For three straight seasons, the Oak Hall football team saw its year end in the first round of the playoffs. Entering 2025, the Eagles adopted a new mindset, one built on working harder, pushing further and finally breaking through to the championship they believed they could win.
On Saturday, that mission became reality. With a 27–10 victory over Tampa Cambridge Christian, Oak Hall secured its first state championship in program history, validating months of offseason preparation.
“We put in a ton of work over the summer, hitting the weight room and doing the things we needed to do to get better,” senior running back Taylor Brown said. “We added some guys to the mix before the season started and they made a huge impact, and once we all started playing together we really took off.”
Brown is part of a three-headed backfield, joining Darius Medley and Tyler Peera in a run-heavy attack installed by head coach RJ Fuhr. The trio powered Oak Hall throughout the season, and Brown’s impact in the postseason, particularly after overcoming a major injury, has earned him this week’s UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Athlete of the Week honor.
“After spending most of the season sidelined by injury, Taylor made an inspiring return in the final two weeks of the playoffs, helping his team capture a championship title,” Eagles athletic trainer Michael Homer said. “His determination and impact during these high-pressure games were instrumental in the team’s postseason success, showing resilience and leadership when it mattered most.”
Brown fractured his fibula two games into the season and didn’t return until late in Oak Hall’s playoff run. The months on the sideline were difficult, but he found steady support as he worked through rehab.
“Taylor’s attitude was amazing, he handled the entire thing with grace and even a sense of humor,” his mother, Jenn Brown, said. “It was great to watch him work with the training staff, doing everything they asked of him, and make it back to be a part of the playoff run.”
Before the injury, Brown ran for 96 yards on just four carries in Oak Hall’s season opener. That brief glimpse showed him the potential of the Eagles’ offensive line.
“My first run of the year was a pitch outside and the O-line just blocked everything perfectly,” Brown said. “They laid a block on the edge and the rest was easy. The coaching staff has us watching film each week, and they’re always texting us and coaching us on how to get better. The guys did their jobs and executed all year long.”
Oak Hall entered the postseason on a four-game losing streak, but an opening-round win over Trinity Prep sparked a turnaround that carried through the title game.
“We were in several dogfights in the playoffs, but our defense really stepped up when they needed to,” Brown said. “So when we got to the championship game, we trusted that side of the ball and had a perfect plan to stop their tailback and stud receiver.”
That defense held Cambridge Christian, a team averaging nearly 30 points in its three playoff wins, to just 10 in the championship. Oak Hall’s roster lists only 25 players, but Brown said the group’s buy-in and effort made the difference.
“Completing the mission was such a good feeling,” he said. “We get so much support from the school and the community with meals and other things. Everyone involved was so excited. Winning it all was something I was really proud to be a part of.”
Brown now transitions into basketball season and will play baseball in the spring, closing out a decorated four-year, multi-sport career for the Eagles.
Each weekly UF Health Athlete of the Week winner becomes eligible for the UF Health High School Athlete of the Year Scholarship, a $2,500 award presented at the end of the 2025–26 academic year.