By: Caleb Eissler
If one were to listen to the talk of the students at Oak Park and the metro area they would view football at Oak Park as a joke. A 3-7 season last year that embarrassed the players, the coaches, and the school would be another piece of evidence for this theory. Sure students might go to a game or two this year but because it was a social. The game was just an excuse to go because according to everyone Oak Park football was going to suck once again. But on Friday, August 27th at William Jewell College everyone was proved severely wrong.
From the opening kickoff there was an intensity to the game that Oak Park hadn’t seen in a few years. Liberty North’s fans crowded the stadium in anticipation of seeing their boys smash a lowly Oak Park team in their first game, but soon into the game the Eagles went from a soar to a horrible crash landing. Liberty North’s first drive was a quick three and out. The Northmen shutdown what was supposed to be a pretty decent counter game.
Oak Park’s first drive was a thing of beauty. A newly formed triple option attack, led by quarterback Eric Ross, scored in just a few plays on a 14 yard run by Ross. OP’s defense dominated Liberty North once again and forced them to a quick three and out. Less than two minutes after its first touchdown the Northmen scored again on a two yard run by running back Nick Elmore. The score was now 14-0 Oak Park. This was a situation Oak Park hadn’t had in a few years. Oak Park wasn’t just winning, they were flat out beating their opponent in every aspect of the game.
Two more long runs coming from Nick Elmore and Eric Greely for 43 and 51 yards respectively put OP up 28-0 at the end of the first quarter. Liberty North didn’t get a single first down in the opening quarter. The game almost seemed unreal. Northmen fans filled the stands and were making their presence known in an impressive way. This is how football at Oak Park should be known.
An 18 yard touchdown run by Eric Ross and a 78 yard pick six by Nick Elmore put Oak Park up 41-0 going into the locker room at the end of the first half. In one half of football, the team had gone from puny to powerhouse.
The starting players would only get a few more drives in the game because of the great lead, but they made the most of them. A 58 yard touchdown run by Eric Greely and a 3 yard run by Trey Miller put Oak Park up 55-0. Most of the younger players got time in the 4th quarter making some good plays and getting great varsity game experience.
This performance wasn’t just a game, it was a statement. A statement that said, ”Oak Park football is back and it’s here to stay”. Football isn’t just a joke but an exciting ordeal at Oak Park and for the entire metro area. Oak Park is now a team to watch according to Metro Sports.
Come out support your Northmen at the DAC at 7 pm this Friday as they take on Fort Osage in what will be a tough and extremely exciting match up. If the team can perform well against Fort O and pull out a W, they can begin to fully prove to other opponents that Oak Park football is a force to be reckoned with. The Northmen aren’t just basking in their own glory from Friday’s win, they’re prepping for next week’s game. Coach Knaack told the group after the game that, “You guys have tonight to celebrate, but starting tomorrow morning in film this game is behind us. All of our focus goes on beating Fort Osage”.
An underestimated Oak Park team overachieved against Liberty North and revived football as one of the great traditions at Oak Park High School. Final score on August 27, 2010: Oak Park 55, Liberty North 0.
