- December 4, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
No amount of glamour or ceremony accompanied this beatdown delivered by The Out-of-Door Academy football team.
In the grander scheme of the ODA season, it seemed a formality.
Diesel-powered lights on wheels encircled the Faith Christian field in Orlando on Oct. 3. Yard lines became barely visible as the stadium darkened with the passing hours.
Only a few hundred spectators peppered the stands, and by the second half, that number dropped dramatically. The in-house announcer never sparked any excitement — no matter how hard he tried.
But the Out-of-Door Academy players weren't concerned with the sorry state of the field. The Thunder just wanted to defeat the hosts, and in doing so, the players left no doubt as to what they can accomplish as they move forward.
ODA's all-out blitz on the Lions, which resulted in a 50-0 triumph, was a display of sheer dominance.
“Our guys have been working so hard for so long," said Head Coach Rob Hollway. "They’re finally getting the reward of the summer workouts, the throwing, the 7-on-7. We’ve had a great team since last December, and now, just to see them come out and execute, they’ve earned it based on what they’ve done off the field.”
The Thunder — victors of five in a row — scored on seven of eight drives, missing a field goal attempt well after starters had taken their seats. Rocking and rolling its way to a 43-0 halftime advantage, the group was within reach of 70 points had it not taken its foot off the gas.
ODA has now scored 40-plus points in four consecutive games, outscoring Saint Stephen’s Episcopal, Sarasota Christian, IMG Academy State and Faith Christian by a combined 178-36. The feat has come with efficiency, too, as the Thunder only gained more than 400 yards of total offense twice in their past five wins.
The 348 yards produced against the Lions marked the fewest offensive yards during the Thunder’s dominant stretch, and was accomplished with a perfectly-balanced pass/run split. Three touchdowns and 156 yards came through the air, while another three scores and 192 yards came on the ground.
Such successes stem from the team’s commitment to spreading out the ball and keeping opposing defenses guessing.
“The way you do anything is the way you do everything, and so our philosophy on offense is to do anything out of everything,” said offensive coordinator Nate Strawderman. “We want to run the ball (and) we want to throw the ball in the same look, with the same motions, with the same exact shifts and formations.”
ODA has the luxury of having dynamic players at all skill positions — something the squad hasn’t necessarily had in the past. That’s paved a path for the Thunder to become a true contender in the Sunshine State Athletic Association.
Allen Clark is ODA's great ignitor. Every time the senior running back/linebacker steps out from the sidelines and into the Friday Night Lights, he makes history.
His 3,019 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns through three years on varsity were both program records entering 2025. Following a 126-yard, two-score performance against Faith Christian, he’s now up to 679 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
Clark is a game-changer, and even in a year where the running game has been scaled back for ODA, his impact remains immense. It’s evident in every juke, every stiff-arm and every broken tackle.
“If I need him, whether they stack the box or they’re sending pressure, Allen’s going to step up and he’s going to make a big play,” Strawderman said. “His endurance is beyond anything I’ve ever seen in a football player.”
Unlike in 2024, the Thunder don’t need him to dominate in order to win ballgames. Guys like senior quarterback Edouard Chaput, sophomore wide receiver/defensive back Brady Cleveland and senior wide receiver/safety/kicker Dylan Walker all make big things happen, too.
Chaput — a Canadian transfer — needed only a few months to do something no signal-caller has ever done at ODA, setting the program’s single-season passing touchdown record with 14. Cleveland, meanwhile, is a shining example of the talents Hollway and company can develop, having reeled in eight receiving touchdowns for the single-season program record.
All those crucial cogs play into a commitment by the Thunder to become “multiple” on offense. They seek to overwhelm any opponent on any given day with a wealth of playmakers.
“We’ve just got to stay locked in and follow what the coaches are telling us,” Clark said. “They have the blueprint, we just have to follow it.”
Strawderman has executed that to a T on the offensive side of the ball. He’s featured playmakers appropriately while using their abilities in complementary fashion.
Being multiple has yielded multiple points — and then some.
