War Eagles wanting payback

OAK RIDGE NORTH, Texas – With a full year under his belt as head coach of the Oak Ridge High School football team, Dereck Rush looks for significant strides in the program as the 2013 season approaches.

Rush, who came to Oak Ridge in April 2012, said he feels the War Eagles are making progress.

“Offseason was great for us,” Rush said. “We learned what our kids could do, what they couldn’t do. Spring football was a step in the right direction. Our kids learned our system offensively and defensively. I’m very positive about that as well.”

Building character, Rush said, goes hand in hand with building a program; “I’m a big character-building guy and I teach my kids character. The impact that we have on kids day in and day out is something I’m not ever going to take for granted. I’m going to do my best to make sure the kids are doing things correctly on the field and off the field.”

On the field, sophomore quarterback Braden Letney (6-2, 200) learned a lot from last year. Letney saw action as a freshman in the War Eagles’ 1-9 season.

“We took our growing pains with that as well,” Rush said. “(Letney) has been to a lot of camps this summer and we’re definitely excited to see him this coming year.”

Letney scored a touchdown on a long run in a scrimmage last week with Klein Forest.

After taking their lumps in 2012, the War Eagles look for some payback this season. Eight players return on offense and six on defense, according to Rush.

“We played a lot of sophomores and juniors last year and hopefully we can see the return this year,” he said.

Senior Grant Homrighaus, second team all-district, anchors an offensive line tasked with providing Letney protection as well as opening running lanes for junior second team all-district running back Kwami Etwi.

Seniors DeMarcus and JaMarcus Durst, both honorable mention all-district selections, are also reliable weapons in the War Eagles’ attack.

Defensively, junior John Williams (6-3, 275) bolsters the line after earning second team all-district honors a year ago. Senior linebacker Clayton Grett, who picked off a pair of passes in the scrimmage with Klein Forest, is a leader along with defensive backs Tyler Marcel (second team all-district) and Llewelldyn Jones (honorable mention all-district).

“It’s definitely an exciting time around Oak Ridge High School,” Rush said. “We’re looking forward to the upcoming season and taking this program to a new height.”

The War Eagles open the 2013 season at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Woodforest Stadium where they host Cy-Falls. It’s the first of five games that Oak Ridge will play at the site. The War Eagles host Stratford there at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, before welcoming in Aldine Nimitz for a 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 contest.

Homecoming is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at Woodforest Stadium where the War Eagles close the 2013 season with The Woodlands at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8.

Oak Ridge will play a rare home game at Conroe’s Buddy Moorhead Stadium against A&M Consolidated at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25.

Road games include a 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, meeting at Aldine; a 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, encounter at Bryan; a 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, date at Conroe (Moorhead Stadium) and a 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, clash at Lufkin.