1 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Evan Smith (09) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
2 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Oak Mountain taking the field before a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
3 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Evan Smith (09) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
4 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Marcus McCants (27) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
5 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Evan Smith (09) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
6 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Luke Percer (12) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
7 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Cole Thomas (20) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
8 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Luke Percer (12) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
9 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Luke Percer (12) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
10 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Jonathan Bennett (05) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
11 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Luke Percer (12) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
12 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Luke Percer (12) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
13 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Evan Smith (09) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
14 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Cole Thomas (20) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
15 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Garrison Estes (01) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
16 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Cheerleaders during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
17 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Luke Percer (12) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
18 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Luke Percer (12) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
19 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Band during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
20 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Cheerleaders before a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
21 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Band at halftime during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
22 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Evan Smith (09) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
23 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Oak Mountain pregame warm ups before a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
24 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Evan Smith (09) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
25 of 25
Photo by Jonathan Norris
Oak Mountain Football
Luke Percer (12) during a game between Oak Mountain and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport.
NORTHPORT -- Tuscaloosa County High School scored on its opening and final drive of the game to bookend a homecoming win over Oak Mountain, 10-7, in Class 7A, Region 3 game on Friday night.
The loss for the Eagles (1-6, 0-5 in region) is their sixth-straight, while snapping a five-game skid for the host Wildcats (2-5, 1-4 in region).
Starting from its own 30-yard-line, Tuscaloosa County’s De’Anthony Green hit Tre Williams on a 36-yard pass on the second play of the game. From there, sophomore running back Damien Taylor went to work, carving up 33 yards on seven carries down to the Oak Mountain 1-yard line. Taylor looked to finish the drive but coughed up a fumble, forced by Dylan Hoye, but Garrison Estes fell on the ball in the end zone for the Tuscaloosa County touchdown.
Fast forward more than 40 minutes of playing time, and it was once again Taylor marching Tuscaloosa County down field with 44 yards on six carries to put Wilkes Pierce in range for a 34-yard field goal try. Pierce’s kick creeped over the crossbar for a 10-7 lead with 7.1 seconds to play.
“I thought we played hard. I thought defensively, except for the opening drive and last drive, we played well. The last drive, they kept running formation in the boundary. We knew they were going to run off tackle, and we have to step up and make a play. We didn’t, and they get into range. All we had to do was keep them 3 to 4 yards out and we’re in overtime,” Oak Mountain head coach Cris Bell said. “We’ve got to find a way to move the ball consistently on offense … In the first half we had far too many negative plays, and it’s hard for any offense to make that work.”
After Oak Mountain gave up the early score to Tuscaloosa County, the Eagles quickly moved the ball into Wildcats territory. But after reaching the 26-yard line with 20 yards of rushing by Luke Percer and a 17-yard pass from Evan Smith to Cole Thomas, Oak Mountain’s offense sputtered. Facing a fourth-and-6 at the 22, Smith connected with Jonathan Bennett, but Tuscaloosa County’s John Williams brought Bennett down short of a first down.
Christian Hood knocked away a fourth-down pass to give the Eagles a defensive stand in the second quarter. Tuscaloosa County held a 7-0 edge at halftime.
To open the third quarter, Oak Mountain turned the ball over on its opening series, as Christian Spencer came up with a fumble at the Eagles 43. Tuscaloosa County once again flirted with scoring, but Oak Mountain held Green short by a yard on a fourth-down pass.
The fourth quarter began in similar fashion. With the Eagles’ backs to their own end zone after an Estes punt, Percer broke a 40-yard option run to the 49, however Judah Tait had the ball jarred loose at midfield on the next play, and the Wildcats took over.
Tuscaloosa County went three-and-out, giving the ball back to the Eagles at their own 30. Smith connected with a diving Ryan Reuse for an 18-yard gain to start the drive, followed by first-down gains by Percer and Tait to move inside the Wildcats 30. After a penalty helped move the Eagles inside the 20, Percer capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run with 6:13 to play. Hood’s extra point made it 7-7.
Oak Mountain’s defense got off the field quick again, but the Eagles were unable to cross the 50, punting back to the Wildcats with 1:29 to play, setting up the TCHS go-ahead drive.
Taylor led all players with 122 yards rushing on 25 carries, while Percer had 104 yards rushing for the Eagles on 17 carries. Jackson completed 9-of-14 passes for 71 yards for the Wildcats, while Smith threw for 73 yards, completing 8-of-14 attempts for the Eagles.
Jacob Fitzgerald and Hoye led the Eagles with nine tackles each.
“I’ve got to do a better job coaching and putting our guys in spots where they can make plays on both sides of the ball … For the most part we did a fair job (on defense), but we’ve got to create some turnovers. In a ballgame like that you’ve got to find a way to generate points,” Bell said. “We’ll keep battling. We don’t have time to tuck our tails. We’ve got to pick our heads up, because we have a big one this next week. We better be ready to play.”
Oak Mountain will return home to Heardmont Park on Oct. 19 to host Spain Park in a Region 3 game.
Click here to purchase photos from the game.
