Prep football: Saks displays offensive firepower in win over Ohatchee

Jared Gravette, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·3 min read

Aug. 20—SAKS — Quarterback Sean Parnell, running back Rickey Garrett and wide receiver Jalen McCants may be gone, but Saks proved Friday night it still has plenty of offensive firepower in a 41-15 season-opening victory over Ohatchee.

Quarterback Gavin Doss, running back Dorrien Walker and wide receiver Jakari Streeter introduced themselves to the crowd at Jack Stewart Field, and it's safe to say the trio made a good first impression

Doss, a junior making his first varsity start at quarterback, finished with 13 carries for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

After Saks forced Ohatchee to turn the ball over on downs with less than 30 seconds to go in the first half, Doss turned in the biggest play of the game, going 84 yards on the next play to give the Wildcats a 21-7 cushion headed into the locker room.

"It gave us a lot of momentum, and to be honest with you, I was very close to just taking a knee and going to halftime," Saks coach Jonathan Miller said. "But, I just thought, heck, we're going to take a shot and see if we can pop one or maybe have a big gainer and get one more play in scoring range.

"When you've got guys that do things with the ball in their hands, you give them a chance to make a play."

Doss' first touchdown run of the night came from 21 yards out and got Saks on the scoreboard in the first quarter. On his final offensive play of the night, he threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Streeter, who finished with two catches for 37 yards and three carries for 66 yards.

Walker carried the ball 14 times for 105 yards and scored touchdowns on runs of 2 and 4 yards.

What to know

—Nicholas Mixson scored Saks' final touchdown of the night on a 6-yard run.

—Ohatchee was hit hard by the injury bug. Senior Devin Howell and junior Jesse Baswell didn't play, and seniors Bryce Noah and Tyler Waters left with injuries. Noah carried the ball nine times for 49 yards and completed 3 of 4 passes for 83 yards before exiting. Waters scored the game's first touchdown on a 1-yard run.

—Ohatchee's Jake Roberson, a member of a large and promising sophomore class, entered at quarterback after Noah left the game. He scored the game's final touchdown on a 5-yard run and successfully converted the ensuing two-point conversion run. He also hauled in a 54-yard reception from Noah earlier in the contest.

Who said

—Miller on Saks' offensive line: "We had a lot of yards rushing, and they were a big reason why."

—Ohatchee's coach Chris Findley on his large sophomore class: "We thought that they were going to have to get some playing time this year, and they kind of got thrown in the fire pretty hardcore tonight. And it may be that going forward, they may get a trial by fire."

Next up

—Saks (1-0) travels to Sylvania next Friday, while Ohatchee (0-1) hosts Wellborn.

Assistant Sports Editor Jared Gravette: 256-235-3572. On Twitter: @Jared_Gravette.