Oakland Mills boys soccer needed a reset entering the 2025 campaign after several consecutive seasons with double-digit defeats. The 10th-ranked Scorpions are coming off an 0-15 season in which they struggled mightily to compete against county competition.
However, under first-year coach Alex Douyon, Oakland Mills is thriving. Wednesday night hosting a gritty and relentless Hammond team, the Scorpions and Golden Bears battled to a scoreless draw after 100 minutes.
While neither side saw many opportune chances during regulation, extra time was a different story. The Scorpions (3-0-1) brought persistent pressure in the opening 10 minutes with a flurry of chances, which were created off quick counter attacks and long throw-ins.
Hammond sophomore goalie Mynor Hernandez responded to those chances with clutch and opportune saves to extend the game. The Golden Bears (0-3-1) netted a goal in the 98th minute but were ruled offsides in a tight battle emblematic of Howard County’s depth in 2025.
“I told them, ‘Today was a game that tests your character,’” Hammond coach Elliot Quinteros said. “They came out to fight. We looked good in the first half, and then they kind of got a little bit stronger. It was always going to be a tough game, but 100 minutes of it is even more grueling. So, I hope that we can take some of those moral victories and then tomorrow, we can kind of show a little bit more against another tough opponent.”
For Oakland Mills, the turnaround began with a collective buy-in for Douyon’s vision, which is predicated on fight, showing up every day and working hard. Douyon previously lead the Scorpions’ girls program and enjoyed plenty of success during his time as a player at Oakland Mills.
The Scorpions don’t have plentiful depth on their roster, so the starters have plenty of responsibility. Despite that, Douyon still preaches the value of the collective and everyone playing a part.
For veterans such as senior Greyson Dove, discipline and remaining mentally focused are key. The past tribulations and winless seasons serve as motivation and aid in that mentality. Those characteristics become especially important in critical late-game moments like Wednesday night against Hammond.
“It’s very competitive. So, you’ve just got to have that edge to keep working the whole game even when you’re tired,” Dove said. “I enjoy it way more than last season.”
That shift was evident beginning late last spring. The Scorpions held several captains’ practices which carried into the summer and gave them tremendous confidence. They built on those connections in the summer league at Howard Community College.
Douyon also trained with them once a week, but the rest of the time the Scorpions were working on their own to improve. The first-year coach was always there, offering to provide balls or cones, fueled by the immense motivation to lift his alma mater.
Through four games, the Scorpions are proving that they’re not just another game on the calendar like many seasons in the past. Rather, Oakland Mills is a vastly improved team that embodies the passion of its coach and is ready to alter perceptions.
“I try to stress to these guys every day, it means so much to me,” Douyon said. “I love this community. I watched and played a million games here. I was in North Carolina for 15 years and then moved back because I missed home. Being home and doing this here is the most important thing.
“I enjoy being back at Oakland Mills, watching the community rally around the team. I’m getting texts and calls from alumni that I don’t even know. People say, ‘Hey man, great job.’ Then you’ve got alums of the program that are coming back, they’re here to support the guys. They see the grit, the fight, and the work, and the way that we used to do things. It means a lot to me to see the community support Oakland Mills and to see Oakland Mills gain some sort of relevance is nice, it feels good.”
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