COLUMN: Oxford High’s tremendous athletic balance was firmly on display Wednesday at two different spots across the state and in two different sports.
Just hours after the OHS tennis team won its fifth straight MHSAA state title at Brighton Park in Clinton, Oxford’s boys golf team wrapped up its third state title, and first since 1998, at the Columbus Country Club.
It’s tough for any school to win one or two state titles in a given year, but two in the same day? Amazing.
There is no other way to put it. It was truly a historic day for the OHS athletic department, AD Johnny Hill, tennis coach Louis Nash, golf coach Steve Herring and all the athletes who helped make the two titles possible. It was the kind of day that helps justify building a bigger and better basketball arena simply to put all the championship banners in.
As impressive as Wednesday was for Oxford and its pursuit to win the coveted All-Sports Award title given out after each academic year, there could be a third state title won Friday. The Oxford Lady Chargers track team, coached by the inspirational Jedi Jamie Perkins, has a chance to win a third straight Class 5A title at Pearl. Oxford, which just repeated as North Half champions, is the odds-on favorite to win the championship again this year because of its balance in both field and running events.
Oxford has had a tremendously successful 2012 on the field and courts. The school has won four state championships overall, while all sports have advanced to the playoffs, another big measuring stick of success and accomplishment.
It may still be a little too early to say that the 2011-12 athletic season is the best in the history of the school, but four titles, and a possible fifth, would rank it right at the top of the best years at a school that has grown accustomed to achieving excellence on a yearly basis.
There may be better individual programs/sports in the state compared to Oxford but there really isn’t another program that is as balanced all around as OHS. That fact had already been demonstrated in the past and this year prior to Wednesday’s tremendous achievements. (May 10, 2012, Page 6)
