Ethan Reff
senior sports editor

The Patriots have picked up two huge wins over Walkersville and WJ in the past two weeks. The team’s record sits at 5-4 after rattling off four straight wins. The offense has been firing on all cylinders, putting up at least 28 points during all four of their consecutive wins.

Senior Noelly Miller is happy to see the progress that the offense has made over these past four weeks. “We’ve come together more as a team recently. Beating Walkersville made us more cohesive as a program,” Miller said.

One player who has made an impact on offense and defense this year is senior linebacker/receiver/quarterback Alec Yassin. Yassin is a three-year starter on the varsity squad, winning the team’s annual defensive player of the year during his sophomore season. Yassin entered high school with his primary position as quarterback. While he hasn’t played quarterback full time since his freshman year due to injury, Yassin has filled in nicely due to injuries at the quarterback position this year. He is currently 12-21 with 99 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also plays wide receiver, catching six passes for 69 yards. Yassin likes being used on both offense and defense because he enjoys making a big impact on the game. “Playing both ways is fun because I get to be involved in every play,” Yassin said.

Entering the season, the team made it a goal to erase what happened last year. After an embarrassing 77-6 loss last year to Walkersville, the Lions traveled to face the Patriots. The Patriots avenged last year’s loss in a big way, winning 28-27 in a season-defining victory.

The Patriots were led by Miller once again, completing 21 of 29 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown while also having 77 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Senior Aaron Strauss was also unstoppable in the game, catching 15 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown. These offensive performances seemed like they weren’t enough as Walkersville was driving only down one point in the final minute of the game. And then, with less than a minute left, junior Larry Feldman intercepted a Walkersville pass, securing the win for the Pats. Miller claims that this was one of the most important wins he has ever seen. “The win against Walkersville was special because it shows that we can compete with anyone,” Miller said.

The Patriots then went to Walter Johnson to take on the Wildcats. The Patriots won 42-14. Senior Matt Amobi set an all-time school record with 240 yards on the ground and is now the all-time school leader in rushing yards. The defense also helped out in a big way, recording three sacks.

The Patriots faced Damascus on Nov. 2 for senior night at home, too late to be covered in this issue.