Oak Hall’s Message Ahead of Game vs. Seven Rivers Christian: Discipline
Oak Hall football practice is anything but ordinary. Oak Hall trades the normal gridiron for the dusty clay infield and grass of a baseball field as the Eagles prepare for Friday’s home game against the Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian Warriors.
Oak Hall’s 28-man roster made the outfield look big this week, but the intentions for Friday night aren’t small. Not everyone on the team, however, is a stranger to the diamond. Quarterback BJ Johnson and running back Darius Medley also play on the Eagles’ baseball team.
Medley wasn’t dressed out for Wednesday’s practice, instead wearing an ice pack on his left shin. He fractured his leg during a summer 7-on-7 competition at UF. The injury and limited availability during summer practice are still affecting him.
“It’s starting to tighten up on him so we’re trying to take it a little easy on him,” Oak Hall coach RJ Fuhr said.
Medley stood next to Johnson the entire practice with a ball spiraling in his hand. Despite not participating physically in practice, Medley has the green light to start Friday.
“We need him,” Fuhr said. “You know he’s a focal point on both offense and defense.”
Another key focus point implemented in this week’s practices was discipline. Although the Eagles (2-0) won their last game against Jacksonville Bishop Snyder 36-6, the number of penalties are a concern. Fuhr highlighted the potential cost that the penalties could have in games during Monday’s film session.
“We’ve got to clean up these pre-snap penalties, because then we’re starting behind the sticks,” Fuhr said.
Oak Hall’s offense is run-heavy, with Medley leading the charge by averaging 79.5 yards per game.
Similar to the Eagles, Seven Rivers Christian (1-2) relies on a run-dominant ground game. To combat this, Fuhr is taking inspiration from the mid-1980s Chicago Bears defense, which led the NFL team to a Super Bowl title.
Fuhr was not short of praise regarding the Warriors’ offense, reminding his players to watch out for misdirection.
“They’ll be moving guys around, faking and next thing you know, the guy’s running by you, so we’re focusing on reading our keys and being disciplined with our eyes,” Fuhr said.
With the offensive and defensive units covered, Oak Hall has one more side of the ball that it wants to focus on: special teams. Fuhr believes his team’s focus on all three phases has stood out.
“We truly believe it’s a third part of our team and we’ve got some athletes that can take it to the house,” Fuhr said.
The Eagles spent the last 15 minutes of practice going over kick return and onside kick drills.
There is plenty of familiarity between the Eagles and Warriors after playing four times in the last five years. Oak Hall has been dominant in all the meetings, with its most impressive win coming in 2023 when it beat Seven Rivers 70-14.
It is easy to let the confidence take over, but Fuhr is making sure his players’ heads are level
“We’re trying to keep them focused and not take anything for granted,” Fuhr said.
The Eagles will have the chance to show their improvement against the Warriors starting at 7 p.m. Friday.
Category: High School Sports, Oak Hall High School
