Krulak’s hat trick propels Westminster OM to Class 4A state title
Published 5:04 pm Friday, May 9, 2025
The Westminster Oak Mountain Knights secured a state championship in their first-ever season in Class 4A, shutting out the Oneonta Redskins 6-0 behind a hat trick from Charlie Krulak. (Reporter photos/Alec Etheredge)
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By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer
HUNTSVILLE – Running over to the stands with a huge grin on his face, Charlie Krulak hugged his grandfather with joy and an explosion of happiness, having just completed an achievement he will not soon forget.
In his last ever game playing in a Westminster at Oak Mountain uniform, Krulak raced down the field all game, showcasing energy and confidence to score goal after goal for his Knights squad.
When it was all said and done and the final whistle sounded, Krulak had notched three goals on the day, but more importantly, helped his team finish on top of the state.
The Westminster at Oak Mountain Knights made the trip up Interstate 65 to John Hunt Park, and left with a 6-0 victory in the Class 4A boys state championship over the Oneonta Redskins on Friday, May 9.
For head coach Cody Baxter, the journey was a hard-fought one if anything, as the last two years for the Knights has resulted in losses in the semifinals and the state title. Now, that effort has come to fruition.
“I’m really proud of them,” Baxter said. “It’s been a long journey for us. We often say that God writes long stories, and for us, it’s been one of three years with this team in particular… These guys have done a great job to just build this program and build this culture over the past three years and they finally get to see the rewards of it.”
From the jump of the championship matchup, the Knights had full control of the game.
In the ninth minute of action, senior leader Aiden Gamble broke away in the offensive third to come one on one with Oneonta goalie William Espinoza. He got it to Espinoza’s left and shot it into an open goal, putting the Knights up 1-0.
Shortly after in the 11th minute, Krulak got his productive afternoon going, finding an open lane through traffic to strike the ball from just outside the 18-yard box and into the top of the net, extending the score to 2-0.
Westminster put stifling defensive pressure on the Redskins and found themselves with numerous opportunities after that to score, but could not convert.
However, in the 24th minute of play, Gamble broke towards the left side of the goal and struck it to the right and past Espinoza once again for his second goal of the day, making it 3-0.
The Knights were not satisfied just yet though, and Krulak still felt he had a lot more to show. In the 35th minute, the senior got a through ball and got a shot across to the right side of the goal to put his team up 4-0 just before the half.
As the second half began, Westminster settled into a defensive mindset with a comfortable lead to try and finish the job they set out to do. Luckily, the Knights did just that.
Just for insurance, in the 67th minute, Krulak showcased one more bit of magic in his career as a Knight and lobbed a ball over Espinoza’s head and into the goal to make it 5-0.
Westminster went back to ticking the clock down, and as the players doused Baxter with water, Luke Likens joined the scoring party and scored a goal with just two seconds left in the match, extending the score to 6-0.
Oneonta then kicked the ball off, the buzzer sounded, and the Knights stormed the field and to their fans to celebrate a season of accomplishment, one that made them the last one standing in Class 4A.
Krulak’s efforts earned him the title of Most Valuable Player in the championship game, capping off his year with just about everything he hoped for.
Baxter reflected on both Krulak’s and Gamble’s work as leaders of Westminster, feeling all of the emotions knowing what kind of players and men they had become.
“They’re great men of character,” Baxter said. “I’m happy that they get to experience this and be a part of this. Not only are they extremely talented athletes, but they do a great job of what we talk about in keeping the main thing the main thing. We believe we serve a great God and they step out here to perform for an audience of one. They keep that engrained in the minds of all of our players. I’m really proud of them for being able to take that path and to uplift their teammates in that way, but then also get rewarded like this.”
As the Knights head into the offseason and leave Huntsville with a blue map and a lot to look back on, they know the history they made will never be replaced. However, the job is not finished, and they now reset for what is to come.
“We’ll do a good job of celebrating it, but one of our famous sayings here is, ‘Tomorrow morning when you wake up, the count is zero,'” Baxter said. “We’ve got a good hungry young group of guys that want to keep going and keep doing this, so we’re going to celebrate it tonight and I am really proud of these seniors and these guys. They’ve done a great job this year.”
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