By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C.
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A line of assistant coaches whispered among themselves after Oakton head coach Joe Thompson addressed the team following its 30-18 road win over No. 5 Westfield.
“Should I tell them?” Thompson asked.
“They’ll find out when they get home anyway,” an assistant answered.
Thompson then turned to his kneeling corps of unbeaten, second-ranked Cougars and said simply, “Herndon got beat.”
It took a second to set in.
But the hesitant whispers of “District champs” quickly turned into unbridled clamor.
With the Hornets’ loss, Oakton moved two games clear of any other Northern Region Division 6 team with only one week left in the regular season, clinching the No. 1 seed in the upcoming region tournament.
And — just as important to the Cougars — that means they clinched the Concorde District championship.
“Our coaches have been saying all week we need to make it known that we’re the class of the district; we want to be the class of the district,” Cougar senior running back Trey Watts said. “Coming out here proves that we can play with the best of the best. And I think that we are one of the best. I think this win proves a lot for us.”
As it had all season, Oakton leaned its depth. In fact, the Cougars almost showed it off, especially on offense.
Three different players carried 14 times or more — with Watts and quarterback Chris Coyer totaling more than 100 yards a piece – and the Cougars’ eight receptions were spread amongst seven different receivers.
“Anybody that’s been listening, we’ve been saying all year long that we’re a team that shares the ball,” said Thompson, who is 47-19 in his six seasons as head coach. “You don’t have gaudy numbers out of any one individual. We’ve asked our players to share time on the field with the ball.
“I can go to Trey. I can go to Ryan [Harris], to Chris. I can go to [Derek] Gleich, to Wade [Reynolds], [Johnny] Meadows, any of them and get production.”
Added Watts, who carried 14 times for 119 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown: “We have so many people on our bench that don’t get a chance to play that are so good. … If they were on any other team, they’d be playing right now.”
Despite having the district title and regional top-seed secured, Oakton (9-0 overall, 5-0 Concorde District) still has a lot to play for in its regular-season finale at Herndon (6-3, 3-2). The Cougars have never had an undefeated regular-season in the 41-year history of the program.
Even sweeter, they will have the opportunity against the Hornets, who won last year’s meeting on a controversial two-point conversion. That 35-34 Herndon win eliminated Oakton from playoff contention.
Thompson downplayed the historic significance for Oakton, and said his team is not motivated by payback. His players felt differently.
“A win would be huge, not only for us but for Oakton in general,” said Cougar senior linebacker Jack Tyler, a team captain who had an interception on Friday. “We’ve got the district championship out of the way, but we have higher goals: Go for an undefeated season, win a state championship, win a regional championship.
“To do ’15 as 1′ — that was our goal at the beginning of the year. … And that’s our next step, the 10th game. We’re going to come out and we’re going to play hard.”
Added Watts: “We have that fire in our stomachs from last year. Herndon ended our season and kept us out of the playoffs. We’re going to be feeding on that.
“We’re going to be ready for them.”
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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