The Patriots hoped for their first win on Oct. 18 against Richard Montgomery but it was a blowout, with RM beating the Patriots 54-14.
Senior captain Larry Feldman had a big game, going for 100 yards and a touchdown, with 53 on the ground and 47 through the air. He remained optimistic despite the big loss and was excited for senior night. “I hope we can build on this performance even though we lost. All we can do is look ahead to a very important game against Einstein,” Feldman said.
A sea of red, white and blue filled up the stands as only a few Einstein fans showed up on Oct. 25. Einstein was coming off a three-game win streak and was looking for their fourth. Wootton knew that they had to play much better than they played against RM to have a chance at winning.
Before the game, the stands were hyped as they were led by senior grill masters Ben Bloch, Daniel Rudden, Matthew Kopsidas and Evan McLaughlin. In addition to the loud, supportive student section, parents showed up because it was also senior night for poms, cheer and band.
When it came to the game, the Patriots started off hot, forcing a three-and-out. After that possession, it went downhill from there Einstein forced a turnover on downs and easily scored the next possession. Soon, they had put up more than two touchdowns in just the first quarter.
The highlight of the game was Feldman’s kick return for a touchdown. During the third quarter, he returned a punt 65 yards for Wootton’s only touchdown of the game. “I was really happy with the kick return. Even though we didn’t win, I’m happy I at least scored a touchdown on my senior night,” Feldman said.
The game ended in a brutal loss, 55-10. This was the fourth start for freshman Chris Castelli, but this was not one of his best performances, finishing with only 10 completions on 24 attempts for 64 yards and two interceptions. Sophomore Justin McGraw led in receiving yards, with five catches for 31 yards. Feldman led in rushing yards with 27 yards off of six attempts.
This was also the senior night for cheer, poms and band. The seniors on all four teams took pictures with flowers and banners before the game with their families. Band participated in the halftime show and each senior was asked where they want to go for vacation. Drum major Claire Throckmorton said she would visit “the North Pole to make Santa give the naughty kids solar panels instead of coal to help save the environment.”
The final game of the season on Nov. 1 against Northwest was too late to be included in this issue.
