The JV football team opened up their season on Sept. 9. with a thrilling 12-6 overtime win against the Poolesville Falcons, looking to set the tone for the rest of the season.

Prior to the game, JV had plenty of preparation with a scrimmage against Rockville’s JV, as well as a joint practice with Walkins Mill, but this would be their first real test. “Although we didn’t know much about Poolesville we felt prepared because we had two scrimmages versus solid teams and had been practicing really hard for the game,” sophomore quarterback Gavin Grange said.

The game was a back and forth battle with the Falcons striking first on a 65 -yard drive capped off with a 34-yard touchdown throw from the Poolesville quarterback. This would be the only time Poolsville would score as the Patriots would shut them out for the rest of the game.

Offensively the Patriots struggled to begin the game. The Poolesville defense was tough and kept the Patriots scoreless until the final minutes of the game. Grange took the snap and scrambled out of the pocket for a big gain before being hit and fumbling the ball. Luckily for the Patriots, freshman Ashton Ingram was there to scoop up the ball and run it in, tying the game 6-6 and bringing it into overtime. “It felt great to score the first touchdown of the season. It also gave us great momentum heading into overtime,” Ingram said.

After a long overtime with multiple defensive stands, the Patriots were able to win the game on a touchdown pass from Grange to sophomore running back Tyler Siegel. Grange played a complete game, finishing with 150 yards on the ground and in the air. Siegel also had a good game with 50 rushing yards on the ground as well as key tackles on defense.

The Patriots looked to ride the momentum into week two with a win against Clarksburg but fell short 24-12 on Sept 16.

The Patriots had a rough game, allowing two touchdowns from their special teams, one being a fumbled snap on a punt, and the other being a kickoff return. Clarksburg also had a deep touchdown pass to extend the lead. But the Patriots didn’t go down without a fight. Grange connected with Ingram for his second touchdown of the year and Siegel added another touchdown on the ground to cut the lead more. It was little too late and Clarksburg managed to come away with the win.

The Patriots will look to bounce back Friday against rival Churchill Bulldogs. “It sucks to lose like that, but we just have to stay focused and look forward to our next game against Churchill,” Siegel said.