Oakwood PANTHERS
A Wide-Open Road To State
Oakwood eyes a deep postseason run
The Oakwood Panthers have a target on their backs this season. According to the preseason rankings, they don’ t just lead their district— they sit comfortably at No. 6 in the state.
For head coach JJ Johnson, the lofty expectations aren’ t a burden; they are simply the cost of doing business in Oakwood.
“ It goes to the tradition we have here at Oakwood, the kids that we have and the work and the time they put in,” Johnson said.“ Everybody expects us to have a good year every year. I’ m excited about this year coming forward.”
Coming off a 6-5 bi-district campaign, the Panthers boast a dangerous blend of veteran star power and rising, explosive depth. Twelve returning lettermen form the foundation of a team poised to distance itself from district contenders Mount Calm, Ladonia Fannindel, Bynum and Trinidad.
The star power and the supporting cast
Any conversation about the Panthers begins with their star-studded duo:
— Dayden Velasquez: The reigning preseason District Offensive MVP at quarterback.
— Brady Harrison: The preseason District Defensive MVP anchoring the secondary.
But what has Johnson truly excited is the sheer volume of weapons flanking his MVPs. Chief among them is sophomore sensation TJ Ballard. As a freshman, Ballard exploded onto the scene, capturing All-District Newcomer of the Year, All-Region and All-State honors.
“ I’ m looking for him to have a big year,” Johnson said.“ We got some more pieces, they’ re going to have a chance to kind of make their mark.”
Among those pieces are Caleb Wood, a young playmaker who provided critical sparks off the bench last season and Jackson Horton. The wildcard of the group is Braden Tito, a multi-sport athlete who transferred from Chapel Hill mid-year last season. After showcasing his athleticism in basketball and track, Tito will put on the pads for the Panthers for the first time this fall.
“ We got several question marks— guys we just don’ t know yet because we haven’ t seen them with the pads on or in game action,” Johnson said.“ But across the board, we’ re going to have more team speed this year.”
Iron sharpens iron
While some coaches prefer to pad their early-season schedule with easy victories, Johnson is taking the opposite approach. He cares very little about entering district play with an unblemished, comfortable record.
Instead, the Panthers will endure a brutal non-district trial by fire, featuring matchups against Division I powerhouse Union Hill at No. 2 in the state, a perennial Division I powerhouse in Blum and a top-10 ranked team in Oglesby.
“ I’ m not a record guy trying to be 7-0 or 6-0 going into district,” Johnson said.“ We’ re playing several good D1 teams. It gets our guys experience and used to the competition, so when we hit district, we’ re hitting the ground and we’ re running.”
A wide-open road to state
The ultimate goal for Oakwood remains a return to the state championship level.
Only two players remain on the roster from the school’ s last historic state run, but their presence provides invaluable leadership.
With traditional roadblocks like Oglesby and Jayton moving up, Johnson senses an opportunity. The Achilles’ heel of years past is gone, leaving the postseason bracket completely up for grabs.
“ When you look down the road, it’ s wide open,” Johnson said.“ We got a good chance to make another run.”
What can the Panther faithful expect when the lights turn on this autumn?
A brand of football that is fast, dynamic and deeper than it has been in years.
“ A lot of team speed, a lot of exciting football,” Johnson said.“ Something they can be proud of. We’ ve always been a team of one or two kids here, two or three kids there. But now, I think we got six or seven kids that can truly contribute this year.”
22 | END ZONE | 2026