Scorpions show out as the fall season comes to a close
With fall sports coming to an end, the Scorps are now in the most important time of their season. From football and soccer to field hockey and the first official season of girls flag football, teams have spent the past month competing and working toward finishing their season strong and achieving all their goals for the rest of the fall.
Varsity Football: The Scorps have started off on a hot streak with a current record of 6-1 (as of October 23rd), with wins over teams like Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Perry Hall, Hammond, and Wilde Lake, as well as a revenge win over Glenelg, getting payback against the Gladiators who knocked the Scorps out of the playoffs last year. The team has its sights set high for the rest of the season, as many members have stated their goal is to bring another state title to our school.
Varsity Volleyball: Varsity volleyball has been off to a slow start with only one win against City College as of October 23rd. However, many of the players say their record doesn’t reflect their effort. Junior Eunice Ji says there has been major improvement compared to last season. Although some results have not gone the way the team wanted, Ji said they have continued to work and improve. One of the team’s main goals this season is to be relentless and continue pushing through challenges. Ji said the team wants to finish the year feeling like they accomplished something and improved from where they started.
Varsity Boys Soccer: Varsity boys soccer has had a strong start to its season, being 10-1-1 as of October 23rd, including a win over county rival Reservoir. The team’s goal for the rest of the season is to win its remaining games and make a deep playoff run. Juniors Nick Hamman and Fuat Canli both say they are excited to prove a lot of people wrong in this second half of the season and bring home some silverware for the Scorps.
Varsity Girls Soccer: Varsity girls soccer has had a difficult season, currently standing at 0-11-1, and are not currently the favorites to make a run in the playoffs. Their main highlight of the season was a 0-0 tie against Hammond, where their defense was a silver lining. Nonetheless the girls continue to fight for every point and should not be considered down and out.
Varsity Field Hockey: Varsity field hockey has also had a slow start to the fall season; they continue to march through their schedule with a record of 0-11 as of October 23rd.. Freshman Charlotte Whittemore, who plays midfield and forward, said many players are still learning the rules, but she does not think the team’s lack of experience has hurt them much on the field. Whittemore believes one of the team’s biggest strengths is how close everyone has become. She described the team as friendly and said the players get along well. However, she believes communication is one area where they still need to improve because players are not always on the same page. Many players have said the team’s main goal isn’t quite as lofty as other sports, like winning a state title; however, they want to continue improving and try to win as many games as possible.
Girls Flag Football: Girls flag football is playing its first season as an official sport after previously operating as a club. So far, the team has started 6-3 as of October 23rd and has already won their first game in the playoffs. One of the biggest moments of the season came against Wilde Lake, when Oakland Mills won 42-0. Victoria Williams said the game was especially exciting because Wilde Lake is one of Oakland Mills’ rivals. Williams said one of the team’s biggest strengths has been how close the players are. She described being on the team as similar to hanging out with a group of friends and believes that relationship carries over onto the field.“Even if we’re losing a game, just because we’re all not getting mad at each other and we’re so close, that makes us feel like we’re winning,” Williams said.With the season continuing, the team hopes to keep winning games and put itself in position to reach the state championship as the fall season enters its final weeks,
Varsity Cheer: The varsity cheer team has been supporting the Scorps on the sideline while also preparing for their own competitions. The first competition of the season was a Franklin High School Invitational on October 22nd. OM finished 4th in the tough 1A/2A division. On October 28th, the cheerleaders competed in the County Championship, which is the qualifier for the Regional competition. The cheer squad, unlike the other fall sports, still has a long time to keep improving as they are still active in the winter season.
Summary: Oakland Mills teams still have plenty left to play for. Whether that means making a playoff run, improving as a team, or winning a state championship, these upcoming weeks will prove to be a defining moment in these athletes’ high school athletic careers as they move towards the end of the fall 26-27 season.
