Prep Football Preview: Oak Hill looking for respect in 2023

If excitement translates into success, the Oak Hill football program has some great days ahead.

Former Mt. Hope all-stater and Concord University standout Davon Marion has come back to Fayette County and is ecstatic to be the new head man for the Red Devils.

That energy has spilled over to his players who hope to make a run back to the postseason this year.

“This group feels like it has something to prove. We have 10-plus seniors on the team and they are ready. Oak Hill has not made a name for itself in the playoffs in a while,” Marion said. “We are a long ways from thinking playoffs, but that is our main goal. We really want to shock this state and beat some teams we are not supposed to beat.”

The good news for the first year head coach is Oak Hill brings back the majority of its offensive line.

“We have four guys that started last year,” Marion said. “We also have three seniors and a sophomore we can move into that fifth spot. We are also bigger than we were last year. That is what I have been preaching since I got here. We need big men to move big men.”

“They have bought in. When you bring back four guys that started that goes a long way,” Marion went on to say. “It has been a process getting them into the spread mind-set., but they are doing pretty good. That is where football starts, up front. I think we have a solid core.”

The Red Devils will also hit the field on Friday nights with a bit of a chip on their shoulders.

“I think we have a group that has been working hard and they are hungry. It is nobody’s fault and not aimed at us like this, but we take slight in being the last pick for everything,” Marion said. “This group has really found some motivation and they have worked hard. We like being underestimated, but you have to earn that praise. That is what we want to do. Take it week by week, rep by rep and earn our stripes.”

Marion is also changing the offense for Oak Hill this year going from the wing-T to the spread. Stepping into the quarterback position will be a dual threat option in senior Malachi Lewis.

“Our running game has looked pretty doggone good. If we can lean on our run game, we can throw the ball whenever we want to,” Marion said. “Malachi adds that running dynamic. When a play breaks down, you let an athlete be an athlete. Malachi brings that dynamic. His arm has improved since I have been here and he has been a leader in the locker room and on the field. We will lean on him.”

Lewis also has the full confidence of his head coach.

“He is eager to showcase is talent and do whatever it takes,” Marion said. “He is confident and one of the smartest football players I have been around. He is ready.”

J.D. Mauritz will lead the ground game along with James Green and Tyler Ashmore. Mauritz will be a threat inside the tackles and also the power back to grind on teams late in the game.

“We will keep J.D. fresh by throwing James in the mix. I thought James had a great day in the Spring Valley scrimmage. He is our big play guy with great speed and vision,” Marion said. “Tyler brings a little bit of both to the table. He is a workout warrior in the weight room, but he has deceptive speed. He can take a few to the house.”

Depth is heavy at the wide receiver spot where Marion feels he has six or even seven guys that can make plays on the outside.

“My goal is to make sure everybody touches the ball. All of them can make plays and they are all pushing each other,” Marion said. “That is the good thing about having the numbers up, we get a lot of good on good in practice. If you want a spot, go take a spot.”

The excitement for Oak Hill is not only on the offensive side of the ball, the Red Devils will also play a little defense.

“The defensive unit in the past has been the heart of the team. They have tackled well in space, plus they communicate and run to the football,” Marion said. We have had some defensive structured practices and they recognize a lot of formations right away. We do a lot of film study, four or five times a week.”

Adam Long will be one of the leaders on defense. Mikey Spack will move from inside linebacker to outside and Aaron Higginbotham is another experienced linebacker.

“We have a big nose tackle, along with a big freshman and sophomore defensive end that are ready to go and are full of energy. All around we have several guys to make plays, but we will lean on Adam to control the front seven,” Marion said. “If we can control the run and force teams to pass I think things will work out well for us. Our front six will lead this team and on the back end we will have three seniors at safety. We are rotating a guy at the other corner spot. With a heavy senior team that we have, I think we were can be a pretty solid unit.”

The key to success for the Red Devils may lie in the first three games of the season. The Red Devils welcome Class AA powers Nicholas County and Independence the first two weeks before heading to Princeton in week three.

“I don’t feel like teams below the Charleston area get the recognition they deserve. We start off the season with three really tough games,” Marion said. “The first three games will dictate how our season will go.”