CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- For most teams, an 11-2 season would be more than satisfactory. Oscar Smith, however, wants much more than that, especially with its rich football history and tradition.
Teams with the Tigers on their schedules know what they're getting. Smith has been one of the best programs in Hampton Roads for the better part of the last two decades, which puts a bulls-eye squarely on the squad's back every single week.
"We are one of the biggest around here, so people play us like it's their last game," junior cornerback and wide receiver Jahmari DeLoatch pointed out. "To us it's like alright, we're going to show them that we're still the top."
Last year, however, saw the Tigers ousted earlier than they expected, falling to Western Branch in the second round of the playoffs. That ended their quest for three consecutive state titles, after claiming the Class 6 crown in 2020 (spring of 2021) and 2021.
"It did sting pretty bad," DeLoatch said. "There were a lot of doubters and it was like we proved them right, so it did kind of hurt. We're looking to change that this year."
"It humbled us a little bit," added senior offensive and defensive tackle Cameryn Heath. "We've done a good job this offseason of remembering what happened and how that felt."
"It hurt pretty bad," said senior defensive end Jerrod Wilson. "Now we just got back to work. Time to get a state title."
The road back to the top of the mountain will not be an easy one. Region 6A is getting a little bit tougher this year with the addition of last season's Class 5 state champion Highland Springs. Western Branch is the defending region champion and Manchester and Thomas Dale from the Richmond area present tough challenges as well if Oscar Smith meets them in the postseason. That's not shaking this team's confidence.
"We take that on with a full head of steam," Heath said. "It's something that's always going to be there in the game of football. You're always going to have new challenges."
The Tigers' goals stretch far beyond the region. They want to get back to the top of the state, which is right where they feel they belong.
"State title," Wilson said of the team's hopes for 2023. "Anything else is a failure."
"We are working to get there," added DeLoatch. "I know we can get there, it just takes a lot of discipline and confidence. It takes a lot of that for us to get there and I feel like we've got it so we're going to be good."
"We definitely have a big weight on our shoulders," Heath noted. "The class of '23 seniors didn't go out quite like we wanted them to, so it's really up to us to get us back as a program to where we know we can be and where we know we should be."
Oscar Smith kicks off its 2023 season on August 25 at Hermitage.
