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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Oak Mountain's Evan Smith (9) outruns Tuscaloosa County High defenders on his way to a touchdown at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Oak Mountain defenders converge to stop Tuscaloosa County running back Damien Taylor (3) as he runs the ball on fourth and goal at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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A pass deflects away from Oak Mountain's Chase Schwender (43) on a ball thrown to Tuscaloosa County wide receiver Jared McMorris (2) at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Tuscaloosa County linebacker Jestin Gilmore (4) defends as Oak Mountain's Evan Smith (9) pitches out at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Tuscaloosa County wide receiver Jared McMorris (2) is hit by Oak Mountain's Zachary Taylor (24) at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Oak Mountain's Mark Johnson II (4) is forced out of bounds by Tuscaloosa County defensive back Joseph Freeman (27) at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Oak Mountain's Evan Smith (9) slips past Tuscaloosa County defensive back Isaiah Hughes (1) for a touchdown at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Oak Mountain's James Harris (13) and Oak Mountain's Devan Moss (8) make a touchdown saving tackle on Tuscaloosa County running back Damien Taylor (3) at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Oak Mountain's Cameron Atkinson (7) snags Tuscaloosa County quarterback Brax Garrison's (10) jersey as Garrison runs the ball at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
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Photo courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News
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Tuscaloosa County wide receiver Jared McMorris (2) turns into a defender as he breaks up a pass that was under thrown and nearly intercepted by Oak Mountain's Zachary Taylor (24) and Oak Mountain's Chase Schwender (43) at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
NORTHPORT -- Evan Smith took ownership of the game Thursday, guiding Oak Mountain High School to a 42-21 Class 7A, Region 3 road win at Tuscaloosa County.
Smith put together 226 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries and helped create a 486-yard night overall for the Eagles offense. While he put Oak Mountain on the board in the second quarter with a 34-yard scoring dash down the Eagles sideline, his biggest run of the night came with 9:28 to play in the game.
Oak Mountain turned the ball over after allowing the first Tuscaloosa County touchdown of the night, and the Wildcats made quick work of the short field to pull within a touchdown, 21-14, on a 7-yard TD pass by Conner White to Cedric Williams.
As soon as the Eagles went back on offense, Evans needed only 11 seconds to answer. He took the snap and made one move past a defender before dashing 66 yards for the south end zone and a 28-14 lead.
“It was huge. We made a little adjustment on the inside veer. We wanted him to carry the football, and he answered the bell,” said Oak Mountain head coach Cris Bell. “Before that we turned it over and gave up points, and he was meeting the defense saying, ‘Hey, that’s on me.’ The kids respond to him, and he does a phenomenal job.”
T-County answered in three plays on a 50-yard pass from White to Williams, but then Oak Mountain went to work, chipping away at the clock. Judah Tait carried the ball three times for 28 yards on the ensuing drive, setting up a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line for Evans to sneak in his fourth touchdown of the night with 6:31 to play. Tait finished the night with 115 yards on 20 carries.
The Eagles forced a three-and-out, and then built a four-minute drive to score again on a 5-yard run by Trey Vassell with 1:13 to play.
White connected with Quilen Hale three times for 60 yards to move inside the red zone, but a sack by Gavin Nelson and Andrew Lee killed the Wildcats’ momentum. Zach Taylor picked off the next pass in the end zone with five seconds remaining to seal the win. White finished the night with 167 yards on 10-of 19 passing and three touchdowns.
While the fourth quarter became eventful, the night started slowly. Smith’s first score, the 34-yarder, came with 11:45 to play in the second quarter. Oak Mountain didn’t find the end zone again until the final minute before the half on a 4-yard run by Mark Johnson to take a 14-0 lead.
Smith added a second touchdown on a 4-yard run with 8:21 to play in the third quarter, making it 21-0. Tuscaloosa County’s closest scoring drive in the first half came in the first quarter when the Eagles’ defense stopped Damien Taylor at the 4-yard line on fourth-and-goal. The defense held Taylor to 130 total yards for the game.
Oak Mountain had other opportunities, turning the ball over on downs at the Tuscaloosa County 33 on the first drive of the game and fumbling at the Wildcats’ 20 with 6:01 to play in the first half.
“We left a lot of points on the field, particularly early,” Bell said. “We’ve got to have more consistency up front getting a consistent push. We also need to clean up penalties, we had some really bad penalties tonight. It was sloppy, but the thing I was most proud of us is when it got to be a one-score game, they answered the bell … It was a gritty performance.”
Oak Mountain, which moves to 6-1 for the second time in program history, and 4-1 in the region, will be faced with finding its grit the next three weeks. The Eagles will host Thompson next week before traveling to Hewitt-Trussville and Clay-Chalkville the following two weeks.
“It’s going to be a bear, but the reality is it’s going to help prepare us for the playoffs. We’re not conceding anything, but the focus has to be on us. We have to make sure we’re playing our best football when we get to the first week of November, and if we’re doing that, I like this bunch in the playoffs. I like them a lot,” Bell said.
