Through the last four games, the Patriots have gone 1-3, looking to end the regular season with a win against Clarksburg on Oct. 31 at home.
The Patriots’ most recent win was against Magruder on Oct. 3. They took it to the Colonels and beat them in a nail-biter with a final score of 14-13. Despite a close score, the team had a steady lead throughout the game. Magruder fought back, but the Patriots were able to stop Magruder late in the game. “I really liked how the team operated against Magruder. We had good chemistry, and I hope we can find that chemistry again before [the] playoffs,” junior Elijah Cullen said.
After a strong week, it was time for the Patriots to gear up for the homecoming game against Richard Montgomery. Captain and cornerback senior Carlos Perez is trying to bring out the best of the team and is doing so by making sure everyone is putting their full effort into practice. If the team puts full effort into practice, then it should translate to the games. “In order for us and myself to succeed, we need to maintain focus in practice and keep a strong level of competitiveness no matter who we play,” Perez said.
The stage was set for Friday night lights with cool weather and a pep rally at the end of the day to bring out the students’ spirit. Before the game started, students lined up to secure good seats and also joined the Barbecue Club, where they enjoyed hamburgers and face painting. Despite the high energy, Richard Montgomery got right to business and scored a touchdown, followed by misses from the Patriots; energy quickly depleted. After an exciting performance during halftime by poms and Afroelites, students’ energy was brought back, and Patriots were able to follow up with their first score of the game. Though they were giving it their best effort, they ended up falling farther behind Richard Montgomery and ultimately lost the game 21-12. “The game was very disappointing and was a hard loss, but we have to pick our heads up and keep looking to the next game,” senior Jonas Klein said.
The next two games did not go well for the Patriots either, as they played two high-powered offenses in Sherwood and Winston Churchill. The Sherwood game took place on Oct. 16 at Sherwood and resulted in 35-0 a Patriots loss. The following week, on Oct. 25, the Patriots traveled to Churchill, where they did not play much better but scored a touchdown from Ashton Ingram. This was another loss for the Patriots with a final score of 34-6.
The final game of the regular season is on Oct. 31, which is senior night for both poms and football. Even through all the struggles that the team has faced, the boys will attempt to rally for one last regular season game to create momentum for the playoffs. “The most exciting part of the season has been being able to go out there every game and be competitive every week with all my friends,” Klein said.
The playoff game is to be determined and will be based on the Patriots’ performance in the final game of the season against Clarksburg on Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m.; the Barbecue Club tailgate begins promptly at 5:30 p.m.. Fans can catch up with the rest of the season on the Patriots’ Instagram, @woottonpatriotsfb.
