Oak Mtn. looks for soccer three-peat, sweep

Published 11:01 am Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Only one Class 6A team has done it, but with a handful of the state’s top players in uniform this spring, Oak Mountain looks to become the first school to three-peat a state title in boys’ soccer and sweep the 6A rings since Grissom did so in the late 1990s.

“It’s something we’re really excited about,” senior midfield Stefan Vaziri said. “We’ve got the talent, and we’ve got firepower, but we’ve still got to put the work in.”

The boys have won three of the last four Class 6A titles including a national title in 2005. For All-American Chandler Hoffman, the season is more than just winning No. 3.

“We want to have this season and have no regrets,” Hoffman said.

Such a regret would be a single loss.

“Our mentality this year is losing isn’t an option,” Vaziri said. “Last year was more of let’s win state, this year is let’s do everything we’ve ever wanted to do.”

The top goal for the seniors is to end their career with a perfect run, which would place Oak Mountain atop the record books with a record 30-plus wins.

With the addition of two of the top players in the region, Christine Schweer and Zehra Syed, to the OMHS women’s team, the Eagles also have the chance to become only the second school to sweep the Class 6A titles. Schweer and Syed believe it’s a near done deal.

“In the past, the boys have outshone them, because they keep winning state, so we get a lot of sass from the guys,” said Schweer, who is on the fence of becoming a U.S. player, according to club coach Eric Dade. “We hope to bring something (the girls) haven’t had yet.”

After years of club ball, the duo decided to play their senior season after urging from each other and friends, including Hoffman.

“Christine and Z are both very good players. Adding them to an already pretty good team should make them a tough team to beat on the girls’ side,” Hoffman said. “(For us), hopefully guys won’t get too confident, because we have a lot to do.”

The boys open the season Feb. 10 at Briarwood, while the girls host Auburn.