St. Joseph Academy Defeats Oak Hall To Remain Undefeated

St. Joseph Academy improved to 8-0 Thursday night after a 16-15 win against host Oak Hall (4-4).

Birthday Boot

There’s nothing better than drilling your first field goal of the season on your birthday. And even better, a game-winning field goal. That’s exactly what Adrian Hemelt did when the Flashes were down 15-13 with 3:22 left in the game.

“It’s my first field goal that I’ve made this year so it’s very special to me,” Hemelt said. “I’ve been trying and working hard all season, and all of last season to try to make a statement and I’m glad I got to do that.”

Adrian Hemelt’s field goal is good with 3:22 left. St. Joseph takes back the lead over Oak Hall, 16-15. pic.twitter.com/2ngdWuv6VL

— Isaac Edelman (@IsaacEdelman) October 18, 2024

Hemelt also said “there was no pressure at all. I depended on my team to make plays on offense and defense, and they did exactly that.”

Oak Hall had a chance to get a game-winning field goal with three minutes remaining, but the Oak Hall offense couldn’t get past midfield. With 45 seconds left, quarterback Dakota Brower heaved a pass that was intercepted by Raymond Evans, sealing the deal for the team from St. Augustine.

Eagles Fight

Usually, when you lose, you don’t see too many smiles. That wasn’t the case for Oak Hall. The Eagles lost eight starters in this game alone, which is a third of the team, yet managed to lose by only one point.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys to fight the way we fought … we almost came back,” coach Randy Brower said. “It’s a bitter loss but kind of sweet in the way that they rallied and they put it all out there. They got nothing to be ashamed of. They gave everything they had on the field and that’s what the sport is all about.”

Randy Brower admitted Oak Hall still could’ve found ways to win the game despite being down eight starters.

“We were fighting the whole game,” the coach said. “If Tommy Weber catches that ball at the 10-yard line we are winners of the game. That’s why all these fans come to our football games … to see all of this.”

What Are The Odds?

It was one of the unluckiest days for the Akins family. There wasn’t just one, but two gruesome injuries Thursday night. In the first quarter of Senior Night, senior offensive tackle Andrew Akins’ ankle came out of place. The stretcher had to come out and a major delay ensued as the crowd at Oak Hall was silent for more than eight minutes.

Andrew’s brother, Aaron, one of the key playmakers on both sides of the ball for the Eagles, was seen crying as he quickly realized that was the last time his brother would see the football field in his high school career.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, Aaron had his elbow dislocated in the second quarter and also left the game in pain. The brothers went on the same ambulance to a nearby hospital.

You Couldn’t Miss Dakota On Field

Dakota Brower doesn’t just play on one or two sides of the ball, but he plays on three sides of the ball. Whether it’s throwing the football at quarterback, defending passes at the cornerback position or acting as the punter or kicker on special teams, Dakota Brower is everywhere and anywhere. However, St. Joseph got the best of him Thursday night, and part of that was due to fatigue.

Dakota Brower threw three interceptions and allowed a 33-yard touchdown reception to Jeremiah Kes on defense. He did have a 17-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, though.

Up Next

Oak Hall has one final matchup this season when it travels to Ocala to face the Lake Weir Hurricanes (4-3) next Friday night. Meanwhile, St. Joseph will look to finish their regular season with an undefeated record. The Flashes will play at Interlachen on Friday as well.

Raymond Evans’ interception seals the deal for St. Joseph as the Flashes win 16-15 to stay undefeated at 8-0. Oak Hall quarterback Dakota Brower, who is committed to Penn, threw three interceptions. pic.twitter.com/4K79IVSUaM

— Isaac Edelman (@IsaacEdelman) October 18, 2024