Receiver Jarrett Bacon is a three-year starter for the Oakton football team. Photo by Bonnie Schipper
After going 5-5 in 2014 and falling to Lake Braddock in the first round of playoffs, coach Jason Rowley’s main goal for Oakton’s football team is improvement.
“Every season we hope to improve,” Rowley said. “When you don’t win a state championship, you have to take that next step. What’s that step for us? If that means win six games or if that means win 10 and go in as the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, the expectation is that we improve from where we left off last year.”
The Cougars hope that their improved strength training will pay off on the field.
“We are a very physically strong team,” Rowley said. “This is the strongest team I’ve coached and I’ve been here for 20 years.”
With eight returning players on defense and nine on offense, Oakton’s lineups won’t look terribly different from last year. Running the offense for the second year will be rising senior quarterback Sal Tutone.
“Our offense doesn’t look too different from last year,” Tutone said. “It’s going to be quick-paced, no-huddle, with just key words from the sidelines telling us the plays. Hopefully it’ll be high power with a lot of scoring.”
Linemen Bennett Fagan, Tim Forster and Pierce Banbury are also returning for Oakton’s offense.
With a number of quick offensive players, opponents can expect to encounter what Rowley describes as a “spread offense that likes to run the ball.”
“I like to think we are a lot like the Seattle Seahawks on offense,” wide receiver Jarrett Bacon said. “We have a lot of read options, a lot of speed backs, and a lot of guys that can hurt you deep.”
Three-year starter Bacon will return at receiver, but may also spend time at various other positions.
Patrick Davis, who received 1st-team all-conference honors in 2014, will be a leader on defense for the Cougars.
“We don’t have any insanely athletic players that are ‘going D1,’” Davis said. “We really work together on defense. We rely a lot on running to the ball, sprinting everywhere, always going hard, and never giving up big plays, and so far we’ve been pretty solid.”
Oakton will open the season against Vienna rival Madison on Sept. 4.
“The Madison game is huge,” Banbury said. “They’re our ‘cross-town rival in Vienna and it gives us a chance to start the season off with a big win.”
Also on the schedule for Oakton are 2014 state semifinalist Tuscarora, Broad Run, and T.C. Williams.
“There’s not an easy game on the schedule,” Rowley said. “We play some tough teams but we have a good team and can definitely do some damage.”