Walter Johnson Football Team "Embarrassed" by Churchill

There was very little to be enjoyed at the football game between Churchill and Walter Johnson on Thursday night. The weather, a constant shower, was bad. The bleachers, hundreds of yards of soaked metal, could not be sat upon. Most importantly, the football game, a turnover-ridden fumble fest, was frustrating even for an onlooker with no allegiance to either team.

One parent in attendance referred to the game as the "battle of the pathetic," and a "limbo match."  

"How low can you go?" he quipped.

Ultimately the experience proved pleasing for one group of 48 teenagers in particular – the Churchill Bulldogs (1-2), who earned their first victory of the year, defeating Walter Johnson by a final score of 7-0.

Churchill entered the game having lost both of their first two games, one to Gaithersburg and the other to Seneca Valley. They did not score a touchdown in either game.

Walter Johnson started their season 1-1, beating Rockville in a surprising come-from-behind match and then losing to cross-town rival Whitman last week. Still riding the high of their week one victory, they certainly did not show up to the field on Thursday expecting to be beaten by a team who had yet to put points on the board all season.

The first quarter, a microcosm of the game itself, passed uneventfully with the exception of turnovers and penalties assessed to both teams. Churchill fumbled the ball twice in the period while the Wildcats were forced to punt on multiple occasions.

The game's only touchdown came in the second quarter when Churchill senior running back Marcus Brown broke out for a third-down 22-yard run. The Bulldogs completed the extra point, bringing the score to 7-0 with 7:01 remaining in the half.

With the exception of the ticking time clock, the scoreboard sat frozen for the remainder of the game.

Churchill did make several trips to the Wildcat red zone throughout the second half, but fumbles and penalties kept them out of the end zone. Churchill also missed two field goals over the final 24 minutes. Walter Johnson was not able to make a serious threat into Bulldog territory all game long.

While neither offense was anything to behold, both defenses, especially that of Churchill, worked efficiently all night.

"Our defense we always feel is our strong point," Churchill coach Joe Allen said after the game. "We play off our defense. They got us in good position to move the ball and we feel good about that."

Walter Johnson quarterback Cole Ahnell also commended his team's defense following the loss.

"The defense was amazing," he said. "The fact that they only gave up one touchdown and Churchill had the ball in our red zone maybe four or five times is incredible."

Despite his regard for the defense, Ahnell was left with a distinctly bad taste in his mouth upon being shutout by Churchill.

"I thought we were the better team coming into the game, and the fact that we didn't get up on them early…disappoints me," he said. "I'm embarrassed because we didn't play to our full potential, and that is the reason we lost."

The Wildcats will face Gaithersburg next week while Churchill will return home to battle Richard Montgomery.

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