PRZVA Team Previews: Oakton Cougars

<p><strong>Last years result:</strong> 4-6 </p>   <p>Oakton has been transitioning under second year Head Coach Brian Slay, and nearly snuck into the playoffs in year one. Falling to Chantilly the final week of the season dashed their postseason hopes that Cougar fans have long been starving for. Despite the setback Coach Slay's squad saw significant improvement across the board and came away with monumental victories over Fairfax and South Lakes. Oakton returns division 1 linemen up front and skilled playmakers at nearly every position. </p>   <p>Key Returnees: [player_tooltip player_id='1297855' first='Wesley' last='Lattus'], [player_tooltip player_id='1312051' first='Jack' last='Martin'], [player_tooltip player_id='1311677' first='Deylen' last='Jones'], [player_tooltip player_id='1190455' first='Preston' last='Schwartz'], [player_tooltip player_id='1312792' first='Brayden' last='Vazquez'], [player_tooltip player_id='1691807' first='Collin' last='Henriques'], [player_tooltip player_id='1313380' first='Timmy' last='Volciak'], [player_tooltip player_id='1297737' first='Raja' last='Shahmir Ayub'],</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">A big reason why Oakton may have a dominant rushing attack is they quite frankly have one of the biggest offensive lines in the county. [player_tooltip player_id='1297855' first='Wesley' last='Lattus'] leads the charge coming off an All-District level season at left tackle for the Cougars. He is big and athletic and parlayed his outstanding junior season with a commitment to Old Dominion. Lattus will see a bump from his initial 167th spot in our 2026 rankings next week too. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/WLattus89616/status/1916891421325361503 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700"> Another next level prospect in Oakton's senior class opposite of Lattus is honorable mention selection Raja Shamir Ayub. A big mean nasty run blocker, Ayub is starting to get offers too. Looking like a division 2 level or higher football player, Ayub is only getting stronger at 6'5 and 255 lbs.. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shammy_ayub/status/1857127865445232867 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">We have been high star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1312051' first='Jack' last='Martin']'s game beginning before his sophomore season. Since then he has put the Concorde District on notice and is one of the top quarterbacks in his class. A junior to be, I thought he looked more comfortable in the pocket in the 7v7 circuits this off-season, he really seems poised for monster year. With a lot of weapons for him returning and a mammoth offensive line, expect Martin to lead a much improved offense. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Vazquez was an honorable mention selection as a sophomore for his work at receiver last fall, you may see him getting more carries at running back in 2025. He is a dynamic weapon and with the talent the Cougars have at wideout it makes sense they want to get him in a different position offensively. Watching him take reps at our showcase with the backs, I thought he looked smooth and comfortable in the potential transition. Regardless he will be on the field for both sides, the young man can fly.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/braydenvaz2027/status/1855714120168828980 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">In our top 100 for the second straight year, [player_tooltip player_id='1311677' first='Deylen' last='Jones'] is a special talent. At receiver he is known for mossing defenders in a weekly basis, and a physical presence at safety. Another first team performer back into the fold for Coach Slay, Jones is destined to play on Saturdays in two very short years. </p>   <p></p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Henriques is a burner I saw it first hand, our 19th ranked prospect is already on Power 4 coaches radars. He obtained an offer from Maryland already and with his sub 4.4 40 speed, he will get more. The sophomore can get behind any secondary reaching the 150 yard receiving mark on two different outings. Healthy and ready to go, he could one of the best receivers in the district.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CollinHenriques/status/1931855803083849755 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Speaking of returning healthy, [player_tooltip player_id='1190455' first='Preston' last='Schwartz'] is back after only playing in two games due to injury last fall. The Cougars really seemed to hit a wall in his absence especially on offense, getting this sure handed receiver back will only help. He has good hands and is precise route runner, expect him to bounce back in a big way. </p>    <p><strong>Head Coach's Thoughts on the off-season and expectations</strong>:</p>   <p><em>Although we came up just short of the playoffs last season, the momentum has definitely carried into the offseason. Our players came in with a focused mindset, determined to win the close games this year that slipped away from us last year. Within two weeks of the season ending, they were already knocking on the door, eager to start training — they didn't want to wait until January. Because of that energy, we were able to get a head start on offseason work. We saw great consistency in the weight room, and we're going to be noticeably stronger this season. On top of that, we got out of nova to compete in some 7v7 tournaments and face different talent. The guys competed hard in those events and attacked the weight room all offseason.</em> <em>I'm really excited to see their hard work pay off this season. At the very least, we're going to be a tough team to beat.</em>" Coach Slay</p>   <p></p>

Last years result: 4-6