The football team has continued its run of dominance in the 4A South division, holding a 4-0 record among division teams and a 6-2 record overall with two games remaining in the regular season.
“The guys are confident,” head coach Joe Allen said. “They are starting to learn how to win and come in to each game expecting to win.”
The team won a grind of a homecoming Oct. 20, defeating Springbrook 14-0 in muddy, foggy conditions.
“Ball handling wasn’t good on either side,” Allen said. “We run a triple option offense, not the most weather-effective offense.”
The Bulldogs fought to Springbrook’s 1-yard line early in the first quarter, but fumbled. From there the game became a back-and-forth slog for both teams, with the score sitting at 0-0 at halftime. When CHS broke into the endzone for the first time in the third quarter, students’ cheers in the crowded stands were delayed, as they could barely see the referee’s signal through a thick veil of fog.
Prior to the defeat of Springbrook was a 33-20 victory over Walter Johnson Oct. 12, in which the Bulldogs controlled the tempo throughout the game. Allen feels CHS’s offense has been able to take control of games behind quarterback Jonathan Lee.
“It all starts with the quarterback,” Allen said. “The quarterback has to be able to execute and be knowledgeable of the offense. Lee is fifth in the county in yards, and has more yards per attempt than any other quarterback in the county.”
The Bulldogs pulled out the win over WJ after a rough 27-24 loss to Northwest Oct. 5, in which they held a commanding 21-3 lead at halftime, but fumbled the ball eight times and surrendered the lead.
“We have to finish games,” center Darrion Locke said. “We can’t go into halftime too cocky.”
The Bulldogs beat Gaithersburg 13-6 Sept. 29, and lost to powerhouse Seneca Valley 28-22 Sept. 21. The six-point loss to Seneca represents the team’s largest margin of defeat this year, with the offense consistently keeping pace with its opposition.
Senior wide receiver Dominique Williams has seen gradual improvement in the offense’s play, including that of quarterback Lee.
“A huge struggle I see is that Lee gets sacked a lot,” Williams said. “But he just needs to be able to roll out of the pocket and hit the open guy. He has improved his accuracy and is becoming a better quarterback every day.
Heading into the season, the inexperience of the young offensive line raised questions.
According to Locke, however, as the season has progressed the offensive line has stayed strong.
“We’re the best offensive line in the county,” Locke said.
Williams and Allen agree. Williams sees the line “starting to prove a lot of people wrong,” and Allen holds that the team’s depth coming in to the season was underestimated.
“I felt we’d be a good team,” Allen said. “We had more depth last year than most give us credit for.”
The team has two games left to solidify its record before the playoffs—Senior Night against Wootton Oct. 26 and Sherwood Nov. 2.
The players and coaches are enthusiastic about the team’s outlook as the postseason approaches.
According to Locke, the team has improved as a unit rather than as individual players. Williams had similar sentiments, and made the intentions of the team clear.
“We have one goal, and one goal only,” Williams said. “Win states. That’s it.”
