Ohatchee finishes strong
- Updated: October 30, 2015
Indians complete best season in eight years, look towards playoffs in 2016
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OHATCHEE – Scott Martin wasn’t going to talk about the accomplishments of his second Ohatchee football team until the season was over.
The Indians wrapped up their season Thursday night with a 49-19 victory over Ragland, and when it was over Martin had a lot to talk about.
The four victories in their 4-6 record were the most in a season since 2007 and matched the total number of wins of the previous three seasons combined. Their 282 points scored were the most since 2002. The 240 allowed were the fewest since 2008. It was the first time they scored more than they had allowed since 2006.
They scored 40 points or more in all four of their victories. They had a 1,000-yard rusher (Austin Tucker — 1,400 yards) and three of the six games they lost they held leads in the second half.
Not bad for a team that went 1-9 each of the last two seasons
“We were able to change a mentality,” Martin said. “One of our expectations is you can’t go into a game hoping you’re going to win, it’s expecting you’re going to win. Their mentality through the year had gotten better and better and better and by the end of the year there wasn’t a game our kids didn’t go in believing they could win the ballgame.
“There were three other games we could’ve easily won; you win one of those to get over the hump. Our guys are so close to the edge there of being able to flip it and I think our seniors and leadership did a great job of putting our program in a position to have success next year. … I think it’s going to be a great offseason and I’m excited to see what we put on the table next year.”
The springboard to the Indians’ future was built on 454 yards of rushing. Taylor Eubanks rushed for 145 yards, Tucker rushed for 135 yards and both scored three touchdowns. Jesse Sellers rushed for 92 yards.
Tucker scored on runs of 8, 5 and 7 yards. Eubanks scored on runs of 51, 5 and 5. Cam McCombs scored the Indians’ other touchdown.
Jadon Killings scored all three touchdowns for playoff-bound Ragland (3-7), on runs of 70, 47 and 6 yards.
It was 21-19 game in the second quarter and Ohatchee scored 28 unanswered points to pull away. The Indians shut out the Purple Devils in the second half.
“Only one team wins their last game if you make the playoffs and that’s the eventual state champion,” Martin said. “Our goal is always to get to the playoffs. Since we didn’t, obviously we wanted to win our last game to send our seniors out on a high note and send ourselves into the offseason with a good taste in our mouths.
“We had a lot of high marks offensively and defensively that kind of set this team apart, so there are a lot of positives going into the offseason. We re looking at 14 starters coming back next year off a team that was markedly improved from last year, so we want to make that next step and be a playoff team.”
That would be another accomplishment for the program. The Indians haven’t been to the playoffs since 2003 or won a postseason game since 2002.
OHATCHEE 49, RAGLAND 19
Ragland 13 6 0 0 — 19
Ohatchee 14 14 14 7 — 49
Team stats Rag Ohat
First downs 11 19
Rushing yds 204 454
C-A-I 4-5-0 0-2-0
Passing yds 40 0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Punts-avg 6-30.4 2-31.5
Penalties-yds 6-65 6-45
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