As the regular season came to an end for the football team, they hoped to win against Damascus on Nov. 3 to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Patriots were in a win-and-get-in situation and if they were unable to win, their season would come to an end. On the other hand, Damascus was undefeated so the team had a hard challenge ahead of them.
Damascus was the first to score and the Patriots responded with a 17-yard touchdown from senior quarterback Grant Saylor to senior wide receiver Elijah Trent. “I thought we had a chance to win after we scored the touchdown,” Saylor said.
As junior kicker Kiyaan Chavoshi was kicking the ball he got tackled and broke his pelvic bone. Chavoshi went to the hospital right after the incident. Chavoshi was one of the best kickers in all of Montgomery County this season and his loss hurt the Patriots’ offense. Later on, senior defensive end Sam Alborta was injured when someone landed on top of him, giving him a concussion and injuring his neck. Alborta was hospitalized as well.
The team struggled on both sides after the ball. The offense could not get the run game going, only rushing 51 yards the whole game. Although the pass game was there, the team could not score a touchdown and the defense could not stop the Damascus offense. The defense allowed 127 rushing yards with seven rushing touchdowns. The defense did shut off the pass game as Damascus could not score through the air.
The team lost 49-7 and their playoffs hopes were gone. “It was a tough loss and even though we didn’t make it to playoffs, I enjoyed my time at Wootton,” Trent said.
The team ended with a record of 6-4. Saylor almost broke the county record for most passing yards but came up short 150 yards, though he did have the most passing yards in the county by over 1,000 yards. Trent and junior Noelly Miller led the county in receiving yards as well. “I really thought Grant could have a chance of breaking the record, after the first touchdown,” senior linebacker/running back Max Museles said.
The team looks to rebuild in the off season as the seniors leave.
The team has 21 seniors graduating this year, and with Saylor graduating the question of who will play quarterback remains. The team is looking to rebuild their offensive line as three offensive linemen graduate. The Patriots are also looking to adjust their defense as 11 defensive seniors leave. The team will most likely struggle early on until they find the next quarterback to replace Saylor.
Eric Lee
Staff Writer
