Oak Hall Seniors Shine In Win Against Bishop Snyder

The Oak Hall Eagles flew past the Jacksonville Bishop Snyder Cardinals in a Friday night football matchup, 20-7.

The Eagles (2-1) were led by their seniors and a backup quarterback in the home district win.

Lots Of Shoes To Fill

Oak Hall’s starting quarterback, senior Dakota Brower, was ruled out Friday with a broken collarbone suffered last week. He said he hopes to be back by week seven of the season. Junior Aaron Akins stepped in and made due with the remaining 17 players amongst the injury-ridden Eagles.

Interim head coach Randy Brower, Dakota’s father, said he is proud of his team for managing to get the win despite playing with a smaller roster.

“That’s what Friday night football is about,” Brower said.

Relying On The Run Game

The game started with a battle in the trenches and scoreless entering the second quarter. Akins proved his legs would be one of the difference-makers down the stretch by scoring a rushing touchdown and multiple quarterback draws.

Senior running back and safety Briggs Copeland filled up the stat sheet with large numbers on both the ground and through the air. Akins had to rely on his running back throughout the contest, as he struggled passing against the solid Cardinal (2-1) defense.

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Inside handoff to #24 Briggs Copeland for the first score of the game. The Eagles would then be successful on their two point conversion try and go up 8-0. pic.twitter.com/lEvw0x2yXg

— Riley (@rileyorovitz) August 30, 2024

Copeland, who ran in for a five-yard score in the second quarter, also reeled in an interception off of Bishop Snyder’s quarterback John Bishop.

Copeland said  his highlight-reel performance was due to the chemistry the Eagles had on the field:

Defense Clutch

The Eagles were up late against the Cardinals and maintained their lead due to another senior leader Bear Wooley. The cornerback quickly scooped up a fumble, allowing Oak Hall to run down the clock just enough to put the game out of reach.

The defensive line also came up big for the Eagles, producing two sacks when they needed it most.

It was the seniors who led the charge in Oak Hall’s home-opening win, giving it the tools it needed to improve to 2-1 on the year.

Up Next

Oak Hall will host Oviedo Master’s Academy (2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday.