Decision Time: Interview with Oxford Seniors, Zay Britt and Andrew Warhurst

Conversational interview with Joshua Craft

Craft: I’m here with Zay Britt and Andrew Warhurst and we’re going to talk about their season, especially the state championship game. So, what was the defining moment of this year?

Britt: I believe it was the Pinson Valley win because that just showed us as a team that we’re really better than we think we are, and it just showed all of us what we can do when we play. We didn’t even play our best game at all during the Pinson Valley game, so if we play our best game, who can beat us?

Warhurst: Yeah, I think that Pinson Valley game was the point we realized we can win, and it gave us some momentum when we went into Clay-Chalkville and then to keep going into the playoffs.

Craft: What was the mindset after you all beat Pinson Valley in the regular season? I’m sure there was some celebration, but I am sure one of the coaches said that this was a great win, but we need to get ready for next week.

Britt: Coach Etheredge kind of told us that after the game when we were celebrating that we’re not done, that this is just the beginning of something great that’s about to happen. And he was right. Craft: Let’s talk about history. Andrew, you’re an army brat. So, let’s talk about your history. Where have you lived? How long have you lived in Oxford? How do you like it here?

Warhurst: I’ve lived all over. I’ve lived in Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee. I moved to Oxford my sophomore year. I originally wasn’t going to play football, but I had a big soccer background. One of the coaches found me and asked if I wanted to try out for kicker and that’s how it all started.

Craft:: So, do you like it here in Oxford?

Warhurst: I like it here, yeah.

Craft: Zay, what about you?

Britt: I started out in kindergarten and first grade at Lincoln Elementary School because at the time we were living in Lincoln. Then, my mom, brother, and sister, we moved to Munford and that’s when I started playing football and getting into stuff. Really, it was fun at Munford. Then, our house burnt down and I actually wasn’t even in the state. I was at South Carolina’s football camp and after the camp a coach I was with he called me over and was like “Your mom called me, and your house burnt down.” I wasn’t really listening, and I just ignored it and afterwards I’m walking, and I was like, our house burnt down. He was like “If you want to go back to Alabama we can, if not then we can keep going” because we were going to Clemson the next day, so I was like I’m just going to keep on going.

Craft: The house was total loss, right?

Britt: Yeah.

Craft: Let’s talk about the loss to Clay-Chalkville in the regular season. How did that affect you? Was that just a time to refocus like, okay, we are beatable?

Britt: I think as a team we needed to see that if you don’t come out and perform every Friday you can get beat because that’s how it’s going to be in the playoffs. Every week in the playoffs you face somebody. But I’m glad that we got that off of our shoulders because I feel like if we didn’t, we would have run into something early in the playoffs, like Cullman. We were only up seven to zero at Cullman during halftime. Cullman could’ve come out during the second half and killed us, but because we had already been in tight games and we already knew the situation, and we already faced adversity like that early in the season, we just kept our heads down because everybody knows that we come back in the second half and we’re going take care of business.

Craft: Let’s talk about, besides of course the state championship win and beating Pinson Valley twice, what was the most important thing that happened during the season? When did you all know it was your time, when you knew that the championship was within reach?

Warhurst: I think it was when we found out Coach Etheredge was about to be our coach. He has a lot of state championship rings so we realized that he’s a good coach he can take us to a championship.

Britt: I feel like we figured it out like, hey, we really can go win state when we found out we were playing Gardendale here for the region championship. That just seeded us perfectly.

Craft: Yes, because you all were playing for first or fourth. Britt: We were either going to be the first seed or the fourth seed, so we knew if we won that game it’ll be perfect. Play at home, have home field advantage in the playoffs. Gardendale was when we were getting everyone back from injuries. J.B. [Carlisle] came back, Peyton was out, he came back. Peyton Heard, our left tackle, left guard. It was like it was all coming back together.

Craft:: What about the buildup to the state championship? The week before, especially after the great win against Pinson Valley which was, you know, Oxford had to come back twice from Pinson Valley who was in the lead for most of both games. But, was the buildup from Friday night after the semi-final win to Friday afternoon at the Jacket Walk?

Britt: I feel like the reason we were prepared for state was because we just treated it like a regular week. I can’t say that any of the coaches hyped up practice any more different. Nobody made it feel any different. We were just out there. It just felt like a regular week. It didn’t even feel like week fifteen. It felt like we were out there about to face Sumter Central, or somebody. It was just another week for us.

Warhurst: For me, it made me work harder because every win we got, that put us closer to a state championship and that made it that much more important for everything to be perfect. So, that made me practice more.

Craft: Let’s talk about, especially on Friday night of the state championship, your pregame mode. What was your thought right before you all ran through the banner? What were you thinking?

Britt: Our coach told us not to walk out there on the field big-eyed, looking around, but it was just still high stakes. When we ran out for warmups, I was like dang, I’m really here. I came out to warmups and I wasn’t even fully dressed.

Craft: Well I guess with warmups, that would be a good time to go and check everything out.

Britt: By the time we were going to run through the banner, I was like man, we’re here now. We might as well not even lose. We’re about to go out here and win. That’s what I’m thinking like, let’s just go, let’s do it.

Warhurst: It was definitely a surreal experience. Looking in the crowd and seeing almost like everyone from Oxford there to support us. It felt special.

Craft: I could not remember how many people were there for the last game.

