Learning curve: ODA Thunder

With half his roster made up of eighth-graders, The Out-of-Door Academy football coach Brett Timmons smiled at the way his team fought during its spring game May 17.

Although ODA fell 17-13 to St. Petersburg Northside Christian, Timmons remained optimistic about what lies ahead for the Thunder.

“I’m ecstatic,” Timmons says. “For a bunch of eighth-graders to play a team that’s primarily a varsity team and to be down by 10 at the time, I’m proud of these guys.”

Junior Drew Fineberg scored the game’s first touchdown on a 4-yard carry. Brian Kirshe added the extra point to give ODA a 7-0 lead.

Fineberg’s younger brother, Jason, took the reins in the second quarter, after his older brother went down with a knee injury.

Jason Fineberg, who intercepted the ball on Northside Christian’s opening possession and ran it back 28 yards to set up the go-ahead score, finished with 167 yards on the ground.

Trailing 17-7, Jason Fineberg found the end zone with no time left on the clock.

Eighth-grader Nathan Strawderman made his first start under center after the Thunder graduated veteran quarterback Evan Wilson.

ODA also was without Tyler Dietrich, who is expected to compete with Strawderman for the starting quarterback job, as well as Austin Hoppe, J.T. Fisher and Jake Romine — the majority of whom were out due to baseball obligations.

“The future is bright for this program,” Timmons says. “And, once we get the full complement of our guys back, I’m real excited.”