After ‘Humbling’ Year, Acorns Are Hopeful Headed into New Season

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OAKVILLE — After taking a year-long break during the COVID-affected 2020-21 season, the Oakville football team struggled in its first action back. 

The Acorns managed to win a game, but otherwise struggled with consistent turnout and other factors against more established teams. 

Heading into 2022, Oakville is using last season’s experience to continue a rebuild that began last year under second year coach Skyler Davis. 

“It’s great being in the second year and having a year under my belt,” Davis said. “Knowing the players, working in the school and getting to know them throughout the whole year to build the program in the offseason. It’s finally August and we’re excited to be back on the field.”

The Acorns graduated just a few seniors from last year’s team, and will have to replace the production of Derek Ruymann, who is suiting up to play at Pacific Lutheran this fall, but are otherwise bringing back every key contributor.



Eddie Klatush will return at quarterback, and Ashton Boyd will be back as the workhorse back in Davis’ offense, which will be adapted to work with the styles of his players. 

Davis said his line, in particular, took on the extra challenge after a tough season a year ago. 

“Overall football knowledge, football IQ that you can’t really teach, playing it, watching it is a big improvement already,” he said. “In 2020 none of these guys played. The seniors you see, they played as juniors and before that it was as freshmen. Getting that experience, the coach-player relationship is better, I know more of what they’re like. I like to think we’re going to run an offense that caters to our players. The players are running the offense, and the offense isn’t running the players.”

But after taking a couple first steps rebuilding the football program from essentially scratch last year, Oakville has bigger plans this year. A full year of actually playing and learning has motivated the Acorns to pick up some wins this season and keep the improvement coming before they open their season Sept. 10 against Lake Quinault. 

“It was pretty humbling to have one win last year,” Davis said. “It's also nice because you can’t do much worse. We know we can expand on that and be competitive in games and not be a checkmark on other teams schedules.”