Oberlin High School’s football season has ended in the second round of the Class 1A state playoffs in each of the last four seasons.
This year, under new head coach Durell Peloquin, the Tigers hope a spot in the quarterfinals is in their future.
“I’d like to see us compete for the (District 4-1A) championship,” Peloquin said. “I want us to be able to be more physical and fundamentally sound on both sides of the football. And when playoff time comes around, I’d like us to be running on all cylinders.”
Peloquin returned to Oberlin after a 21-year stint at Eunice as the Bobcats’ assistant coach and defensive coordinator.
Last season Peloquin helped lead the Bobcats to a 9-1 regular season in which they allowed 12.1 points per game and won District 5-3A.
Peloquin said he hopes to have similar success this season despite having a young defense transitional from a 4-3 style to a 4-2-5 scheme.
“I want to install proper fundamentals of tackling, attacking and gap responsibility,” Peloquin said. “Stopping the run is very important in high school football. If you can’t stop the run, you can’t control the clock and you can’t control the ball.”
Despite an inexperienced front six with one returning starter, Oberlin returns a group of senior defensive backs that includes safeties Blaine Durio and Ethan Manuel as well as cornerbacks Ge’Ani Guillory and Christian Malanado.
The Tigers’ offense will run through junior quarterback James Kirklin, whom Peloquin called “a diamond in the rough.”
Despite his small stature for the position, the 5-foot-8, 160-pound first-year Kirklin has an arsenal at his disposal that will allow him to run Peloquin’s wing-T offense efficiently and effectively, Peloquin said.
“He’s going to be a special player for Oberlin High School over the next two years,” Peloquin said. “We’re expecting a lot out of him. The offense is going to run through James Kirklin.
“He’s multi-dimensional. He can run the ball, he can throw the ball and he can make the offense go.”
Assisting Kirklin will be an experienced offensive line that is returning four starters from last season, including sophomore center Cameron Gradney, junior guards Trooper Peloquin and Tucker Fontenot and senior tight end D’Anthony Villareal.
Oberlin will have two new starting tackles in senior Scotty Barker and junior Rye Mahaffey.
Peloquin said the success of that unit will have a direct correlation with the Tigers’ ability to move the ball and put points on the board.
“It’s a huge role for (the offensive line) to be able to protect Kirklin and open holes for him, as well as the rest of our backs in the backfield,” Peloquin said.
The offensive line will also assist in blocking for three seniors in the backfield, with Guillory at halfback, Durio at wingback at Kelane Wilson at fullback.
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