MONMOUTH, Ore. – Having a quick first step is always a good asset no matter which sport you play. It can make you even more of a threat if you have speed and athleticism to add to the combo. For Omari Land, he was a handful for teams throughout the 2019 season and that wasn't just for when he carried the ball out of the backfield. The versatile back showed when he caught a pass in the flat, he was just as dangerous at that point as well making big plays throughout the season in leading the Western Oregon University football team to a season to remember in 2019.
After arriving at WOU in 2017, Land spent his first season as a redshirt before seeing action in 2018. In his first full season as a collegiate athlete on the field, he made an immediate impact. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound running back played in all 11 games, posting 788 rushing yards, with a season-high 174 yards that season against Simon Fraser. He posted three games with at least 100 rushing yards and also added 40 receiving yards.
It wouldn't take long for Land to show the progress he had made from the 2018 into the 2019 season, going against a tough Angelo State defense, he broke free for 82 yards and a pair of scores to open the year. While he continued to work on his explosiveness in the offseason getting work in with Coach Metzgar, he also utilized an offensive line that continued to give him opportunities to break open big plays.
"The biggest improvement I noticed personally was my aggressiveness and explosiveness and being able to take advantage of the holes that my offensive line opened up for me because of that. A lot of that explosiveness came from all the work out in in the off season with Coach Metzgar and the team," Land said.
While the first game didn't end up a win for the Wolves, they showed what type of team and season they could have in front of them the following week against Texas A&M-Commerce. The Lions, a team known for reaching the NCAA Division II Playoffs on a yearly basis made the trek to Monmouth for week two of the 2019 season. WOU gave Texas A&M-Commerce everything they could handle before falling just short. Land knew early on heading into the season that this team was ready for any and all challenges coming their way for the 2019 season could end up being a special year.
"I knew from day one with the group of dudes on the team that we could be something special. Just from looking at the guys on the roster you could tell that we were going to accomplish something great. You could see the fire in everyone's eyes and the work that everyone put in day in and day out into becoming better as a team every day," Land said.
It was a breakout game for Land and the entire running back group as well as the offensive line when the Wolves ran wild against Azusa Pacific in the first meeting and third game of the season. In that game, not only did Land reach 100 yards, Nico Jackson and Ty Currie also eclipsed 100 yards to help power the Wolves to the big road win and first win of the season.
"The week going into the first meeting with Azusa Pacific we figured out the team we wanted to be and decided to showcase just how much work we put in and that following Saturday we did exactly that. That first game against Azusa Pacific is really when we began to run the ball down until they could stop it essentially, but with guys like Joseph Gonzales, Jakob Pruitt, Avery Bilensky, Aaron Turner and Christian Needham leading the way and are wide outs making big downfield blocks, that allowed myself and Nico to have nothing but daylight to run to. Ty Currie did his thing as well and like we said all season, Ty Currie for President!" Land said.
While Land has shown his versatility both between and outside the tackles, he enjoys the chance to be able to run between the tackles, allowing the line to create holes to give him 1-on-1 opportunities in the open field. This resulted in some huge plays, including several large pickups against Azusa Pacific and then a few out of the backfield where Land broke free for a key touchdown before halftime against MSU Texas and a 90-yard score against Simon Fraser.
"I like running between the tackles because I know my guys up front are going to handle business, but I have no problems going 1-on-1 outside because I know my wideouts are down field giving solid blocks on defensive backs to spring me. I enjoy the big plays because that gives the team a spark by creating a big play. This helps push our momentum because once the team starts going there's rarely very few if anything you can do to stop us as a team. One spark is all we need and then you start to see a trickle effect as everyone on the team starts to make big plays one after another and we just eat because that's what you do when a team is rolling," Land said.
The win at Azusa Pacific helped send the Wolves on a four-game winning streak that included a big road win at Central Washington and another road win at Texas A&M-Kingsville as WOU won three of the games during that stretch away from McArthur Field. It was an impressive showing for Land in the win in Ellensburg as he piled up 171 yards and then with the win in Kingsville, Land had a stretch of four straight games with at least 100 yards on the ground.
While there were many memorable games throughout the season, nothing stands out as much as the history-clinching win at home over Azusa Pacific to help WOU to their first share of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title. A game that Land and most of the Wolves will never forget.
"My most vivid memory was the block at the end of the game to clinch the win and the GNAC title. Words couldn't describe the feeling that came over me after clinching such a hard-fought game over Azusa Pacific, but there were definitely a variety of emotions felt all at once. It's definitely something that we plan on feeling again though with the season to come. It meant a lot to us as a team and demonstrated all the hard work me and my brothers put in over the off-season. It also has set a bar for us as a team to not be satisfied with just this one, but to be even better and get in the work to go back-to-back," Land said.
Individually it was certainly a season to remember for Land in more ways than one as he piled up 1,014 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground and then added 178 receiving yards for a pair of touchdowns in playing in all 11 games in 2019. He also enjoyed the supporting cast throughout the year with Currie, Jackson, the offensive line and receivers making big plays as well to help power the Wolves and give Land even more space to work with other threats taking up attention on the field.
"What can I say, big time players make big time plays. Playing with the guys I played with this year made it easy. Being able to rely on my brothers was a big part of my game last season. Because of the talent we had across the board there was always someone making a play. This created a lot of our drives as there was never a dull moment on the field having all these electric playmakers. Having quick players like Marquis Sampson and Jarren Ford who you see one instant and are gone the next to having players outside like Thomas Wright and Justice Murphy making big time catches in crucial downs, down to Ty making every possession count. It seemed like we could do it all," Land said.
Land brought with him several impressive accomplishments when arriving at WOU as the star back from San Leandro High School and native of Oakland, Calif., was a three-year letter winner, team captain his final two seasons, was a First Team All-League selection for two seasons and finished his career running for over 1,000 yards as a senior. Throughout his career he has been able to learn and grow with the strong help from coaches, teammates and friends along the way.
"Everyone in my life has gotten me to the point I am at today, from coaches to players to friends back home. But what we accomplished now doesn't stop here we're going to only push forward and aim for higher," Land said.
While the WOU football season in the fall wasn't impacted, Land and the rest of the team certainly had to adjust to the COVID-19 shutdown by not being on campus for most of the spring term, which meant no spring ball and doing classes and workouts at home.
"My COVID-19 experience has consisted of home workouts and staying in the know, keeping healthy both physically and mentally. I've been using this time to take lots of mental reps and prepare my mind and body for this next season. After missing out on spring ball I can't wait to get back on the field with my brothers and let loose. We're picking up where we left off, as I wouldn't expect anything less," Land said.
Heading into the 2020 season, the Wolves will move forward without solid senior leadership from the players that graduated, but will ride the momentum and experience everyone gained from 2019 to come in looking to continue the ride into the new season.
"We are at a loss for our seniors and what they did for the culture within our team, but best believe we have something brewing for this upcoming season as well and will be ready to go once we get the opportunity again," Land said.
