FOOTBALL: Line debuts at Oxford with shutout win over L’Anse Creuse North
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
OXFORD — The Zach Line era for Oxford football was ushered in by the strangest of fashions.
Less than 24 hours after Oxford’s game with rival Lake Orion was cancelled due to a couple of Lake Orion’s players allegedly testing positive for COVID-19, the Wildcats picked up Macomb L’Anse Creuse North as its first opponent in the midnight hours on Thursday night.
On Friday night in what was the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Oxford showcased a new kind of offense that split both the run and pass game and posted a dominating 34-0 shutout of visiting Macomb L’Anse Creuse North.
“We’re thankful that it all worked out that we were still able to play game,” said Line. “The boys were all set to play Lake Orion and finally play a game. Thanks to LCN for agreeing to play us.”
Oxford set itself up with great field position all night against L’Anse Crease North, and forced the Crusaders into punting on their first three possessions. The Wildcats also forced four total punts, gained the ball over on downs twice, picked up three fumbles and recorded an interception in a dominating defensive effort.
“The biggest thing we talk about is playing the game on their end of the field. Mistakes are magnified. I think you saw that tonight. Turnovers turn into quick touchdowns. Any time you turn the ball over in your own red zone, it’s not good,” noted Line, a 2008 graduate of Oxford and a recently retired NFL player. “You look in the NFL, college — it doesn’t matter where — teams that make the playoffs and make deep runs, their turnover ratio is a plus. So that’s what we’re shooting for, and that’s the biggest stat other than the final score on the board is turnovers. So we’re looking for them. We’re stripping at the ball, and I think they did a good job of that tonight.
“We forced some turnovers in their end, and forced them to punt on several occasions,” continued Line. “We had great field position on several of our drives.”
Oxford scored on its second, third and fourth possessions in building a swift 21-0 lead early in the second quarter to take control. By halftime, the Wildcats held a comfortable 27-0 advantage.
Oxford also scored on its first possession of the second half to cap the scoring. Six times the Wildcats started drives inside L’Anse Creuse North territory.
Tate Myre had two rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns, contributed 12 carries for 46 yards and hauled in three catches for 86 yards for good measure to lead Oxford.
“We move it around a little bit. Week to week we’ll change, but I thought that was a good opportunity especially to get some more guys in,” offered Line. “I thought we did a good job of mixing in the run with the passing game.”
Sophomore quarterback Brady Carpenter, who saw some action as a starter last season, finished a respectable 12-for-17 passing for 206 yards — the highest single-game passing total by an Oxford quarterback in some 15 years.
Oxford struck on its second series, and it took just three plays to reach the end zone. Myre hauled in a 50-yard scoring toss from Carpenter with 2:42 remaining in the first quarter.
The score proved to be the game-winning points, but not the last time the Wildcats would reach the goal line.
Myre ran around left for a 5-yard touchdown run with 1:38 to go in the opening quarter, then converted on a 1-yard plunge up the gut for a 21-0 lead with 10:38 still to go in the half.
Sal Vackaro pushed the advantage to 27-0 at the break when he scored on a 2-yard run.
Oxford opened the second half with another scoring drive, this time putting together a nine-play, 70-yard series with Myre capped the scoring when he caught a 36-yard bullet from Carpenter.
Brennen Mielnicki made 4-of-5 extra point attempts for Oxford. Myre had a sack and recovered a fumble, Tommy Rineer and Joe Roeher also recovered fumbles and Jake Dawood snared an interception for Oxford.
While L’Anse Creuse North did force a pair of turnovers, the Crusaders failed to convert those into successful drives and points to gain back any type of momentum.
“(What) we want to base our team on defensively is we have to cause turnovers. Unfortunately tonight we didn’t win the turnover battle. That’s going to happen,” said LCN coach Pat Dailey. “I guess what they say is start over again. Let’s build from the ground up. You don’t have to tear everything down, but you’ve just got to fix a lot of mental mistakes and physical mistakes. The kids have to say, ‘hey, I want to run through a brick wall.’”
The Crusaders were held to only 36 yards on the ground, 68 passing yards and just five first downs. On its 10 possessions, LCN was only able to sneak into Oxford territory three times — all in the second half — and only penetrated down to the Wildcats’ 33 in the third quarter before turning the ball over.
“I give (them) credit. Oxford is going to be a good team. They were prepared,” said Dailey. “I told our players tonight before the game that the team that is going to win this game is going to make the least mental mistakes and is going to be the most physical, and that’s what Oxford did.”
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