Oxford’s offense: Back row, left to right: Nate Rodriguez (Senior, RT 6-1, 240), Dylan Ricketts (Senior, RG 6-0, 230), Sam Blevins (Senior, C 6-0 250), Colin Lilly (Senior, LG 6-0. 225), Michael Anthony (Junior, LT 5-9. 200). Front Row, left to right: Tim Faber (Junior, RB 5-9, 165), Brett Kochmansky (Senior, QB 6-0 170. Photo by Al Thompson

OXFORD: When you are a new head football coach taking over a program that has taken its share of lumps over recent year, it is not so much acquiring talent from the student body, it’s important for sure, but the most important element to building a program is developing a winning attitude.

Michael Means coached football at Bohemia Manor High School in Maryland for ten years, serving as offensive coordinator for six. In five of those six years, the team advanced to the regional playoffs.
So when he took over the Oxford (PA) High School program for the 2015 season, he was accustomed to winning and brought that mentality with him.

“Our entire focus as a coaching staff has transitioned over the last four years that I have been at Oxford,” Means told Footballstories recently. “In the beginning it was ramping up the weight program and getting kids to buy into the off-season program, which the kids absolutely did. Over the last two years we didn’t need to push our off-season program as much because the players now police themselves.”

After back-to-back 3-7 seasons under Means, the Hornets finished the 2017 regular season with a record of 6-4. They lost in the first round of the District one 5A playoffs to a red-hot Marple Newtown team.
But the taste of success was there. Means could see his players wanted more.

“They know what the expectation is to play football and they are willing to make that sacrifice,” Means said. “That allowed us, especially this past off-season, to go all-in on building the culture and brotherhood of this team. It has evolved over the past two years to something we feel is really special. Our motto is ’11 as 1′ and we strive to have our guys live by it every day. The closer the players are off the field, the more they will strive to do whatever it takes for their brothers on the field. We may not have the most talent on the field every week, but we have a group of guys who I know will give maximum effort in the weight room, track, practice field, and the game field and that allows us to compete.”

In 2018, the Hornets jumped out to a 3-0 start including impressive win over Interboro (50-27) and Owen J Roberts (28-9).

On September 14, reality hit hard. In the first quarter against undefeated Penn Wood, who had knocked off traditional PA powerhouse Pennsbury, Oxford lost senior quarterback Brett Kochmansky after he was hit by a helmet in the knee as he carried the ball for a first down on a quarterback sneak.
Oxford’s prolific offense struggled and the Hornets lost their first game of the season to the Patriots 28-7.

“It was an off week,” Kochmansky said recently outside the team’s weight room appropriately named “The Pit,” ”We came in thinking we were going to do a lot. We had it in our heads we were 3-0. We weren’t coming out with the intensity we’d had earlier.”

The Hornets also lost junior running back Tim Faber (Junior, RB 5’9 165) early in the fourth quarter after getting banged up. “I think that held us back,” Kochmansky said.

But Kochmansky wanted to make it clear they were not making excuses, they lost.

“Out motto is ’11 as I,’” said Kochmansky, who lists Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as his favorit NFL player. “[Football] is the biggest team sport. But once a few guys go down, it’s hard to build that back up.”

Oxford players to a man, said they were focused on Unionville for that Friday. But they did admit, in order to be successful, you need vision. Kochmansky talked about team goals.

“I think coming after this (loss), we have to win out,” the 6-foot-0, 170-pound signal caller said. “We have to start winning in the playoffs. Right now I think that Oxford is where we’re going to be at right now for the next couple of years. We rebuilt the program. Our offense and defense is just fast. We only know one speed and that’s fast. And that’s what grinds down teams. I don’t think there’s one team in the 5A that would hold up with us all the way to the fourth quarter. They might match us with athleticism, but they’re not going beat us with their speed, not with speed we have. We play with heart.”

Oxford rebounded from a two-game losing streak and now stand at 4-2 on the season.

Junior running back Tim Faber lists Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey as his favorite NFL player, but the NFL running back he emulates most is Pittsburgh Steelers ball carrier Le’Veon Bell.

“I like to have patience and let my blockers open up the hole for me,” the 5-9, 165-pound Faber said of Bell. “That’s one guy I kid of look at and watch him play.”

The Oxford offensive line will not intimidate people with their program heights and weight. But in person, and on the field they look and play big.

The trench-men are Michael Anthony (Jr left tackle 5-9, 200), Colin Lilly (Sr, LG 6-0, 225), Sam Blevins (Sr, C 6-0 250), Dylan Ricketts (Sr, RG 6-0, 230) and Nate Rodriguez (Sr, RT 6-1, 240).
Faber agrees that his line is a lot tougher that roster stats may show.

“Our linemen are great,” said Faber who was virtually unstoppable against Interboro earlier this year rushing 21 times for 218 yards and two touchdowns. “They all do their job. They just block. I get behind them guys and I get into the open field. Nothing will happen without them.”

He too feels Oxford has turned a corner with regard to gaining a winning attitude.

“I also think we changed the culture this year too,” Faber said. “We have confidence, every game we go in with confidence. Not just this year, but years after.”

On the rest of the season?

“Every one on our team can play…we are ’11 as 1,’” Faber said, repeating what his coach and teammates said. “When we do our job, we can win every game.”

Center Sam Blevins said he also feels there are no teams in 5A football they should fear.

“I think if we play a full game, if we play together as a team, as a unit, and as long as we’re playing for each other, for a common purpose, I think that there is no team we can’t beat,” Blevins said. “I think last week losing (against Penn Wood) was unfortunate. Losing Brett early, early in the game. It was baptism under fire for our backup.”

Blevins was asked if the 2017 Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles were an ideal example of team unity.

“For sure, for sure.” said Blevins, a three-sport athlete who also throws the javelin and shot put in addition to wrestling. “Definitely (Eagles center) Jason Kelce, when he was giving his speech said ‘hungry dogs run faster’ and I tell you what…I think our team is hungry. We got a little taste of what we can do the first three games and I think this week we have to come out and show what we’re capable of.”

Blevins was all-in when talking about his head coach’s plan to make Oxford’s football team a respected program for the foreseeable future. He also credited the players who sacrificed before him.

“I think one thing when coach Means came in here a few years back,” Blevins said. “He wasn’t trying to build one team to just play in the playoffs. He doesn’t want us to be just one-and-done. He’s trying to build a program. And I really feel like we’re starting to build a program. We had two 3-7 seasons in a row and those seniors paved the way for us. I want to pave the way for those coming behind us as well.”

Means summed it up by saying his players and coaches must keep it simple: Believe in each other and work hard.

“We are just striving to continue to get better every single day,” Means said. “And if we do that, we trust that the on the field performance will take care of itself.” *

Follow Al Thompson on Twitter @thompsoniii