Mountain State football fans eagerly await the return of high school football this fall.
The marquee event should be the road to the AA state championship.
Powerhouses like Martinsburg in AAA and Wheeling Central in A will both likely make their annual Super Six appearances. Those fanbases never tire of championship glory—nor should they. Who doesn’t like winning?
But for everyone else, a new face or even a new victor hoisting that championship trophy is a welcome prospect.
If variety is what ye seek, then look no further than AA.
Defending champion and fellow state power Bridgeport has enrolled just enough students to necessitate a bump to AAA.
The remaining three final four participants are all expecting big things in 2020 and return a host of talent.
There’s also Poca to contend with, which fell 25-20 at home in the quarterfinal round.
But lest we not forget about bears of gold from way up north, way up on the hill overlooking the uppermost of the Upper Ohio Valley.
Oak Glen awoke from a lengthy playoff slumber last season, finished 10-0 despite receiving little respect and even less love from computer rankings.
Sitting at No. 6, head coach Ted Arneault’s charges steamrolled visiting Wyoming East in the first round before pulling off the huge road win against No. 3 Poca and eventual Kennedy Winner Ethan Payne.
The Indians ended OG’s season a week later, 38-7, but not before that team from way up North put others on notice that yes, they were for real.
Correction: Are for real.
That’s because Oak Glen returns all but seven of its players from 2019, including one of the state’s most dynamic offensive weapons in senior Hunter Patterson.
The Bears Are Growing
Oak Glen, as a school, has plenty of championship history, from wrestling, to volleyball, and even individual efforts in track and field. But football?
Ted Arneault took enters year five at the New Manchester helm. His first two seasons were not successful wins and losses wise (back-to-back 2-8 seasons). But the foundation for future success was laid. The next year Oak Glen finished 5-5 and things started to look up.
But few outside northern Hancock County could have predicted what unfolded during the 2019 season.
Led by seven seniors and a junior class bursting with talent, the Bears capped the perfect 10-0 regular season with an exclamation point victory against Grafton. The team’s first playoff home game and trip to the semifinals were icing on a delectable cake.
Lumps went from being endured to dished out. This preseason, the team is looking at the freshman class with developmental eyes, not sympathetic.
“In 2017, we started five freshmen on each side of the ball,” Arneault recalled. “I don’t anticipate any freshman playing varsity this year. They’ll get a chance to grow and develop, come into their own.
“It’ll be fun to watch.”
So will the varsity.
L-O-A-D-E-D
Patterson’s face is featured on the offensive marquee and rightfully so. He rushed for 1,264 yards as a junior and also led the team with 791 yards receiving. Those totals, plus his 24 offensive touchdowns resulted in a first-team all-W.Va. season.
Not since the days of Derrick Stickles senior season has a Golden Bear produced that type of offensive dominance.
And … he’s not alone.
Paxton Shuman barreled his way to 938 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns last season. Gage Patterson added 344 on the ground and 617 and nine through the air. Don’t sleep on quarterback Nick Chaney either. Chaney completed 118 passes for 2,141 yards and 26 TDs against 12 picks.
It’s a balanced offense that can score in lots of different ways. It’s also one that returns the majority of its offensive line.
Defensively, lineman Kyler O’Connor and defensive back Brayden Mineard anchor a stout unit, along with Gage Patterson, who was second-team defensive captain in 2019.
Safe to say, this is the senior classes’ time to shine.
“You could say our seniors are trailblazers in many ways,” Arneault said. “We hadn’t won the conference since 1965. We’d never made the state semis before, never finished 10-0.
“They really set the bar high and it’d be a shame if they didn’t get a chance to showcase their talents and finish out their careers. This is a special group of kids that have worked really hard.
“They deserve a season.”
They do deserve a season. So do all the other athletes waiting and hoping for good news from the WVSSAC about fall sports.
But this season has the potential to be extra special for the Golden Bears. While their program is certainly growing, these kinds of lofty expectations are uncharted territory.
Putting in the Work
While COVID has forced a few modifications to Oak Glen’s summer offseason and preseason efforts, it hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm.
“We had 37 kids come out in 2016 and we’ve seen a steady increase since then,” Arneault said. “Success follows success and we have more than 50 out this year.
“It’s a great thing to see and be a part of, the players falling in love with Oak Glen football again.”
As have the fans. The Golden Bears’ faithful are raucous in support of their team and willing to make the trek to show said support.
The visitors’ section was packed and loud last November when the Bears played at Poca in the quarterfinals. That near five-hour drive didn’t deter anyone.
“We had great turnouts at both home and away games,” the coach said. “Our fans travel well. They made the lengthy trips and showed up in numbers. We had great outpouring of support.”
Thus far they’ve had a great outpouring of luck as well.
Given the practice modifications, less full-on contact has led to less injuries and, so far, the major injury bug has steered clear of camp.
There was one minor arboreal disagreement involving one of the players resulting in a minor injury, but he’s been cleared to play.
About that Foundation
Arneault knows that to truly build a program, you have to start from the ground up. When talking high school football, that ground constitutes the youth and middle school teams that feed into OGHS.
When he was hired, Arneault put a new coach in place at the lower levels and tried to streamline the program. That coach, Jason Wiley, is currently on the varsity staff and the new junior high coaches are following a similar regiment.
“I tried to work with the middle school administration and the Jr. Bears to incorporate more of a beginning to end program,” the coach said. “I feel like most successful programs in the Ohio Valley have great communication and interaction with the junior leagues and middle schools. I try to have a presence whenever I can.”
A model of efficiency is nearby Steubenville Big Red. From youth leagues to Harding Middle and up to Big Red, there is a reason SHS reloads each season.
There’s both coaching and message continuity with a clear goal.
“I got to observe their practice the other day. The middle school is practicing in the same location, all on one campus, and it’s great to see that type of atmosphere,” Arneault said. “When you encourage the kids to buy into the program, it yields a lot better long-term results and we’re looking to establish that here.”
