The football team took on presumptive state champions Walkersville on Oct. 20. Walkersville has been on a tear all year, and are now on a 24-game win streak dating back to two seasons ago. They are a team in Frederick County and were scheduled so a spot could be filled. Scheduling this game, however, proved to be a huge mistake. Wootton ultimately lost 76-7, which was just another normal Friday for Walkersville.
After punting for much of the first quarter, the Patriots were down 21-0 before senior quarterback Grant Saylor connected with senior wide receiver Elijah Trent to make it 21-7. Walkersville didn’t look back after that, as they turned that lead into 70-7 by halftime. The second half had a running clock so Walkersville only scored once more and missed the extra point, resulting in in a 76-7 win. Walkersville threw the ball only a few times, but one of them was intercepted by junior Jonathan London.
The Patriots got back on track against Walter Johnson on Oct. 27. They quickly went up 21-0 after multiple touchdown passes from Saylor in the first quarter, with the game ending in a 50-21 win. “We definitely came into the game with a chip on our shoulder and wanted to prove last week was not who we are, and I think we did that,” offensive coordinator Chris Papadopoulos said.
Saylor had 375 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, and added a rushing touchdown. Two of Saylor’s touchdowns and 127 of the yards went to junior wide receiver Noelly Miller, while Trent had 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Miller, Trent and Saylor are all leading the DMV in the majority of passing categories this season. Miller has 1,200 receiving yards and Trent has 1,145 receiving yards; the next best in the entire DMV is 900 yards. They are also first and second in catches, and Miller is tied for first while Trent is tied for third in receiving touchdowns. Saylor is first in completions and yards, and is second in touchdown passes.
In the second half, freshman Matthew Koplan scored a receiving touchdown in his first varsity game. Junior running back Matthew Amobi continued his impressive season with 143 yards on 11 carries. Senior Max Museles was able to score a 10-yard touchdown on his only carry.
Additionally, it was senior night for football, and all of the seniors were honored during half time. “It was a great way to send the seniors out in their last home game,” Papadopoulos said.
All 21 seniors walked out onto the field with family members for their final home game. Senior and first year football player Young “Asian Bull” Kim got his first ever start at linebacker. “Starting and playing a lot was a great feeling, I’m glad I finally got the opportunity,” Kim said.
They played at Damascus on Nov. 3, too late to be included in this issue, with playoff implications on the line. Damascus hasn’t lost a game in multiple seasons, and if Wootton wants to guarantee themselves a playoff spot then a win is needed. If they lose then it’s still possible for them to make playoffs, but it is unlikely.
Max Pasternak
Senior News Editor
