Finally, some good news
- Updated: September 4, 2021
After a tumultuous first month, Oxford gets its first win on the field for coach Sam Adams
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
SCOTTSBORO – Coach Sam Adams and his Oxford Yellow Jackets have faced as much adversity as perhaps anybody in the state after their first three games.
Only 11 of 70 players are seniors. Eleven players from last year’s team left for other schools. They played the No. 5 team in the nation in their opening game and the second-ranked Class 5A team in their second, and lost both on the field handily.
They lost their starting quarterback in the Pleasant Grove game and their starting running back in the second half Friday.
But the Yellow Jackets began to emerge from underneath that cloud as they fought off Scottsboro to take a 24-7 win and open region play with a victory.
“We are beginning a new season.,” Adams said. “The first two games are behind us. We have to win one game at a time and these games count for our real season, which is region play. This sets us up for the playoffs and getting a first-round play-off home game and then we will see what will happen.”
The Yellow Jackets did get a win earlier in the week even if it was of the administrative kind. They received a forfeit win for last week’s setback after Pleasant Grove admitted it played an ineligible player in the game.
So Friday night was their first win on the field under Adams, but it was not an easy one as they were plagued with poor field position most of the second half.
The Wildcats did not run but one play on their side of the field until their last drive of the game. They came at the Jackets with their wishbone offense and chewed up the clock as they kept edging deep into Oxford territory.
Four times the Jackets held their ground causing two fumbles and an interception. The back breaker came on a 67-yard blocked field goal attempt that Miguel Mitchell returned for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
The offense had created enough space in the first half and the defense was brilliant in the second.
Oxford dominated the first quarter opening the scoring with a 22-yard field goal from Ray Barrera. It was the second straight week that Barrera opened the scoring with a 22-yard field goal.
The Yellow Jackets put together a 72-yard drive on their next possession and Jordan Dobbins carried into the end zone on an 11-yard run on the first play of the second quarter.
The Scottsboro wishbone began to pick up yards on their first drive of the second quarter and they grinded out a 65-yard scoring march to chop the Oxford lead to three points. Wildcats fullback Landon Grinder got the score on a 4-yard run.
The Wildcats were knocking on the goal line again late in the second quarter and were threatening to take the halftime lead. But the Yellow Jackets’ defense bowed up and forced a field goal attempt that was no good.
Instead of sitting on the ball, the Yellow Jackets attacked. Sophomore quarterback Kamari McClellan, in his first start, found freshman Damious Wilson on a screen pass that covered 62 yards and an Oxford touchdown. The Jackets led 17-7 at the half.
Sophomore Jaydon Thomas had gained 93 yards on 12 carries before going down with an injury in the fourth quarter.
McClellan, who came in for injured starting quarterback Sam Robertson last week, was 12 of 18 for 144 yards and one touchdown passing.
Oxford 24, Scottsboro 7
| Oxford | 3 | 14 | 7 | 0 – | 24 |
| Scottsboro | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 – | 7 |
O – Rey Barrera 27 FG, 4:56 1Q
O – Jordan Dobbins 11 run (Rey Barrera kick), 14:53 2Q
S – Landon Grier 4 run (Alvarero Hererra kick), 6:28 2Q
O – Damious Wilson 62 pass from Kamari McClellan (Rey Barrera kick), 0:59 2Q
O – Miguel Mitchell 67 blocked punt return (Rey Barrera kick), 3Q
| Oxf (24) | Scot (7) | |
| 10 | 1st D | 15 |
| 30-107 | Rushing | 37-145 |
| 12-18-0 | C-A-I | 2-9-1 |
| 149 | Passing | 21 |
| 0-0 | Fum-lost | 5-1 |
| 4-24.0 | Punting | 2-32.0 |
| 14-88 | Pen-yds | 5-40 |
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