With another close victory, confidence is riding high for the young Oakton Cougars football team.
Oakton, just a one-win team last fall, improved to 4-3 Oct. 18 with a 48-47 overtime home victory over the South Lakes Seahawks in Concorde District high-school action.
The OT win was the team’s second in as many weeks, and snapped the team’s 29-game losing streak against district rivals that spanned eight seasons.
South Lakes fell to 2-5, 0-2.
“Our players are having fun and enjoying winning games and being competitive,” Oakton coach Brian Slay said.
Two of Oakton’s losses were by three and seven points. The 48 points were Oakton’s most in a game since late in the 2017 season.
Oakton defeated South Lakes when what would have been a tying Seahawks’ extra point in overtime was deflected by 6-foot-5 junior lineman Wesley Lattus, hit the left upright and bounced away. Just a few minutes earlier, Lattus deflected a South Lakes field goal attempt at the end of regulation.
The Cougars’ winning touchdown in overtime came on a short pass from Jack Martin to Brayden Vazquez, then Collin Henriques booted what became the deciding extra point.
The scoring pass was Martin’s fifth of the game. He was 23 of 33 passing for 288 yards. Oakton gained 415 total yards.
“Our offense needed a game like that,” Slay said. “We have been putting our offense together and it finally produced big.”
Collin Henriques had 11 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown, Ryan Henriques had three catches for 56 yards and two scores, Tim Volciak had two for 43 and Vazquez two for 25 and two TDs. Oakton’s rushing leaders were Martin with 63 yards and Isaiah Coleman with 52. Ryan Henriques had a short touchdown run.
Quinn Smith had a 67-yard kickoff return for an Oakton touchdown.
South Lakes, which has suffered three close losses, also had a productive game on offense, with 432 total yards. Quarterback Mohamed Shuaib was 9 of 16 passing for 203 yards, and he ran for 38 more.
Cody Wood rushed for 99 yards and three touchdowns and Alex Saunders for 54 and three scores. Wood also completed one pass for 23 yards. Nick Picarelli caught three passes for 99 yards, Saunders three for 62 and a TD and Matthew McArthur three for 56. Nicholas Bertoni kicked five extra points.
On defense for Oakton, Jack Pregman, Carson McCullough, Charlie McArter and Qais Khairzad were leading tacklers.
