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A big 267-yard and four touchdown night from Marty Myricks fueled the Oak Mountain Eagles as they came back to defeat Tuscaloosa County in a shootout. (For the Reporter/Barry Clemmons)

By STEPHEN DAWKINS | Special to the Reporter

NORTH SHELBY – The Oak Mountain Eagles earned their first region win of the season, 49-35, over the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 20 at Heardmont Park.

The Eagles (3-2 overall, 1-2 in Class 7A, Region 3) outscored their visitors 30-15 in the second half to turn a 20-19 halftime deficit into a two-score win.

The rushing attack propelled OMHS to the win, as the Eagles rolled to 442 yards on the ground, with 267 of those yards coming off the back of Marty Myricks, who scored five touchdowns in the victory.

Oak Mountain struck first, scoring on a 4-yard run by Zack Fitzgerald about halfway through the first quarter. The point-after attempt was blocked, leaving the score at 6-0.

Tuscaloosa County needed only 40 seconds to tie the game, on a 62-yard run by Kamorri Jackson, and the score remained deadlocked after a missed extra point.

Oak Mountain’s Myricks then found the end zone on a 46-yard run with about 6 minutes on the clock in the first quarter, and Josh Renfro converted the point-after attempt for a 13-0 lead.

With about 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Tuscaloosa County quarterback Carter Dotson found Chardarius Hutchins for a 27-yard touchdown pass.

The Wildcats (0-5, 0-3) took the lead, 14-13, thanks to a 2-point conversion on a pass from Dotson to Ryan Nichols.

Oak Mountain answered with another TD run by Myricks, this one from 31 yards out. The Eagles were not able to convert the point after, leaving the score at 19-14 with about 8:30 to play in the first half.

TCHS retook a 20-19 lead before halftime on a 57-yard run by Jackson.

The Eagles answered right back about 5 minutes into the third quarter and wouldn’t fall behind again.

Again, it was Myricks with a long run, this time from 49 yards out to take the 25-20 lead.

After a defensive stop, the Eagles scored again, on a 5-yard run by Myricks. Renfro’s extra point made it 32-20.

Tuscaloosa County cut the lead to five points with a 4-yard touchdown run by Jackson and extra point by Evan Patterson.

Late in the third quarter, Renfro made it 35-27 with a 27-yard field goal.

The Wildcats tied the game early in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard touchdown run by Dotson and 2-point conversion.

But Oak Mountain then took over the end of the game, starting with a 4-yard touchdown run by Myricks. Then it was the defense’s turn with a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown by Will Yoder to seal the win.

Oak Mountain outgained the Wildcats 516 yards to 455, and got a 28-16 edge in first downs, but three interceptions allowed the visitors to hang around.

O’Dell went 9-for-17 in the air for 74 yards. Myricks rushed 19 times for 267 yards, and O’Dell added 178 rushing yards on 22 carries.

Colton Moore led the Oak Mountain defense with six tackles, and Robert Yoder had five tackles.

Oak Mountain now leads the all-time series 7-4, but the win marks the Eagles’ first in the series since 2021.

After a bye on Sept. 27, the Eagles will return to action on Oct. 4 at Hoover.

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