Eagles’ defense scores victory
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 8, 2002
The Oak Mountain Eagles defeated Hewitt-Trussville 14-7 despite rushing for only 6 yards on the night.
&uot;I guess we just didn’t want to run the ball,&uot; OMHS head coach Toney Pugh said.
Pugh’s Eagles found other ways to get it done, including 194 yards passing.
Sophomore Ryan Fordham got most of that yardage, completing 10-of-15 for 163 yards and one touchdown. Fordham also ran for a score in the win.
&uot;Ryan made some big throws for us,&uot; Pugh said. &uot;He has really stepped up for us the last few games.
Clint Massey completed 1 pass on 1 attempt for the other 31 OMHS passing yards.
Bradley Frye caught 4 passes for 65 yards and Bear Burnett caught 2 for 57 yards and one score.
Oak Mountain was led by a strong defensive effort.
&uot;Our defense played a great game,&uot; Pugh said. &uot;They kept us in the ball game all night.&uot;
Chris Johnson led the defensive surge with 12 tackles and Dan Glassco and Brandon Colvin recorded 10 tackles. Glassco and Fry each had a fumble recovery and Frye recorded an interception.
Following a scoreless first quarter Hewitt-Trussville put the first points on the board in the second quarter. Anthony Wynn scored on a 23-yard scamper. Philip Borden tacked on the extra point, giving the Huskies a 7-0 lead.
Fordham led the Eagles back later in the quarter. Fordham connected with Bear Burnett on a 26-yard strike with 13 seconds left in the half. Nick Thomas’ PAT knotted the game at 7-7 at the half.
Following a scoreless third period, Fordham led his team to victory on the Eagles’ last drive. The big play of the drive came when Fordham connected with Jarod Pescatore on a 35-yard pass down to Hewitt’s 4 yard line. Two plays later Fordham found the end zone on a 1-yard run.
Thomas’ PAT gave OMHS a 14-7 lead.
Frye’s interception of Jason Steele ended the Huskies final threat.
The Eagles (4-2) will next travel to John Carroll (1-5) for an important regional matchup.
&uot;We can’t figure out what to think about them (Carroll) because they were in the game with Vestavia and Gardendale, and both of those teams are pretty good this year,&uot; Pugh said. &uot;Then, last Friday night, they got beat by Bob Jones, who we beat pretty handily.&uot;
John Carroll’s only win of the season came the first week of the season over Midfield.
&uot;We can’t look past them, though,&uot; Pugh said. &uot;They are a very athletic team and better than their record indicates. They have very good skill players and a very athletic squad. Ronald Steele is probably their best player, and he is a great free safety and wide receiver.&uot;
As for the playoff picture, the Eagles, 0-2 in region play, need a win to remain in the hunt.
&uot;The good thing about it is nobody is out yet,&uot; Pugh said. &uot;After the No. 1 team (Hoover), it’s a toss up. If we can get a win over John Carroll we have Spain Park left before we play Hoover. If we win this week and can beat Spain Park, you never know what can happen.&uot;