Crestwood's Oaks intercepts his way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

Football games can often be decided by turnovers.

A free possession to the other team can turn momentum on a dime or seal a win or a loss.

Crestwood, luckily, was on the right side of that equation on Friday when they made the trip to Marlboro County. The man front and center? Jasiah Oaks.

Oaks intercepted two passes, each in critical situations, to help lead the Knights to a 33-26 victory in Region VI-3A. Afterward, he was named the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"I love the support that everyone in our community showed," Oaks said of winning the vote. "My teammates, coaches, the community was there for me."

In the first quarter, Oaks made the first momentum-shifting play. Marlboro County was driving deep into Crestwood territory when the senior DB basically ripped the ball out of the hands of a Bulldog receiver in the end zone.

"We were in man-to-man coverage, and my guy ran a fade," the Crestwood DB explained. "I knew to get my head turned around to find the ball, and I saw he was going for the catch, and I just put my hand in and grabbed it and came up with it."

Oaks book-ended the game with big plays. Crestwood took a 27-26 lead in the final minutes of the contest, leaving Marlboro desperate for a score. Oaks was able to put the final nail in their coffin with an interception, which he returned for a score to give the Knights a 33-26 victory.

"I just knew it was a Hail Mary situation, and the quarterback wanted to get the ball off," Oaks said. "The D line brought good pressure, so he had to throw it earlier than he wanted to. I saw the ball go short, so I just went and got the ball.

"Once I got it, I saw nothing but grass and went all the way."

It was a storybook ending to the win for Oaks.

"It was really special," Oaks said. "I think it shows how hard we've worked as a team in the offseason, just to be able to not give up and make a play."

The most impressive detail about the performance from Oaks may be that he was out of position. Fellow DB Khalil Moody was injured early, causing Oaks to shift from safety to cornerback. Head coach Roosevelt Nelson was impressed by the way the senior adjusted.

"Khalil went down on the second series of the game, so he had to move from safety to corner, and he did a tremendous job," Nelson said. "That's the way he practices every day, so I was glad he was able to showcase that on Friday when it really matters."

Oaks intercepted two passes, adding to Crestwood's game total of four. He said the team's success was a result of in-depth film study.

"We watched a lot of film, so we were prepared for the routes that they would run," Oaks said. "We worked really hard in practice to get some good looks, and it helped us out on Friday."

Crestwood is now 2-0 in Region VI-3A. Oaks hopes to advance that streak to three when they host Darlington on Friday.

"I think it was a really big win. Going to Marlboro isn't an easy place to win on homecoming with a big crowd. We just took care of business," he said. "I think winning on the road was a good thing. Now we're at home, so we're more comfortable and continuing to lock in."