A year ago, the Oak Hall Eagles were breaking in a new head coach. Going into the 2025 season, the Eagles are technically breaking in a new coach again.
RJ Fuhr stepped down as the Eagles’ head coach after six seasons and took the job as an assistant coach at Union County in June 2024.
Randy Brower took over as interim coach, but the Eagles lost their offensive leader, quarterback Dakota Brower, in an opening week loss at Bell. Dakota returned near the end of the regular season, but Oak Hall struggled to a 4-6 record, their first losing mark in 10 years.
Fuhr announced in January that he would return to Oak Hall as head coach, returning to a young Eagles team.
“We will probably dress 28, 12 are going to be freshman, and three eighth graders,” Fuhr said. “We made an emphasis in January on the weight room. We have a lot of kids playing multiple sports because we’re a small school, so we have to share athletes. A lot of kids were playing spring sports were still able to find their way into the weight room.”
Fuhr said this is one of the most tight-knit groups he has seen in his 12 years at Oak Hall.
“From a size standpoint, from team roster size to the size of the kids, we don’t win many eye tests,” Fuhr said. “Our kids are tough, though, and I’m excited to see the team get going and see all of this offseason work come to fruition.”
Fuhr said he returned to Oak Hall after one year away because he missed being a head coach. He wasn’t sure how the players would feel about him coming back.
“I was a little apprehensive, I wasn’t sure how it would be received because I left,” Fuhr said. “And I left in June, so it wasn’t the greatest time, but the players were very welcoming and the transition went as well as could be expected.”
First things first, the Eagles must replace dual-threat quarterback Dakota Brower. Senior Aaron Akins takes over as the starter. Akins played last year when Brower was injured.
“Every week we expect to go 1-0 as we go through the season,” Akins said. “We want to take the next game and put the last one behind us and continue to progress and get better.”
Akins was Oak Hall’s second leading receiver with 14 receptions for 311 yards and four touchdowns last year.
“The past few years, Aaron was our best receiver,” Fuhr said. “His football IQ and his athleticism lends him to move to quarterback. He was one of the first calls I made when it was official I was coming back. I told him he would be a returning captain and would be the starting quarterback. Great leader.”
Oak Hall will also replace graduated running back/wide receiver Briggs Copeland, who went over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving and had 19 touchdowns.
Akins’ brother, Andrew, will anchor both offensive and defensive lines as a junior.
“Andrew is our starting nose guard and starting guard, and we require a lot from him,” Fuhr said.
Also returning is junior Tyler Peera, who is starting at linebacker and fullback. Fuhr says Peera is intense, and sometimes they have to ratchet him back in practice.
Another senior, Austin Provencher, will also anchor both lines. Provencher has played all three offensive line positions while at Oak Hall.
Oak Hall’s schedule has a very rural feel to it. The Eagles, who are in the Sunshine State Athletic Association, open the regular season a week earlier than FHSAA teams. Oak Hall hosts Bell on Aug.15 in its opener, as they look to avenge a 42-21 loss at Bell to open 2024.
“You have to stop the run and run the football to be successful. Those will be Herculean tasks against Bell,” Fuhr said. “They are big up front and that will wear you down. Because it’s the first game, we’ve been watching a lot of film on them and we hope to be ready to go.”
Oak Hall hits the road the following week to take on another rural classification team, Bronson. Two more road games follow at Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) and Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) before returning home on Sept. 12 for Branford.
After a bye week, the Eagles host P.K. Yonge and then travel to Trenton the following week.
The season concludes with home games against Jacksonville schools Old Plank Christian Academy and North Florida Education Institute, sandwiched around a road game at St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine).
“St. Joe’s has always been a big rivalry going back to the North Florida Football Conference,” Fuhr said. “That’s always a competitive game. P.K. is one that is circled on the schedule. That’s a rivalry despite the fact we’ve only played each other twice.”
Oak Hall Eagles
2024 Final Record: 4-6
2024 Playoffs: Lost at St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine), 52-20, in SSAA 5A first round
Head coach: RJ Fuhr
Years as Head Coach: 7th season
Classification: Sunshine State Athletic Conference
Players to watch:
Aaron Akins (QB, Sr.)
Andrew Akins (C/NT, Jr.)
Andrew Provencher (OL/DL, Sr.)
Tyler Peera (LB/FB, Jr.)
Key games:
Aug. 15 vs. Bell
Sept. 12 vs. Branford
Sept. 26 vs. P.K Yonge
Oct. 3 at Trenton
Oct. 17 at St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine)