “But on any given night, anybody’s capable of anything.”
Out of the region, Oak Mountain will play Chelsea, Pelham and Center Point.
* Update 8/21: Since this article was published, Jacob Katona has transferred out of Oak Mountain High School.
