By GRIFFIN PRITCHARD / Wetumpka Herald

WETUMPKA – Slow and steady won the race Friday night as Oak Mountain used the old-school veer-option to claim a 36-14 Region 4 victory over Wetumpka Friday night.
After winning an 8-7 slugfest to open the season, the Eagles (2-0) used 54 plays  (amassing 350-plus yards of offense) and outscored the Indians 23-0 in the second half to claim the victory.
The Indians (1-1) got on the board first.
Wetumpka forced the visiting Eagles to punt, and Charlie Crenshaw fielded the ball deep in his own territory.
The junior made one cut and raced down the sideline for the 70-yard punt return touchdown.
Alex Lindsey added the point after, giving the Indians an early 7-0 lead.
Oak Mountain answered.
After a 55-yard run by fullback Scott Hester, quarterback Jake Adams called his own number and pushed ahead 15 yards for the touchdown.
John Michael Miller added the point after, leveling the tally.
The Indians, on the en suing possession, went to the sky for the go-ahead touchdown.
Quarterback Jake Millwood, on a play-action pass, found Dre Hutchinson open and  2 yards in front of the nearest  defender. The two hooked-up for the
44-yard strike with 3:56 left in the opening frame.
Leading 14-7, the Indians defense held and the Eagles drives were stymied resulting in a pair of Miller field goals. The first capped a 51-yard drive and rang true from 19 yards out.
The second capped the half and was good from 24 yards out.
Wetumpka went into the lockerroom nursing a 14-13 lead.
The second half belonged to Oak Mountain.
Offensively, the Eagles ran 26 plays (155 yards) in the second half churning up both clock and yardage.
Defensively, they held the homestanding Tribe to 14 yards on eight plays.
Wetumpka didn’t get its first first down of the second half until late in the fourth quarter.
Miller gave the Eagles the lead for good on a 21-yard kick with 6:52 left in the third period.
After an Indians turnover, Adams capped Oak Mountain’s drive with a 9-yard run at the 4:09 mark in the third.
Josh Gaines, with 39 seconds left in the period, took the Adams handoff and sprinted through the heart of the Indians defense for a 33-yard touchdown, capping a 52-yard drive.
Gaines pushed the ball into the end zone at the 6:02 mark in the fourth quarter capping a 41-yard Eagles drive.
The Indians will travel to face Prattville next week while the Eagles will host Stanhope Elmore.