Oakdale High School Football, the 2023 state champs, are getting hot and ready for the season ahead of them. With a 2-2 record going into week 5, the coaches and players are ready to continue building themselves up. It’s clear the team has strengths and weaknesses that they carry along with them. “They’re a team, these guys like playing with each other and it goes a long way when you like the guys you play with cause you back them up no matter what,” Coach Chad Steiner states, “Whether it’s good or bad or something goes wrong, like I said they don’t flinch, they just go on to the next play.”
After the game against Frederick two weeks ago, Oakdale played one of their best games, beating them by 1 point with a touchdown with just 10 minutes left in the game with a 12 point differential. This led the final to be 41-40 and another big win for Oakdale. The team’s other win against Allegany ended with a score of 29-6 and had 4 touchdowns and 1 safety.
Last week, Oakdale had a big loss against our rivals, Linganore High School. The game was 28-12 and now the Lancers stand at 4-0 giving Oakdale the loss. Oakdale and Linganore have had a long-time rivalry and got to play against each other at Maryland state’s last season.
Oakdale’s football team this season looks different from last year’s state champions where they went 14-0. Despite this, Coach Steiner has faith in the team to make it back to the playoffs again this season. “Our kids know that the best football that we have to play is in November, and I think they are working towards that. Even after the tough loss on Friday against Linganore, all our kids kept saying ‘We’ll get them again’ ‘We’ll see them again’,” Steiner explains.
“I think we have a legit shot to make it far in the playoffs and win another state title.” voiced Oakdale senior and wide receiver, Mason Lecroy.
The mental preparation for the season and continuing into playoffs is a major part of how the games are for the rest of the season. Coach Steiner believes their key mindset is to take it easy for the upcoming week and not get too excited or nervous until game time. By Thursday, the team is ready to play and have a good outlook on the game. They watch lots of films about football and guide the team together to have the same mindset. They have lots of practice to make sure they are physically prepared and set up a plan for the upcoming game.
Oakdale’s next matchup is October 4th, against the undefeated Middletown Knights at home field. This game is Oakdale’s Homecoming game, so there are high hopes for another Oakdale win this week.
