Photos courtesy of J.J. Roupe.
0813 Oak Mountain football
Junior running back Josh Gaines (5) is coming off a strong sophomore effort.
Oak Mountain head coach Cris Bell sees the 2013 season as an indicator of the future of the program. Last season, Bell’s first, was the team’s first winning season in five years. This season will determine whether last year was the start of a new age of Eagle football, or if it was just a fluke.
“We hope we still have that hunger and desire,” Bell said. “It’s a new team, a new group. This team has a different dynamic. They know that people are going to look at us and ask ‘Is this the old Oak Mountain, or is this new team here to stay?’”
The 2012 Eagles went 7-4 against a difficult schedule. The win-loss record of their opponents was the strongest since 2005.
Although Oak Mountain only returns eight of 22 starters from that team – a fact that Bell jokes would have most coaches “on suicide watch” – several of those returners are stepping into leadership roles and guiding those with less experience.
Quarterback Jake Adams graduated, and sophomore Warren Shader looks to be the heir apparent. Joining him in the backfield are returning starters Josh Gaines and Harold Shader at running back, both juniors.
“Josh and Harold give us a good chance to be good offensively,” Bell said. “We emphasize the run. Our strength will be running the football again, but we need to throw more than we did last year.”
On defense, Bell said linebacker Riley Fowler and safety Luke Driskill are becoming “tremendous leaders.” However, the secondary and the defensive line are low on depth, making avoiding injuries a point of vital importance.
Even with so much inexperience, Bell likes the direction his senior class is leading the team.
“We’ve got a senior class that is very, very hungry,” Bell said. “Attitude is our biggest strength. I think our kids understand that we’re not going to out-talent a lot of people, so it comes down to those things like chemistry and work ethic and playing hard – and our kids understand and buy into that. These guys feel they have something to prove. They want to develop their own sense of identity, and make their own legacy. They have a strong sense of purpose about them and I’m excited to see that.”
Bell also said the kicking game will be a strength for the Eagles, with punter Blake Miller and placekicker DJ Garber returning.
Region 4 looks to be tough once again, with Prattville, Spain Park and Stanhope-Elmore all expected to be strong. But if the Eagles continue the success they started last year, anything could happen.
2012 Results: In head coach Cris Bell’s first season on the job, the Eagles went 7-4 to claim their first winning season since 2007. The season ended at Auburn High School with a first-round playoff loss.
Head Coach: Cris Bell (7-4 in one year at Oak Mountain).
Key Losses: QB Jake Adams, FB Scotty Hester, OL Billy Dasher, LB John Michael Montgomery.
Key Players: QB Warren Shader, RB Josh Gaines, RB Harold Shader, CB Chris Johnson, LB Riley Fowler, S Luke Driskill, DL Cortland Walters, DL Andrew Adams.