Britt: A whole bunch of them.

Craft: What about during the game? What happened, especially with you Zay? You’re playing receiver, punter, and then in the third quarter you have to play quarterback. Is there anything else that you were doing during that game?

Britt: I was the holder.

Craft: You were the holder? Okay, so talk about being the man of so many hats in one night. How did that feel? Was the weight of the world on your shoulders? Did you feel a burden?

Britt: No, I wouldn’t say I felt a burden. I’ve always done a whole bunch of stuff. At Munford, I did a whole bunch of stuff. I came to Oxford and it’s kind of the same thing. Coach Herring trusted me to be the holder and the punter last year and it just transferred over to this year. So, I feel like all the years leading up to this moment kind of had me ready, so it wasn’t even a burden.

Craft: Walk me through this. Trey goes down, you’re thinking he might be out for a play. That’s your first thought, but then, when the training staff’s out there for a while, and you realize that you’re about to have to be the quarterback. So, at that moment, what’s going on through your mind?

Britt: Really when I saw Trey on the ground I was like dang. Anytime I see Trey go down, Trey’s helmet comes off, I’m taking my gloves off automatically. Either he has to come out a play, or anything. So, I was just thinking it’s one play so I’m like he’ll be fine, he just needs a breather. And then, he went back in one play and he was like “Bro, I can’t.” He looked at me and was like, “Bro, I can’t go” and I was like, “I got you bro.”

Craft: Andrew, what was your thought after they blocked the your field goal? Warhurst: It was just disappointment.

Craft: What happened? Center snaps the ball; holder puts the ball on the ground. What are you thinking when you are going to kick the ball? Are you seeing them coming? Are you knowing that it is going to be blocked?

Warhurst: I just focus on the ball. I can’t really see anything. I know my snapper Camden [Etheredge], he’ll get it to Zay, and Zay always gets it on the tee perfectly. I don’t ever have to worry about that. I just run through my steps and swing. That’s all.

Craft: Also, when you have to kick the go ahead point, what were you feeling then? Were you even present with us or were you just in a daze?

Warhurst: I mean, I don’t know it’s hard to explain but, I was sort of prepared for this because I knew once their kicker missed, it was going to come down to me.

Craft: So, you had about three minutes to prepare, total.

Warhurst: I was prepared for it and I know Zay’s going to get it on the tee, so, all I have to do is swing my leg.

Craft: When did you know you were going to hit it?

Warhurst: When I hit it. I don’t remember much of the kick because it was a lot going on.

Britt: I don’t even remember holding it.

Craft: So Zay, the last drive. There is 1:28 left in the game, we don’t have any timeouts, what did the coaches tell you?

Britt: Nothing, actually when we went out there for the punt return, Coach Etheredge looked at me and said, “Take this thing to the house.” So, I knew they weren’t actually going to give me a chance to return it, so I knew, fair catch it, then, really, they were just like, let’s go. That’s all. They were just like, let’s do it, and I was like, I got you coach.

Craft: So, the first play was a four-yard run, and the second play was the fifteen-yard run. Who made the call to give the ball to Fegans? Was that a play or was that you?

Britt: It was actually Coach Etheredge and Coach Wagnon.

Craft: You guys got a timeout on that one too because the Spanish Fort coach called timeout right there.

Britt: We got a pass interference the play before to Roc [Taylor.] Actually, we didn’t even plan on having that play. We were just going to throw it up to Roc and let him do what he does.

Craft: That’s what I probably would have done, too.

Britt: In my eyes, the Spanish Fort coach called a timeout and I was like, we’re going to come right back to it. Just throw the fade again. We had the first down inside the five. I was ready to throw another fade.

Craft: I would’ve faded it to him four times, to be honest.

Britt: That’s what I was thinking we were going to do.

Craft: Roc is going to catch one out of those four.

Britt: Yes. Well, Coach Etheredge we come to the sideline, he said we’re going to run Oregon, which is really just, stretch right and I looked at J.B. [Carlisle] and I was like, “I know you got it bro.” J.B.’s not a person you’re going to have to tell to go do something. J.B. looked at me, I looked at him, I looked at Trequon [Fegans], I said “just run.” J.B. made a great block.

Craft: J.B. picked up a block that probably would’ve stopped him on the two-yard line.

Britt: J.B. made a great block and Trequon just did what he does and got in the end zone. Craft: Zay, how did it feel after the game, especially to be the MVP?

Britt: It was a whole bunch of excitement and emotions.

Craft: What were you thinking when they called your name for the MVP?

Britt: I couldn’t even tell you. I don’t even know. I kind of picture myself in that moment a whole bunch of times. I’ve always dreamed of going to the state championship. Our coaches tell us, picture what you’re going to do on the field on Friday nights. I would just picture me having a big game, or something, and holding up the MVP trophy. I don’t know, I guess it just came true, kind of.

Craft: You’re both seniors. Let’s talk about your legacies. What would you want to tell next year and the years after that? Say let’s go to 2050 or so, what would you want the football teams for the next fifty years to remember? In one word, how did you all do it?

Britt: Dedicated.

Warhurst: Dedication and hard work pay off if you stick to it.

Britt: We were just dedicated. We just love the game of football.

Warhurst: If you set your heart to something, you’ll get it done.

Craft: Thank you guys. It’s been fun.