Orange eager for season’s start

Staff report
Published: August 28, 2008

Last season, the Orange County High School varsity football team finished the season with five straight wins after a 2-3 start.  But despite a number of blow-out district wins, the Hornets fell just short of a Region II postseason bid, finishing the regular season 7-3, and placing second in the Jefferson District (5-1) to Monticello.
Looking at the 2008 season, Orange coach John Kayajanian is optimistic, especially with quarterback Quintin Hunter under center.
“We’ve got some good kids,“ said Coach K, beginning his 14th year as the head coach in Orange. “If we can keep Quintin healthy and give him time to make plays, hopefully we’ll win some games.“
From what he’s seen so far this season, protecting the talented Hunter may be Orange’s biggest challenge. The fleet-footed, strong-armed senior returns after a standout season a year ago that culminated in an early commitment to play football for the University of Virginia.
Friday night’s exhibition game against Madison showed what can happen when Hunter has time to make plays, and what happens when the blocking breaks down.
“A lot of teams are going to send the house at us,“ Coach K said. “You saw that Friday night. Sometimes, Quintin can make some plays and sometimes he gets pressured.“
The Hornets were two starters short on the offensive line, but still need to improve their pass protection and run blocking to be effective, Kayajanian said.
“We can spread the field, but when we get inside the 10 yard line, we’ve got to be able to punch the ball into the end zone,“ he said. “We’ll spread the ball all over the field, but we still need to run the ball. And when we get down on the goal line, that’s when it becomes a matter of desire. You’ve got to want it. If we can’t punch it in, we can’t be effective.“
The coach referred to Orange’s second drive Friday night against Madison where it couldn’t score from first and goal on the Madison three-yard line.
Still, he’s hoping the offensive unit can gel with Hunter at the helm. Sturdy running back Dominic Walker returns as the Hornets’ primary ball carrier, but speedy junior Darryus Gilliam will get a number of carries as well as the Hornets hope to use his speed to their advantage. Sophomore Tyrone Ellis will be part of the mix in the backfield as well.
“We’ve got a little more speed than we’ve had in the past,“ Coach K noted.
Meanwhile, Hunter will be throwing to a number of new targets on the outside this season in sophomore Amir Waller and senior Shane Atkins. Linebackers Shane Oehmke and Kevin Devine will spend time on offense trying to catch passes in addition to trying to break them up on defense.
Despite Orange’s inconsistent offensive play, Kayajanian was pleased with his team’s defensive effort and how the Hornets are shaping up off the ball.
“Our defense was against the wall the other night and came up big,“ he said. In fact, the Hornets’ first two scores against Madison were defensive touchdowns-one a fumble recovery, the other a 97-yard interception return.
Senior David Britten anchors the defense from his middle linebacker position, and gets plenty of help from Oehmke and linemen Dakota Connell and Louis Daniel.
“They chase our spread offense all around the field in practice, but they’re tough enough to take on a team that pounds the ball as well,“ Kayajanian said.
Considering his team’s goals for the coming season, Coach K said it’s all about winning the district.
“When you’re in a district, you’ve got to focus on winning that district,“ he said. “We can lose a game out of the district, but if we win all our games in the district, we can make the playoffs.“
Once again, the Jefferson District shapes up with Monticello expected to be the top team, with a challenge from Louisa and Orange for the top spot.
“Those are tremendous teams that have been tough for us to beat,“ Coach K said. “They’ve been our nemesis.“ A year ago, Orange beat Louisa by a touchdown but fell to Monticello 61-42.
Orange has this week off while it prepares for its official season-opener Friday, Sept. 5 against Culpeper in Orange.
“We’ve got some great kids,“ the coach concluded. “We need a little more leadership in the huddle because none of the coaches can be out on the field and it can’t always be Quintin. Sometimes, things are going to be tough, but that’s football.“

When Dave Rabe looks out at his OCHS junior varsity football team he sees a potentially exciting offense with a number of returning skill players. At the same time, he sees a defensive secondary and an offensive line that need some work.
Sophomore Cameron Hughes will be the JV quarterback and has the arm and ability to spread the offense around the field, coach Rabe said. The Hornets also have a number of quick freshman running backs to grind out yards on the ground.
The team’s other strength, the coach noted, would be its defensive line, which blends a couple of freshmen with two sophomores as the junior Hornet’s defensive front.
“If we can improve our defensive secondary and our offensive line play, then we might be able to turn some heads this season,“ Rabe said.
The JV Hornets open the 2008 season next Wednesday at Culpeper at 7 p.m. Their first home game is Sept. 17 against Spotsylvania.