It has already been quite a turnaround season for the Oakton High football team, which improved its record to 3-0 last Saturday afternoon with a 39-23 win over host T.C. Williams in Alexandria.
The Cougars, who were a 5-5 team last year, won their first two games this autumn over host Madison, 21-14, and visiting Annandale, 37-7, before defeating the Titans. They will look to make it four in a row when they travel to Fairfax High for their Concorde District opener against the Rebels this Friday night.
<b>OAKTON COACH</b> Joe Thompson said his team struggled offensively in the win over Madison, but turned it around in the lopsided triumph over the Atoms.
"I think we played very well in the [first two] games on defense and special teams," said Thompson, who led the Oakton program to the state AAA title in 2005.
"Offensively we didn’t play that well against Madison. We had first game jitters and Madison’s defense played well. Against Annandale we moved the ball well all game. Our defense made a couple of great stops near the goal line in the first half [against Annandale]. In the second half, our special teams pinned them deep [in Atoms’ territory].
"Winning [both games] was a big confidence boost," said Thompson, whose 2007 team a year ago started off 0-2 before scrapping for its first win over T.C. "Every game is a big game for us."
Oakton has five senior captains whom Thompson is expecting to lead the Cougars this fall. Those players are linebackers Jack Tyler and Joey McCallum, running back Trey Watts and quarterbacks Chris Coyer and Ryan Harris. Overall, the Cougars have a large group of seniors back in the line-up this season.
"Our senior class has done a great job," said Thompson. "At least 18 came back as returning starters. They’re a much more focused team with that experience. You can’t go anywhere without real senior leadership."
The coach, as was the case throughout much of last season, has selected to use both of his quarterbacks in games, rotating them in and out depending on the flow of the contest.
<b>"CHRIS AND RYAN</b> are both phenomenal athletes," said Thompson. "Chris is a little bit bigger and Ryan has a little more lateral quickness. They’re both great football players."
Thompson said his two signal callers have put the team ahead of their own individual success or accolades.
"You’re asking them to give up individual goals," said Thompson, of the game plan which calls for both QBs to split time at the position. "Not once have they complained about their roles."
When one of the two players is at the quarterback position, the other plays at a running back-slot position in the Cougars’ offense. So, both are constantly on the field when Oakton has the ball.
In the win over T.C. on Saturday, Coyer had a huge game, rushing the ball 12 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns, and completing six of 10 passes for 69 yards. Watts ran for two scores and also caught a touchdown pass for Oakton, which overcame a 10-0 halftime deficit by scoring 13 points in the third quarter and 26 in the fourth.