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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain QB Will O'Dell (18) celebrates a touchdown during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
An Oak Mountain band member performs during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug, 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood LB Luke Reynolds (8) looks to elude Oak Mountain DB Colby King (6) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain DL Caleb Jaworski (97) tackles Briarwood RB Eli Thompson (19) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood QB Brayden Robertson (5) attempts a pass during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood DB Michael Masterson (11) makes a catch during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain QB Will O'Dell (18) attempts a pass during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood SS Rylan Hamm (5) tackles Oak Mountain RB Marty Myricks (1) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug, 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
A Briarwood band member performs during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug, 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain WR Walker Shook (81) catches a pass while Briarwood DB Wes Burgess (24) defends during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain WR Zach Fitzgerald (2) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood LB Asa Harris (31) recovers a fumble during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood QB Charles Dedmon (2) attempts a pass during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug, 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood QB Charles Dedmon (2) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood fans celebrate during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain QB Will O'Dell (18) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood SS Rylan Hamm (5) tackles Oak Mountain WR Walker Shook (81) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain DB Kennedy Silas (9) defends a pass to Briarwood QB/WR Brayden Robertson (5) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain Football takes the field during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug, 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain RB Marty Myricks (1) scores a touchdown during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood WR Britt Wagoner (6) catches a touchdown pass during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
An Oak Mountain cheerleader performs during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain DB Robert Yoder (10) attepts to defend a touchdown by Briarwood LB/RB Brooks Allred (1) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain WR Sean Ray (4) scores a touchdown during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain QB Will O'Dell (18) celebrates a touchdown during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain LB Peyton Gamble (47) looks to tackle Briarwood RB Eli Thompson (19) during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Eli Thompson (19) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood WR Charles Dedmon (2) makes a catch during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood K Garrett Heinemann (99) recovers a bad snap during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Oak Mountain High School's student section dressed in red, white and blue for a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Todd Lester
An Oak Mountain band member performs during a game between Briarwood and Oak Mountain on Friday, Aug, 23, 2024 at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Ala.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
QB Will O'Dell (8) of Oak Mountain makes a play on LB Asa Harris (31) of Briarwood in the first game of the season. Photo by Savannah Schmidt
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
WR Sean Ray (4) of Oak Mountain dances to a touchdown, helping the team create a lead to then take the game to 38-28.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Oak Mountain QB Will O'Dell (18) celebrates touchdown with his teammates near the end zone.
SHELBY COUNTY -- The Eagles may have folded in a similar situation a year ago.
They might have let a victory slip from their grasp when the momentum shifted to the opposite sideline.
But not on this night.
Oak Mountain High School’s football team weathered the challenges Briarwood presented Friday night and emerged with a season-opening 38-28 victory over its local rival at Heardmont Park, in the Under the Lights Game of the Week.
When Briarwood’s John Campbell returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown, the Eagles’ offense responded with an 80-yard touchdown drive.
When Briarwood capitalized on a special teams miscue and cut the deficit to three points midway through the fourth quarter, the Oak Mountain offense responded with another long drive. Marty Myricks’ 7-yard touchdown run with 2:10 remaining effectively end the contest.
“We put together that final drive and put the game away, sealed the deal,” Oak Mountain senior quarterback Will O’Dell said.
That final drive covered 80 yards on 10 plays, chewing up nearly five minutes of game clock to put the scoreboard on its final tally.
O’Dell was masterful all evening leading the Oak Mountain attack. He finished 21-of-26 passing for 208 yards, while also rushing for 197 yards on 21 carries.
“Everybody knows he’s a stud,” Oak Mountain head coach Shane McComb said following the game. “Love that kid, great player, he’s a difference maker out here and I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester said O’Dell was the “difference in the game.” The Lions missed their own star for much of the game as well, after Luke Reynolds went out with a shoulder injury in the first quarter following a run. Reynolds is a key player on both sides of the ball for the Lions.
“[Losing] a guy that you’re counting on to play both sides of the ball makes it really tough,” Forester said. “We had backup plans and we executed them, but a guy of that caliber, that lights a fire under other people, is tough to lose that guy early.”
Briarwood is also breaking in plenty of new faces, particularly at quarterback and in the defensive secondary. Charles Dedmon received most of the snaps on offense, but Brayden Robertson made his share of plays as well. Dedmon went 7-of-19 passing for 114 yards, while Robertson threw for 39 yards.
But there was no uncertainty or hesitancy with the Eagles’ signal caller. O’Dell relied on running back Marty Myricks and a host of receivers like Sean Ray, Walker Shook, Zach Fitzgerald, Jacob Moore and Boston Brewer. He also credited the guys tasked with keeping him upright.
“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to our line. They played a heck of a game. With our run game, they blocked them all night and they couldn’t stop us,” O’Dell said.
Shook led the Eagles with 77 yards on seven grabs, while Fitzgerald finished with 56 yards on three grabs. Moore hauled in three passes for 43 yards. In addition to O’Dell’s 197 rushing yards, Myricks picked up 55 yards and scored twice. Ray scored on a pair of jet sweeps as well.
Dane Whitehead was the leading receiver for Briarwood, as he accumulated 92 yards on six catches. Eli Thompson had an impressive evening as well. He rushed for 26 yards out of the backfield, had a 22-yard reception, and threw a 20-yard touchdown to Britt Wagoner in the second quarter.
“As far as people playing football, a whole lot of new guys played football,” Forester said of breaking in new key players on both sides. “It was really good for our guys to play and play in a game that matters. This is a county rivalry.”
Both kickers had solid evenings. Oak Mountain's Josh Renfro began the game's scoring with a 37-yard field goal and converted on five extra points. Briarwood's Garrett Heinemann kicked a 28-yarder and a 34-yarder, converting a pair of extra points as well.
For Oak Mountain, Ethan Walton, Brooks Braswell and Caleb Jaworski notched sacks, while Colby King came up with a fumble recovery in the third quarter. Briarwood's Patrick Wilson forced a turnover as well.
Oak Mountain struggled to a 1-9 record in 2023, failing to gain any traction after a win in the first game of the year. The Eagles are hoping for a different story this time around.
O’Dell called the win a confidence builder. McComb labeled it as an important one.
Briarwood, now a 5A school, challenged itself early on in a contest against a 7A foe.
Both teams will play another non-region game next week. Oak Mountain heads to Pelham, while Briarwood travels to Homewood.
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