Oakwood reloading for another title run
For several years, the Oakwood Christian Academy high school soccer team began the season looking to chase down a conference championship.
In 2020, they’ll get to see what it’s like on the other side of the coin.
The Eagles have gone from the hunters to the hunted after earning their first-ever high school conference soccer title a year ago. OCA won all but one match last fall (9-1 overall) and that setback didn’t happen until after they had sewn up the Southern Christian Athletic Association league crown.
Third-year head coach Dirk Dickson said the program had “paid its dues” over the years and are now seeing the fruits of its labor. He also credited the rise of OCA’s middle school program, which has won five consecutive ISC championships, in fueling the resurgence at the high school level.
“We finally got all the pieces just right where when we lose four or five seniors, we’re replacing them with four or five freshmen who have the skills and mindset to go out and be able to accomplish their jobs,” he explained.
Now the big question for Dickson is how the Eagles plan to stay hungry after finally winning it all and he said that the attitude and mindset of this year’s senior class has already had a lot to do with that because of the realities of COVID-19.
“Through their leadership and communication, just at practice, I believe that the team truly understands that, literally, every practice could be the last time we practice,” he added. “Every match could literally be the last time we lace up our boots and play, so it adds a little bit more eagerness to the preparation and the seniors have shown that.
“It also shows, just in their demeanor with their teammates, that they aren’t taking this for granted.”
On paper, the Eagles should have plenty of firepower on offense and, despite having a couple of holes to fill on defense because of graduation, Dickson believes his defense will remain a strong suit.
“We’ve shifted our defensive line around where (last year’s) seniors left and we’re plugging in some people that were being trained last year to fill those positions,” he said.
There’s versatility all over the field as just about every player on the team can play multiple positions, giving the coaches an advantage when it comes to situational strategy. There’s also four talented and experienced seniors, who are unquestionably leaders for the team.
Dickson called Scottie Duffey, the team’s only female, “tough as nails”, both mentally and physically, and the midfielder doesn’t mind battling against whomever is in front of her. Up front, Sam Lewis will play at a forward spot to take advantage of his skills and height after playing mostly on defense last season.
Caleb Epperson and Ryan Scarborough are two more leaders in the midfield. Epperson has good field vision, is a great communicator and has the strongest leg on the team, while
Scarborough is a very talented player who can score, but who is also perhaps the best passer on the team.
Three of the team’s four juniors are returnees from last fall. Jarrett Chambers and Knox Brashier are back to help anchor the defense, along with starting keeper Price Ray, who had a very solid 2019 campaign, his first season as a starter in net. The final junior is OCA soccer newcomer Chandler Bonifacius, who will play an outside midfield position and will be a back-up in goal.
An impressive sophomore class should be another strength after showing what all they could do as freshmen a year ago.
Garrett Dempsey will give the Eagles another solid midfielder who is capable of pushing up to a forward spot, while defender Chase Hepinstall, an exceptional athlete, will bolster the back line. Midfielder Corey Holder will add additional firepower on the outside, while at forward, Tomo Gilchrist is a skilled ball-handler and will again be one of Oakwood’s top scorers.
Dickson will also look to use the talents of a quintet of rookies, including midfielders Kyle Brooks and Cason Baggett, forward and backup keeper Hunter Hickman, defender Noah Renshaw and multi-positional player Isaiah Staven.
Seth Lewis returns to the bench as the Eagles’ assistant coach and Eli Dickson, a junior, is the team’s hardworking manager.
In addition to defense, Dickson says he feels his team’s conditioning will play a big role as it did last year.
“Honestly, the main key to the season is staying healthy and well,” he said. “We have enough depth that if we do have someone go down with an injury, we can plug somebody in and, hopefully, we’ll avoid any COVID-19 situations.
“(Another) key is also our attitude. I tell them every day that attitude is everything and a positive attitude will result in positive things on the field and not just during match day. It also starts in practice. You have to practice like you want to win because if you don’t, then you won’t show up on match day ready to win.”
OCA will have a chance to win two conference titles this season, one in the SCAA and one in the Georgia Christian Athletic Association (GCAA), as they are members of both organizations for soccer.