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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain DL Ethan Walton (35), Oak Mountain DB Jayden Aparicio (3), and Oak Mountain DB Colby King (6) celebrate Oak Mountain DB Clay Mills' (5) fumble recovery for a touchdown during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain RB Marty Myricks (1) and Oak Mountain OL Eli Ervin (78) celebrate a touchdown during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain DL Ethan Walton (35), Oak Mountain DB Jayden Aparicio (3), and Oak Mountain DB Colby King (6) celebrate Oak Mountain DB Clay Mills' (5) fumble recovery for a touchdown during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood DB Mark Mataya (5) attempts to tackle Oak Mountain RB Marty Myricks (1) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain DB/WR/QB Jayden Aparicio (3) returns an interception during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood RB Eli Thompson (19) runs the football during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood DL Garrett Witherington (90) sacks Oak Mountain QB Charlie Vacarella (11) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood DL Grant Skinner (4) and Briarwood DL Brooks Robertson (41) combine to tackle Oak Mountain QB Charlie Vacarella (11) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain DB Grant Field (41) attempts to tackle Briarwood WR Alex Marshall (6) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain DL Ethan Walton (35) tackles Briarwood QB Charles Dedmon (2) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain DB Jc Schwender (12) tackles Briarwood WR Will Butler (9) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood WR Will Butler (9) runs the football during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain head coach Shane McComb during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood students celebrate during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain DL Ethan Walton (35) disrupts a throw by Briarwood QB Charles Dedmon (2) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain students celebrate during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood LB Brooks Allred (1) looks to tackl Oak Mountain QB Charlie Vacarella (11) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood DL Garrett Witherington (90) creates an incomplete pass from Oak Mountain QB Charlie Vacarella (11) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood LB Gage Nasworthy (16) tackles Oak Mountain RB Marty Myricks (1) during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain RB Marty Myricks (1) scores a touchdown during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain WR Patton Knight (2) cathces a pass during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood QB Charles Dedmon (2) attempts a pass during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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An Oak Mountain band member performs during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood cheerleaders and drum corp celebrate during a game between Oak Mountain and Briarwood Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
SHELBY COUNTY – It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done.
A couple big, momentum-swinging plays were enough to send Oak Mountain High School to a season-opening 14-3 win over Briarwood on Friday night at Lions Pride Stadium.
“A win’s a win, so always celebrate the victories,” Oak Mountain head coach Shane McComb said following the win. “But we’ve got to challenge some guys this week and we’ve got some spots to get better at.”
Briarwood (0-1) played like the better team for much of the first half, moving the ball effectively on its opening drive before settling for an Evan Ball 20-yard field goal.
That 3-0 lead lasted until the final couple minutes of the first half. One of several exceptional Josh Renfro punts pinned the Lions inside their own 10-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Oak Mountain’s Clay Mills found a Christmas gift, a loose ball after a mishandled snap. He scooped it up and dove into the end zone with 1:31 to play in the first half, and gave the Eagles a 7-3 lead at the halftime break.
“Obviously, it’s a big deal. It was good to get them backed up and have the opportunity to play good defense,” McComb said. “We gave up three and scored seven on defense, but still, we didn’t play good defense tonight.”
“We do a great job of not turning the ball over, except for one play, and then that flips the script of how you go into halftime,” Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester added.
In the second half, Eagles running back Marty Myricks took over. Briarwood contained the electric runner in the first half, but Myricks finally broke free after a Lions personal foul penalty extended Oak Mountain’s drive late in the third quarter.
Myricks found some running room on the edges of the defense, and eventually scored on a 26-yard run to give Oak Mountain a 14-3 lead. Myricks continued to wear down the Briarwood defense in the fourth quarter with punishing runs, helping the Eagles bleed the clock and preserve the win.
Myricks finished the night with 152 rushing yards on 26 carries, helping out his new starting quarterback, Charlie Vacarella. The sophomore had some solid moments, and the Eagles leaned on the running game. Vacarella finished the night 10-of-13 passing for 58 yards.
On the Briarwood side, Charles Dedmon is a seasoned quarterback, and went 17-of-27 for 97 yards through the air. Eli Thompson was the leading rusher, going for 53 yards on seven carries. Jackson Reyer had some moments as well, picking up 32 yards on the ground. Dane Whitehead was the leading receiver, with 35 yards on four grabs.
“We’ll continue to improve, we’ll continue to get better, and we’ll be a dangerous team by the end of the year,” Forester said.
Jayden Aparicio intercepted a pass in Oak Mountain territory in the first half, as Briarwood attempted a halfback pass.
Next week, the Lions hit the road to go play Homewood. Oak Mountain plays its first game at Heardmont Park, as the Eagles face Pelham.
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