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Challenges ahead at Oak Hills for Dreyer

Oak Hills has always been a difficult place in which to coach and win at consistently. The Highlanders have made the playoffs just once in school history and that was back in 1999. This fall the school will look to new head coach Evan Dreyer to take the program to the next level. It is a task that won’t come easy with the obstacles the young leader will face.

Dreyer, 30, has spent last six seasons at the helm of Western Brown where his Broncos compiled a 43-19 record including playoff appearances the last two years.

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“This is going to be a grind. It is not going to happen in a year or two” Dreyer said of putting OH on the right path to success. Getting kids to stay in the school system has always been a problem at Oak Hills with the heavily populated catholic contingency on the west side of Cincinnati. The Highlanders lose plenty of quality talent to the likes of private schools Elder, St. Xavier and LaSalle every fall. That makes depth an issue, year in and year out for Oak Hills who play in arguably the best public school league in Ohio, the GMC (Greater Miami Conference).

Less than three months on the job Dreyer has already experienced that hurdle. Reigning Division II state champs LaSalle and its new head coach Jim Hilvert was able to persuade five eighth graders who currently live in the Oak Hills School District to come play for the Lancers next fall, just one week after he was hired.

A graduate of McNicholas High School, Dreyer fully understands how important it is to keep his kids in house. “Oak Hills will have a presence at all the catholic parish festivals on the west side this summer” Dreyer laments. He is not about to let those kids get away so easily. That fight and dogged determination is why Dreyer and his teams have been so successful over the past six campaigns.

One of the things that set’s Dreyer apart from his peers is the spread offense that his squads run. Once kids see how everyone gets involved and get touches they are going to want to play for the Highlanders. At Western Brown Dreyer’s teams have averaged more than 42 points and per contest and nearly 3,600 yards passing/year over the past three seasons. “It’s all about playing in space and running. Depth is the key” Dreyer explained. Everyone wants the opportunity to score touchdowns and Oak Hills is going to give players that opportunity. Why get lost in the shuffle playing at a GCL South school when Oak Hills seems destined to rewrite the record books. It is quite the appealing pitch that Dreyer can send to his current and future Highlanders.

That wide open style of football could cause opposing defenses in the GMC fits. It is going to be interesting to see how the other nine teams adapt to something they haven’t seen before. One thing is for certain Dreyer’s brand of football will be a breath of fresh air in a league strewn with disciples of former Colerain head coach and current Ohio State assistant Kerry Combs and their homage to his triple-option offensive attack.

Oak Hills has never had a problem hiring successful coaches but once they get to Ebenezer Road things seem to take a “hairpin” turn for the worst in their careers. If Dreyer remains true to his beliefs and convictions the Highlanders program will see victories pile up and its fate turn around.

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