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Photo by Todd Lester
during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood linebacker Grant Dickinson (d) and Briarwood defensive back Beau Barnes (15) combine to tackle Oak Mountain quarterback Will O'Dell (18) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain wide receiver Sawyer Smith (23) makes a reception over Briarwood wide receiver Brady Waugh (5) and Briarwood linebacker Jack Cornish (25) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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A Briarwood band member performs during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood defensive back Caleb Keller (d2) tackles Oak Mountain running back Davion Foster (2) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain wide receiver Sawyer Smith (23) runs after a catch during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood defensive back Caleb Keller (2) intercepts a pass during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood defensive back Ethan Carr (27) intercepts a long pass during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain running back Davion Foster (2) makes a long reception during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain wide receiver Sawyer Smith (23) makes a reception during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain defensive back Robert Yoder (44) tackles Briarwood wide receiver Brady Waugh (5) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain running back Trey Vassell (5) scores a touchdown during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain running back Davion Foster (2) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain quarterback Will O'Dell (18) attempts a pass during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood quarterback Christopher Vizzina (17) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain running back Davion Foster (2) is surrounded by Briarwood linebacker Grant Dickinson (8), Briarwood defensive back Luke Reynolds (36), and Briarwood defensive back Caleb Keller (2) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood defensive back Ethan Carr (27) knocks away a late pass in the end zone to Oak Mountain wide receiver Sawyer Smith (23) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain quarterback Will O'Dell (18) looks to avoid Briarwood linebacker Jack Cornish (25) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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An Oak Mountain band member performs during pregame at a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood quarterback Christopher Vizzina (17) dives into the endzone for a final score during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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An Oak Mountain cheerleader performs during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood defensive back Luke Reynolds (36) intercepts a pass during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain defensive lineman Davis Coggin (52) tackles Briarwood quarterback Christopher Vizzina (17) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood linebacker Grey Reebals (23) returns a kickoff during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood wide receiver Sawyer Russell (7) makes a reception against Oak Mountain defensive back Devan Moss (8) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood running back Evan Robson (26) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Briarwood linebacker Jack Cornish (25) and Briarwood defensive back Beau Barnes (15) defend a pass to Oak Mountain wide receiver Sawyer Smith (23) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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An Oak Mountain band member performs during pregame at a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain cheerleaders perform during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
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Oak Mountain defensive back Devan Moss (8) defends a pass to Briarwood wide receiver Sawyer Russell (7) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham. Photo by Todd Lester
BIRMINGHAM -- A dominant first half performance propelled the Briarwood Christian School football team to a 34-14 non-region road win over Oak Mountain on Friday night.
Led by quarterback Christopher Vizzina, Briarwood (3-2) put up 28 points in the opening half, while the Lions’ ball-hawking defense pitched a shutout in the opening 24 minutes of play. The result, ultimately, was a deficit too large for Oak Mountain (2-4) to bridge.
“We needed to rebound from (the loss) a couple of weeks ago. We came out focused from our bye week and had a great week of practice,” said Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester. “Hats off to Oak Mountain for how hard they played, but I feel like it was a good night for Briarwood overall.”
The visitors from just down the road opened the scoring on the first possession of the game. Going 69 yards and eating nearly seven minutes off the clock, Briarwood capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Vizzina to senior receiver Brady Waugh.
After getting the ball back on an interception by teammate Luke Reynolds, Vizzina found the end zone again less than two minutes later, this time scoring with his legs. The senior ran 30 yards on the second play from scrimmage to double Briarwood’s lead.
Vizzina, who had a hand in all five of the Lions’ touchdowns, would add another two scores in the second quarter, passing for one and rushing for the other. He connected with Cooper Higgins on a 30-yard touchdown pass for the third, and he snuck it in over the line from a yard out on the fourth and final score of the first half.
“Christopher is a game-changing quarterback, we’re blessed to have him,” said Forester. “He’s committed to the team, he’s commited to the weight room, and he takes a lot of time to learn. He’s a special player that I’m grateful to have.”
In between Briarwood possessions, the Oak Mountain offense struggled to gain any foothold with which to build momentum. The Lions’ defense and turnovers were the source of concern. The Eagles were unable to establish a running game through Trey Vassell, and the Briarwood secondary picked off quarterback Will O’Dell three times in the first half. In the opening two quarters, the home team was limited to just 57 yards of offense.
“All of (the defense) came in focused,” said Forester. “The defensive line was applying the pressure, but the (defensive backs) were really kind of the stars of the night. They had so many picks, so many turnovers. That was the big thing of the first half was Oak Mountain really couldn’t get anything going because of how well our defense was picking off passes and getting pressure.”
In the second half, Oak Mountain was able to get on the scoreboard late in the third quarter on a 1-yard pass from O’Dell to Vassell to make it 28-7; and then again late in the fourth on an O’Dell-to-Sawyer Smith touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 28-14. Both Eagles touchdowns seemed to be too little, too late, however.
“We had opportunities, we got inside the red zone and just couldn’t capitalize,” said Oak Mountain head coach Tyler Crane. “That’s part of football, it is what it is. For us to be successful, we’ve got to clean that stuff up.”
In the end, it was the Briarwood defense that kept the game from becoming more interesting. The Lions twice stopped Oak Mountain inside the red zone and forced the Eagles to turn it over on downs, ultimately killing any hope at an all-out comeback for the hosts.
A quick score three-play touchdown drive by Briarwood after an unsuccessful onside kick gave Vizzina his third rushing touchdown of the game and put the game on ice for the Lions with less than three minutes in to play.
“We’re at the point now where everything from here on out turns into region play. It’s a playoff game for the rest of the year because we’ve got great region opponents,” said Forester. “As we look at our next four games, knowing this is the momentem we can build off of would be a good thing.”