Oakmont looking for league title

Cory Wilson is a first-year varsity head coach for a team, Oakmont, which a year ago won eight games but graduated 22 players out of the 46-man roster. Of those 24 players, only 11 seniors return so that leaves Wilson with an incredibly young team in his first season, featuring around 30 juniors, many of which will be playing their first season of varsity football. One thing Wilson has going for him is a good rapport with his players. "Cory's been my coach through almost my entire career and what I like about him is that he connects with all his players on a personal level," junior tight end/defensive end Gavin Harder said. "If I ever need anything, I know I can go to him and he will be there for me." Wilson's biggest weapon is a pair of big receivers on offense and a pair of long and athletic defensive ends that he will build his team around. The receivers are the Beasley twin brothers, seniors Jayden and Jordan, and the defensive ends are Harder and senior Aiden Barnhard. The better these four players play, the better the Vikings will be this season. A season ago, Jayden Beasley caught 30 passes for 716 yards and eight touchdowns. He's the only skill player returning with statistics to admire. He averaged nearly 24 yards per catch last year, so he provides the Vikings a legitimate deep threat and a player who can score any time he catches the ball. "Jayden had a really good season last year and was hard to handle and was tough to stop," Wilson said. "His brother, Jordan, worked harder this offseason than anyone and hit another gear, so I'm hoping to have another receiver just like Jayden this year." With two receivers standing 6-3, that would give Oakmont a huge advantage over any team's defensive backs this season. Beasley's goals for his senior year are simple; he just wants to improve upon his numbers from a season ago. "We're definitely going to be able to pass the ball this year," Beasley said. "Nico's arm is a lot stronger and he's looking a lot better than last year. Our receivers are definitely an upgrade over last year. Our passing game should be good, and I think we also should be to run the ball too because our linemen are strong." At quarterback for the Vikings will be senior Nico Smith. He enters the season with virtually no experience, as he was the third-string quarterback a season ago. If Smith can simply get the ball in Beasley's hands as much as possibly, that will go a long way to determine how good the Vikings will be on offense. Smith is eager for his senior year and throwing the Beasley brothers. "We've got a great deep threat in J and then we've got a match-up nightmare in the slot with Jordan," Smith said. "It's going to be fun throwing to those guys. "I'd like to say my ability to read defenses has improved and my ability to use my legs will also be a big factor, as I like to run the ball. "I think our offense is looking good. Our line has really picked it up and improved a lot; same with our receivers. Those guys are physically freaks of nature. "I feel like our passing game is the key to our offense. If our passing game is really hitting, that will open up opportunities for our run game." Behind Smith this year at running back will be David Wilson and Malachi Alexander. Again, if Oakmont can pass the ball with any amount of consistency, that will help the run game. Also at receiver, Smith will have Ocean Munoz to throw to; who Wilson said is a great, hard-working football player. Up front, Ricky Espinoza returns as the team's starter at center and is the captain of the line which also features Tyler Cuadra at right guard and Berto Reyes at right tackle. "I think we'll do well offensively," Wilson said. "We have some light spots because we're younger and smaller, but I personally think we've got the best receivers in the league and some of the best on our schedule. I think as long as we can get the ball out to them, I think we'll be OK." On the defensive side of the ball, Harder and Barnhart are the keys as defensive end, and the secondary looks pretty good too with the Beasley brothers along with Munoz. "One of the most exciting players we have is Gavin Harder," Wilson said. "Last year on junior varsity, he had a bunch of sacks, was defensive player of the game several times and he's lightning fast and strong. Opposite of him we've got Aiden Barnhart, who's almost the same size but with a little bit different skill set. We've got two big, tall defensive ends and that will be our bread and butter." One of the team's few returning starters is senior linebacker Tyler Shade, who made 121 tackles a season ago, second best on the team. "It's a lot different this year because we lost a lot of seniors," Shade said. "We've got a lot of junior varsity kids coming up. We've got a lot of good kids and a lot that don't know what they're doing, but it's a good experience for them. I feel inspired that I'm trying to teach them what playing varsity is all about. "It's a brand new defense that none of us has ever run, but it's good to learn new things. I think if everyone learns they're job we'll be OK, but until some of the players step up a little bit, it's going to be rough for awhile." Wilson said his goal for the first year is to win a league championship. "My first goal is to have a 3.0 team grade point average," Wilson said. "I don't want to have any ineligible players. The best ability is availability. I also think we can win the league and that's what I really want to do. I think being a first-year coach and being able to hang a banner and build on the winning culture that we had last year would be a huge achievement."