Oak Hall Hopes to Keep Up With Trinity Prep After Losing Two-Way Star
Oak Hall enters its last regular-season football matchup Friday at the Winter Park Trinity Prep Saints with its playoff hopes on the line and a major hole to fill after losing a two-way star to an injury.
The Eagles (5-3) are coming off a 39-27 loss to the Monticello Aucilla Christian Warriors and will likely face a win-or-go-home situation tonight against the Saints (5-3).
Oak Hall will have to do that without senior Darius Medley, its standout running back and safety.
During a 7-on-7 camp at the University of Florida in June, Medley fractured his fibula. He has felt the effects throughout the season, but it hasn’t stopped his stellar performance.
Just two weeks ago, against St. Augustine St. Joseph’s Academy, Medley had 10 tackles, one interception and two touchdowns while still in pain.
A recent MRI showed Medley’s fracture had healed, but the bones surrounding his fibula were fragmented. Medley will miss tonight and any remaining Oak Hall games and wear a boot for six weeks. He finished with 434 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 71 carries and 11 catches for 265 yards and six scores receiving. He also had four interceptions on defense.
Medley’s absence forced coach R.J. Fuhr to make adjustments.
“I mean that kills us and that is a testament to him, on both sides of the football,” Fuhr said.
The team changed up some things positionally to make up for the loss.
Medley is replaced at safety by his brother, BJ Johnson, the team’s starting cornerback, and someone off the bench will take Johnson’s spot.
“Offensively, we need to find a feature back, and it’s kind of like committee now,” Fuhr said.
Oak Hall also has another concern regarding the defense.
In last week’s 39-27 loss at Aucilla Christian, one of the problems seemed to be tackling.
“We tackled horribly,” Fuhr said.
Aucilla senior quarterback Cooper Wiles scored five touchdowns to dominate the game.
“We were just bouncing off of him,” Fuhr said. He attributed this to the lack of physical practices in this day and age.
Offensively, Fuhr thought the team played well.
“It was defensively we just have to read our keys, read the guards, like I said they run power, and be disciplined and tackle,” he said.
With so many moving pieces on defense after the Medley injury, Fuhr believes that unit stood out during this week’s practice. Specifically, Fuhr mentioned eighth-grader Mikhai Sessler and sophomore Connor Cross, whom he believes have stepped up.
“He has played football for a long time, and you can tell,” Fuhr said of Sessler. “His football IQ is good.”
On Cross, Fuhr said, “He is the guy that kind of directs traffic for us up front.”
The Eagles, last year’s Sunshine State Athletic Association 3A champs, are prepared to overcome adversity and secure a FHSAA playoff berth at Winter Park tonight at 7.
Category: Football, High School Sports, Oak Hall High School
