For a half, Damascus looked like it might finally have an answer for Oakdale. Then the Bears did what they’ve been doing all season…took over.
Oakdale remained unbeaten Friday night with a 30-3 victory over Damascus, improving to 4-0 and handing the Hornets their first loss of the season. It was another convincing win in a rivalry that has been painfully one-sided the last two years, but this time Damascus made the Bears work for it early.
The Hornets struck first after Oakdale quarterback Dylan Ohm was intercepted on the Bears’ opening drive, setting Damascus up for senior kicker Colton North’s field goal and an early 3-0 lead. That was about as good as it got for the Hornets.
Ohm settled in and eventually put his fingerprints all over the game, throwing for 276 yards and three touchdowns while adding 50 yards rushing and a field goal. His biggest connection came with senior receiver Joziah Cobb, who hauled in four passes for 85 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown that helped turn the game in Oakdale’s favor.
Damascus did its best to hang around. Ohm threw another interception in the second quarter when his end-zone pass was tipped into the hands of sophomore linebacker Nate Kellner, while senior running back MJ Sullivan gave the Hornets some life on the ground. Sullivan rushed for 68 yards in the first half as Damascus leaned heavily on its biggest offensive playmaker.
The Hornets also came up with timely defensive plays to prevent Oakdale from completely running away with the game early. Junior defensive lineman Christian Mendez helped stop an Oakdale scoring opportunity in the third quarter with a pair of plays in the end zone, tackling Charlie Alt and batting away a pass intended for the senior receiver.
Eventually, however, Oakdale’s depth and firepower won out. The Bears pulled away in the second half, turning what had been a competitive game into another comfortable victory. While the 30-3 final was an improvement from the 49-0 and 43-0 losses Damascus suffered against Oakdale the previous two seasons, the Bears once again walked away with a decisive win.
Damascus falls to 3-1 after its first loss of the season and will look to bounce back quickly. Rockville travels to Damascus Thursday night for the Hornets’ next matchup.
