"It helps the kids buy in": How Oak Hall football has built a winner despite small enrollment

Much of the high school football discussion in Gainesville tends to center around the three public high schools.

From whether Buchholz can win it all this year, to whether GHS can turn its program around, it's usually focused on the Bobcats, Purple Hurricanes and Eastside Rams.

But on the west side of Gainesville sits Oak Hall. The private school has an enrollment of just 241 students.

Yet, the Eagles punch well above their weight on the gridiron.

Oak Hall is 5-0 to start the 2023 season after a perfect 8-0 season in 2022. The team broke its own school record for points with a 74-32 drubbing of Eagle’s View Friday night.

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How success was built at Oak Hall football

Coach RJ Fuhr said the record serves as a catch-22 since he doesn’t want to appear like he’s running up the score.

“It is a good thing,” Fuhr said. “Knowing our offense is firing on all cylinders.”

The Eagles have fired on multiple cylinders since Fuhr took over three games into the 2018 season.

Since the start of the 2019 season, OH has gone 36-7, and 28-3 since the beginning of 2020.

Fuhr credits the run of success to Oak Hall’s setup. Since it is a 6-12 school, players have mastered Fuhr’s system by their high school years. This is helped furthermore by continuity in the coaching staff.

“It helps the kids buy in,” Fuhr said. “It doesn’t hurt that you are having winning seasons, so kids want to play for that.”

Pair of juniors steal the show

This season, Fuhr helms a talented roster led by a pair of juniors – RB Briggs Copeland and QB Dakota Brower.

The dual-threat Brower has thrown for 418 yards and run for another 218 with a total of nine TDs. Copeland has rushed for a team-leading 316 yards and six TDs and served as Brower’s primary pass-catcher with 128 receiving yards.

In general, though, Brower has excelled in finding different receivers. Four WRs have recorded at least 90 yards.

“(They have) really been on the same page and have been able to loosen up the defense by throwing the ball downfield,” Fuhr said. “As soon as they move that safety up, we can spread it and throw.”

Fuhr said Brower grew in height and athleticism in the offseason, which contributed to his improved play.

“In all my years of coaching, he’s probably the best athlete I’ve ever coached,” Fuhr said. “Just in terms of his speed and athleticism.”

Oak Hall’s bread and butter still comes in the run game with Copeland, Brower and senior Abram Jenkins, who’s rushed for 220 yards through the five games.

“Briggs and Abram are a thunder and lightning,” Fuhr proclaimed. “Briggs is the lightning with speed and outside run. Abram is 5’10”, 240 and that ground and pound guy.”

No recruiting disadvantage here

Due to its enrollment size, Oak Hall plays in the Sunshine State Athletic Association, not the FHSAA. This means that Eagles don’t play in the organization’s postseason while playing other small schools.

Only two of Oak Hall’s eight games this season are against FHSAA schools.

In the past, this has hurt recruiting. However, Fuhr maintains that Oak Hall has managed to build a solid recruiting system.

“We’re sending kids to the next level,” Fuhr said. “Our tight end from last year is at Carnegie Mellon. A lot of smaller schools, yes, but great schools academically.”

The growth of social media and services like Hudl also help. Fuhr said both Copeland and Brower have visited Western Carolina University.

“In the spring, I had 14 coaches in my office, and one, at FIU, their offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach, he said, ‘look in this day in age of Twitter and Hudl, if you can play, we’ll find you,'” Fuhr said.

The Eagles close their season with home games against Harvest Community (2-3) and Cedar Creek Christian (0-5) before concluding on the road at Master’s Academy (4-1).

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: How Oak Hall football has built a winner despite small enrollment?