OXFORD YELLOW JACKETS
Class, Region: Class 6A, Region 7
Head Coach: Ryan Herring
2015 Record: 3-7
2015 Playoffs: None
2015 Rewind: 2015 was an atypical season for Oxford.
The Yellow Jackets went 3-7 and failed to make the playoffs.
Despite the record last season, coach Ryan Herring says his
young team competed hard each week against a very tough
schedule that included long road trips to Opelika, Vestavia
Hills and Decatur.
Key Losses: Defensive Tackle Lott Cates
Kenney Britt
Linebacker
and Southside. And the Yellow Jackets
keep their I-20 rivalry with Pell City as the
Panthers will also compete in 6A, Region 7.
Oxford’s non-region schedule will still be a
challenge, including games against Talladega,
Gadsden City and Ben Russell. One of the
2016 Roundup: Playing such a tough
biggest stories of the offseason involved the
schedule with such a young team wasn’t much addition of two former head coaches to Ryan
fun for Oxford fans in 2015, but the outlook
Herring’s staff. Former Glencoe head coach
for 2016 appears much brighter. “The kids are Lee Ozmint and former Madison County
a year older and should be much tougher and head coach Scott Peavey bring a lot of high
more physical after another year in the weight school coaching experience to the Yellow
room,” says coach Ryan Herring. There’s a
Jacket program. “We’ve added two more guys
new region (Class 6A, Region 7) that features who work well with kids,” coach Herring
more fan-friendly matchups and shorter road said. “Those guys have been head coaches
trips. Last year’s region opponents from the
and bring experience in dealing with kids in a
South have been replaced with teams from
positive way. And those two guys bring a lot
the North such as Albertville, Fort Payne
of enthusiasm to our staff.”
Players to Watch: LB Kenny Britt, Safety
Desmond Cooley, OLB & QB Brody Syer, OL
Brett Houston, RB Jordan Swain, WR Jack
Peavey
Did You Know: Coach Herring says this year’s team features the two strongest
kids he’s ever seen in his high school coaching career. OL Brett Houston can lift 650
pounds on the parallel squat, and could do more but Herring won’t allow Houston
to go any higher. And LB Kenny Britt can hang clean 350 pounds, which Herring
says is the most he’s ever seen in high school.
62 | 2016 Pigskin Roundup the Magazine