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Photo by Todd Lester.
Oak Mountain quarterback Will O’Dell (18) was the starter last season and returns. Head coach Shane McCombs said he has made tremendous strides over the offseason.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Oak Mountain’s Le’Kamren Meadows (14) is one of two sophomore running backs the Eagles will count on this fall to lead the rushing attack.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Oak Mountain’s Jackson Blackwell (85) returns as a tight end and is expected to be one of the leaders of the offense.
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Photo by Todd Lester.
Oak Mountain’s Jacob Porco (3) and Drowdy Hackbarth (17) will be key parts of the Eagles’ defense this fall. Porco is one of the most experienced players on the unit, while Hackbarth could also see some time on offense.
There is a fresh start for all involved with the Oak Mountain High School football team this fall.
Coming off a frustrating 3-7 season in 2022, the Eagles have a new head coach and an overhauled staff of assistants. Shane McComb was introduced in January as the new coach, which means everyone starts with a blank slate.
“We’re trying to establish competition,” McComb said of the team’s summer progress. “Oak Mountain is a great school, a great place to be.”
With that blank slate comes learning the desired details for every situation, whether it’s the process of warming up, moving from one station to the next in practice or a multitude of other minute things.
“What’s expected in this program has been a huge focus,” he said.
For the players to buy into McComb and his vision, that process starts at the top. There are 10 new coaches with the program who have a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
“We’ve got a good group of guys that want to be here, want to stay here, want to be building, and, on top of that, they’re good people,” he said.
The phrase that adorns apparel and social media posts now is “One Unit All In.” That encompasses being in sync as a program, competing at a high level and building quality relationships.
“When a team is coming to play Oak Mountain, I want them to think they’re going against a good, hard-nosed football that’s going to be physical because they compete well, and is very disciplined,” McComb said.
It won’t be easy for the Eagles competing in Class 7A, Region 3. But McComb is ready for Friday nights under the lights.
“Taking over this program is a challenge and it’s exciting,” he said.
OFFENSE
McComb preaches physicality in every regard of his football team, which means he wants his offense to be able to establish the run each and every game.
He wants his offense to be balanced, skewing as close as possible to an even spread of running and passing plays, but that’s only possible by running effectively.
That starts with the offensive line, and McComb likes what he has seen from the likes of Cordell Williams, Luke Parmer, Barron Meadors, Colton Cason and Bradley Haizlip.
In the backfield, McComb said sophomores Le’Kamren Meadows and Marty Myricks possess good vision and athleticism.
At quarterback, Will O’Dell returns and has made tremendous strides over the offseason, according to his coach. Drowdy Hackbarth is also part of the quarterback room and will be featured in some packages, in addition to playing defense.
Sawyer Smith at wide receiver should be one of the top players on the unit.
“Sawyer is going to be a huge guy for us on offense,” McComb said.
Jacob Moore and Tristyn Vardaman are other receivers making an impact in preseason camp.
At tight end, Jackson Blackwell, Niko Varvoutis and Peyton Gamble are in the mix.
DEFENSE
McComb is a defensive-minded coach, so he will put a major emphasis on that side of the ball.
“Alignment, assignment, tackling and pursuit” are the words he emphasizes on a daily basis with his team.
“You can’t just expect to do it, you’ve got to practice it,” he said.
Jacob Porco is one of the leaders of the defense at the linebacker spot. William Yoder, Colton Moore and Caleb Jaworski are also competing for big roles in the middle of the unit.
At defensive line, Ian Laughlin has moved to end after playing offense last season. Daveon Johnson has impressed, while Varvoutis will take snaps there as well. On the inside, Joey Lewis and Jordan Pierce-Harris are young players ready to step up.
In the secondary, the Eagles suffered an unfortunate injury in the summer to free safety Drew Field. Hackbarth will play safety, with Robert Yoder at the nickel position. Cole Kelly is in the mix to play one of those spots as well.
Freshman Jayden Aparicio will play a prominent role at cornerback, with players like Sean Ray, Malachi Plummer and Kylan Baker looking for opportunities.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior kicker James Whatley has impressed throughout camp. McComb believes he has the potential to play Division I football, noting that he is consistently pushing kickoffs deep into the end zone.
