Oakton Cougars: A Season to Remember
Oakton’s victory over defending state champion Landstown 21-7 last month was considered an upset by many, but the Cougars’ rise to the Virginia AAA Division 6 championship last month was no fluke.
They ended the Eagles 27-game winning streak with Keith Payne leading the way on offense and defense. Payne not only shut down Eagles’ standout, and top college recruit, Percy Harvin, he also rushed for 250 yards and four touchdowns.
The Cougars’ amazing run to the championship got its start in the competitive Concorde District. And it was no surprise to their opponents that they are the state champions.
Oakton began its district play on September 30th with a convincing 26-7 victory over Chantilly, but it was the ensuing games that set the tone for the season. The Cougars went on a virtual roller coaster with highs -- a 34-31 defeat over 8-2 Centreville -- and lows -- consecutive losses to defending district champion Westfield and powerhouse Robinson.
The Cougars hung with Westfield until late in the fourth quarter, trailing only 18-13 when top national prospect, Evan Royster, broke off a 40-yard touchdown run to lead the Bulldogs to a 31-13 win. The Cougars suffered their second district loss the following week against Robinson, 37-21.
Coach Joe Thompson’s Cougars then faced a stingy Herndon squad, desperately needing a win to get back in playoff contention. Oakton responded to the last two losses in a big way with a 31-14 victory. Payne rushed for 187 yards with three touchdowns and Gameday-featured back Taylor Naleppa added 92 yards as the Cougar’s dominated a team ranked third defensively in the Concorde.
Oakton was coming together just in time for a playoff push as it blew out Fairfax, 54-7, and faced Patriot District champion Annandale in the regular season finale the following week.
That game was a memorable one as Oakton won a tightly-played game, 21-14. Payne got his playoff legs tuned up as he rushed for 150 yards with two touchdowns. The defense came up big as standouts Jared Ruppert and Thomas Rupp combined for 26 tackles and were constantly applying pressure in the backfield. This was just the prelude to the rematch a week later in the Division 6 Northern Region playoffs.
The Cougars advanced to the region championship for the third time in four years, beating the Atoms, 28-14. Payne and Naleppa rushed for a combined 270 yards with two touchdowns. Curtis Eward provided the big plays with a kickoff return for a touchdown and came up with a clutch reception to set up another score. But to win the region, the Cougars had to beat Westfield.
With the long run from Royster fresh in their minds from the first match-up, Oakton was determined to stop the big play and add a few of its own. Thompson looked to Payne to ride the Cougars to victory. The senior rushed for 247 yards, adding an amazing five touchdowns as Oakton won the Division 6 Northern Region title with a convincing 42-24 victory. It was a team effort as the offense and defense dominated the line of scrimmage, setting up a state semifinal game against L.C. Bird.
For Oakton to defeat L.C. Bird it would have to win the battle in the trenches as it did against Westfield. The Cougars did just that as their defense provided the big plays with critical red zone stops for a hard-fought 19-16 victory over the Central Region champions. Then came the stirring upset over defending champion Landstown.
The Oakton Cougars showed poise, battling back from early season setbacks. The days of underdog status are over as they are most deserving of the Virginia AAA Division 6 championship. The Northern Region is well represented by the Cougars, helping return the football power to Northern Virginia.
