A look back – Ohatchee
- Updated: July 20, 2020
EDITOR’S NOTE:The coronavirus pandemic has turned our world upside down these past few months and the absence of sports has been tough on avid sports fans. We can only hope the football seasons can go off as scheduled this fall. As we wait, there has been plenty of time to reflect on high school football in Calhoun County.
The following is part of a 14-part series compiled by East Alabama Sports Today contributor Brant Locklier that looks back on the past decade of football for each of the 13 county football-playing schools. The 2020 season that may or may not be will be center stage for the first time at the Calhoun County QB Club Media Day July 24.
Special thanks goes to Ashleigh Jackson, who keyed in all the scores and the website, “The History of Alabama High School Football,” for their information.
Ohatchee – Indians Building Another Dynasty
Summary: From 1970 to 1981 the Ohatchee Indians won 111 games while only losing 24 and won a state championship in 1974. Current head coach Scott Martin has had that kind of success in the last four years at Ohatchee as his teams have posted a 41-7 and 6-4 record in the state play-offs.
Martin arrived at Ohatchee in 2014, after the Indians had only won eight games combined the previous four years, losing 32. Martin was 1-9 in 2014 and improved to 4-6 in 2015 and they have been on a roll ever since.
Martin has produced the highest three scoring seasons in Ohatchee history in 2016, 2018 and 2019 with totals of 589, 493 and 484 points, respectively. The highest scoring average in their history was 44 points a game in 2019.
The defense was allowing over 30 points a game before Martin arrived and the last four years that number was 14 points a game. They are 21-3 in region play the last four years and 41-7 overall.
High Point: The last two seasons of the decade have seen the Indians go 18-0 in the regular season and they carry a 20-game regular-season winning streak in 2020. The program’s only other back-to-back undefeated regular seasons came in 1974 and 1975. The big win of the 2019 season was in a Week 8 matchup of unbeaten at Ranburne, and the Indians came out of it with a 20-7 victory.
Low Point: The low points came in 2012 and 2013 with eight-game losing streaks each year and in 2014 with a nine-game losing streak. The Indians were 4-26 in those three seasons.
Home Record: The Indians posted a 29-26 home record in the decade. They got off to a bad start with a 4-21 record in the first five years, but finished strong with a 25-5 record over the last five years. They were a perfect 7-0 in the 2018 season.
Away Record: The Indians are 19-4 in their last 23 road games of the decade. This offset a 6-24 record in the first six years of the decade.
Play-Offs: The 2016 team lost just two games all year and they were both to the eventual state champion Piedmont. The Indians won their first three play-off games that year with wins over Locust Fork 49-28, Lauderdale County 49-21 and Randolph County 31-0. They lost a 53-26 decision at Piedmont in the state semi-finals. Ohatchee was 6-4 overall in the play-offs in the decade.
Streaks: They have a current 11-game home regular-season winning streak in place as they enter the 2020 season and a 20-game regular season winning streak as they enter the 2020 season. They have only lost three regular season games in the last four years and two of those were to Piedmont.
Coaches: Jason Howard (5-15) coached the 2010 and 2011 seasons and Nathan Wehunt (3-17) took over for the next two years. Scott Martin (46-22) took over in 2014.
Players: Running back Domonique Thomas was all-state in 2018 and 2019. Linebacker Cade Williamson (2019), linebacker Cam McCombs (2018), defensive back Grayson Alward (2018), running back Austin Tucker (2015, 2016), offensive lineman Caleb Montgomery (2016), linebacker Taylor Eubanks (2015, 2016) and offensive lineman Hunter Barclay (2013, 2014) also were all-state selections in the decade.
Toughest Opponent: Pleasant Valley, White Plains and Westbrook Christian were 15-0 against Ohatchee in the first half of the decade, but the record would turn around in the second half of the decade.
Easiest Opponent: The Indians were 11-0 in the second half of the decade against Pleasant Valley, White Plains and Westbrook Christian.
Best Offense: The 2019 team set the school record for the highest scoring average per game in a season with an average of 44 points a game. They scored at least 47 points in eight of their 11 games. The 2016 team scored the most points in school history (589) and averaged 42 points a game over 14 games.
Best Defense: The defense has gotten better each of the last four seasons for the Indians and they only allowed 10.5 points a game in 2019. They allowed a touchdown or less in seven games in 2019.
Best Team: The honor goes to the 2016 team that went 12-2 and their only two losses to state champion Piedmont 45-35 and 53-26. They made it to the state semi-finals.
2020 Ohatchee Schedule
(Pre-pandemic, opponent 2019 records in parenthesis)
Aug. 21 – vs. Cleburne Co (2-8)
Aug. 28 – at Anniston (9-5)
Sept. 4 – vs. Wellborn (12-2)
Sept. 11 – vs. Hokes Bluff (7-4)
Sept. 18 – at Saks (4-5)
Sept. 25 – Open
Oct. 2 – at Piedmont (14-1)
Oct. 9 – at Glencoe (1-9)
Oct. 16 – vs. Pleasant Valley (5-5)
Oct. 23 – at Weaver (0-10)
Oct. 30 – vs. Munford (5-5)
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