Countdown to Kickoff (Edition 29): Oak Hill looks to build for the future in 2024

Oak Hill, Ohio. (WCHS) — Oak Hill, Ohio's mission in the upcoming high school football season is to not dwell on the past but rather the future.

This season there is a different presence at the top of the program. Jason Fitzhugh, a Florida native, is the new leader of Oak Hill football.

"My wife and I kind of wanted to get out of South Florida, the hustle and bustle," said Fitzhugh.

Oak Hill’s new coach said that he and his family stumbled on the Ohio community and decided to stay.

"We were taking our son up to Michigan in 2022 for college and we decided to drive through some states and look at some properties and spent four hours here and put an offer,” he said. “My wife liked the house here and we liked the community and put an offer on a house and bought a house here. Sold ours in Florida, moved up here 30 days later."

Fitzhugh was an assistant last season and said he likes the mentality of this team.

"I mean, they've showed up all summer. They put in the work,” he said. “We're still trying to develop a little bit of continuity. They’ve had a couple of different things happen over the last few years and I understand that. So now at this point, it's more about not overloading them with too much football stuff, but the developing continuity.”

"They're a great group of kids. They're a lot of fun to coach,” Fitzhugh said. “They are putting in the work and we just have to come together as a staff to see, it's been a we got we were kind of behind the curve when we came on. It was late and it's just been a summer of like installing a system to see what's going to work for this group of kids."

One of the returners for Oak Hill is senior quarterback Eddie Abele, a two-year starter.

"Eddie's got some really good arm talent. Developing him as a quarterback has been something we've been working on,” the head coach said. “Just being able to see what's opening up in front of him, getting his reese. He can definitely push the ball downfield.”

Fitzhugh said that Abele has all the qualities to help the team succeed.

“I mean, he's got some arm talent and he's a good athlete. He's got some speed. He’s probably one of the toughest kids that I've coached. You're not going to knock him down and take him out. I mean, this kid just keeps getting up and coming."

This improvement has not been overnight, it’s been earned, according to Abele.

"Well, freshman year I played one game as a quarterback. That was obviously horrible," said Abele. "I was just stressed all around and sophomore year was okay. We didn't really throw the ball much. Junior year, it wasn't bad. Like it's definitely getting slower as it goes. Coach Fitz is definitely prepared me very good for this upcoming season.”

Optimism is high for those who've endured the tough side of things with Oak Hill football.

"Coach Fitz, he's been our defense coordinator for two years. So the defense is good," said Blaze Ford, a junior running back and linebacker, said. "You've been repping that for two years But offense is a little new. I mean different type, but honestly we're looking pretty good this year."

Fitzhugh feels a strength of the program is having Davis Stadium to call home.

"It's great because coming from South Florida practice fields, if it rained would be ankle deep in water with an alligator sitting in the pond that was on the football field,” he said. “Now, if it is raining, we can come out and practice as long as not lightning, stuff like that. I like being able to practice with wet ball drills and stuff like that. So, so yeah, this this facility is awesome. They did a great job with it."

Oak Hill opens its season at home this coming Friday against Wellston. In Oak Hill, Ohio with this Countdown to Kickoff, Mark Martin, Eyewitness Sports.