Touchdowns came early and often for the Oakville Tigers last Friday night.
The Tigers used an early barrage of first quarter touchdowns in route to a 48-7 win over Parkway South Oct. 20. The win moved the Tigers record to 5-4 on the season, completing the regular season schedule.
The lopsided score allowed for Oakville to get some playing time for a number of younger players.
“It is always good when you can get younger players or backups into the game,” Oakville head coach Mike Genge said. “Any Friday night experience they can get is definitely important for their growth as players.”
Oakville jumped on the board with 6:44 to go in the first quarter when Ethan Venable scored on a 19-yard run. Anel Jakubovic’s extra-point attempt was good, giving Oakville a 7-0 lead.
Less than two minutes later, Joey Romano scored on an eight-yard touchdown run. Jakubovic’s kick was good, as Oakville took a 14-0 lead.
At the 3:26 mark, Zac Hough caught an 18-yard pass from Romano to put the Tigers up 20-0 after the kick failed.
Oakville would add one more touchdown before the end of the first quarter, as Chase Forbus caught a 23-yard pass from Romano, putting the Tigers up 27-0 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, the Tigers continued to pour it on.
Hough found the endzone on a 24-yard pass from Romano. Jakubovic’s extra-point attempt was good, bringing the score to 34-0 in favor of Oakville.
Josh Williams scored on a 29-yard pass from Max Bradley at the 6:40 mark of the third quarter to make it 41-0.
Venable added a 10-yard touchdown near the end of the third quarter to complete the scoring for Oakville. The Tigers went on to win the game 48-7.
Venable finished the game with a pair of touchdowns and 104 yards rushing on five carries. He also starred on defense for the Tigers, as he had a fumble recovery, two sacks and 12 total tackles. It was quite a night for the senior.
Genge complimented Venable and the offensive line after the victory.
“Ethan had a tremendous game for us,” he said. “For the first time in a few weeks he felt as healthy as can be at this point in the season. Our offensive line clicked well blocking. On defense and special teams his motor is unmatched.”
Meanwhile, Bradley also had a nice game, completing seven passes on seven attempts for 110 yards and four touchdowns.
“Max did a tremendous job of just making the simple throws,” Genge said. “He is really starting to read the defense, know where the ball should go, and delivering. We have been working on making better decisions under pressure and taking what the defense gives us.”
Genge was also complimentary of his defense that had two interceptions, three sacks and a few fumble recoveries on the night.
“Our defense has really been locked in the last couple of weeks and understanding their roles,” he said. “We aren’t complicated on defense, we want to align correctly, and play fast. Again, we replaced nine starters on this unit from a year ago, we finally feel like we have the right mix of guys all playing well in their spots and trusting one another.”
Next up for the Tigers was a first-round playoff game Oct. 27 against Northwest-Cedar Hill — after The Call went to press — a school that Oakville beat 48-7 on Sept. 29. While some may look at the game as an easy task, it’s never easy to play a team a second time in a season.
“Any time you have to play someone twice it isn’t easy,” Genge said. “This will be the second time in two years this has happened. Northwest got a nice win Friday over Mehlville so they will be up for this game. We truly just have to focus on doing what we do correctly. Our goal is to continue to play well, take care of the football and create turnovers. Hopefully if we are able to do those things, we will take care of business.”