The Marriotts Ridge Football Program is nearing the end of their 2022 season. With a tough game ahead, they look to turn the tide and redeem themselves and finish the season strong.
The Varsity football team had a rough start, plagued by early injuries and close losses, but they look to make a comeback and finish out strong.
“[We’re] starting to come together and the improvements are noticeable each week. We just need to stay focused and keep working hard and I think the season will end on a positive note,” junior Daniel Goering said.
As the season progresses the games are getting closer and closer; the team notably lost by just one touchdown in the opener against Howard, and by only three against Mount Hebron. In spite of these improvements, the team was brought down when quarterback Fabrel Yahya-Moore injured his hamstring and linebacker Benjamin Cezik enduring a season ending knee injury.
Regardless of these injuries, the team is in high spirits and are not counting themselves out yet.
“We are continuing to work hard at practice everyday. There are plenty of games ahead of us so we are as motivated as ever,” said junior Jackson Berry.
With continued hard work, the team is confident they will have the turnaround they are looking for. This turnaround finally came about on Saturday, October 8th, when the team beat Wilde Lake in a close 10-6 fight. This win inspired the team and lifted their spirits drastically. They hope this success will continue to carry over throughout the rest of the season. This win broke a two year drought; the players were ecstatic and celebrated after their great win.
Taking a deeper look into this group, Martin Lunsford (Senior) and Andres Alvarez (Sophomore) talked about some of their personal fun facts. Martin is a senior middle linebacker who absolutely loves his position and the rush he gets from football. Martin began his football journey at just four years old as he has, “always loved the game.” He is a positive influence and a great representation of the Marriotts Ridge Football team. His teammates look up to him as a 6tmodel player who is respectful and encouraging. This year he was given the title of team captain for both his play on the field and supportiveness of it.
Andres has a different perspective, picking up football his freshman year and making varsity as a sophomore. He is an offensive and defensive lineman who sees both sides of the ball. After dealing with a knee injury last year, he bounced back and came out strong this season.
One of this year’s biggest surprises is the emergence of a strong Junior Varsity team. JV is undefeated so far this season: boasting a 5-0 record, sweeping every team so far, and only allowing a combined 14 points scored on them. The team has four games left this season and is looking to keep the streak alive. The team knows that if they remain humble and stay focused they could finish out this great season.
“As long as we play as a team and communicate on the field, we will stay undefeated,” sophomore Lucas Tran stated.
The JV football team is excited for their next game, along with varsity looking to finish their season out strong. Both teams will continue to strive for their next victory, making improvements each day.