After a devastating loss to the Clarksburg Coyotes on Sept. 18, the Patriots bounced back with an exciting 13-7 win against the Churchill Bulldogs on Sept. 24. 

The Patriots came out strong and ready to fight in the first quarter, holding the Bulldogs to zero points and two sacks. Then, late in the first quarter, sophomore running back Matthew Cortes punched it in from the three-yard line and sophomore kicker and safety Chase Williams missed the extra point to put the Patriots on top 6-0. “We played with great energy and we were prepared from a focused week of practice,” sophomore defensive back and receiver Gavin Grange said. 

The second quarter was a slung-fest with both teams going three and out numerous times and struggling to capitalize on any plays. Although the offense slowed down, the Patriots seemed to have had an answer for the different formations the Bulldogs came out in. “We figured if we could hold them to nothing in the first half, we would be able to keep the same intensity throughout the game to tire them out and secure a win,” Head Coach Dave Shipe said.

Midway through the third quarter, sophomore defensive lineman Bill Gun was able to force a fumble from the Churchill running back and sophomore linebacker Everett Field scooped it for a 60-yard score. The extra point was made by Williams, putting the Patriots up by 13 points and giving them a comfortable cushion to potentially expand on. “I think that play was a real game-changer because it established our lead even more and boosted our confidence,” Field said. 

However, Churchill answered immediately on the following kickoff with an explosive 80-yard return for a touchdown and made the extra point. The Patriot’s defense was able to make sure the Bulldogs did not gain any momentum from the kick and continued to run the clock down. “The kick return was really our only costly mistake throughout the entire game, but since then we’ve learned from our mistakes and have made sure we each know our responsibilities,” sophomore defensive back and receiver Jimmy Youssefi said.  

Leading into the fourth quarter the Patriots were up 13-7 and the offense continued to fatigue the Bulldogs’ defense. Sophomore quarterback Matt Repie was able to continue to eat time away by dodging multiple defenders and extending the play when the pocket would collapse. “Our offense did their job perfectly by wearing down Churchill’s defense and constantly applying pressure too,” sophomore offensive guard and defensive tackle WIll Jong said.

The Patriots have since then lost to the BCC Barons 35-0, the Seneca Valley Screaming Eagles 37-0 and the Whitman Vikings 28-0, which puts them at 2-4 for the season so far. They look to turn things around with an away win against Catonsville on Oct. 22. “The rest of our schedule is completely winnable and I believe that we could easily finish the season with a winning record as long as we continue to practice with high intensity,” Shipe said.