B-CC High School Athletics: Football Results-Varsity

2008 Varsity Football

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Special Teams Player of the Week: Matt Bookman, Bethesda-Chevy Chase
It hasn’t been a very fun season at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, but sophomore quarterback Matt Bookman lifted the Barons late in the season. His 45-yard punt return for a touchdown lifted B-CC to a 30-7 win over Wheaton. He also rushed for 96 yards and passed for 167. ...

Bethesda-Chevy Chase 30, Wheaton 7
The Barons found hope for the next two years in sophomore quarterback Matt Bookman, which undoubtedly takes some of the sting out of a 2-8 season.

The Barons (2-8) matched last season's win total with a well-balanced effort against the Knights (2-8). The teams finished tied for seventh in the Montgomery 3A Division.

Sophomore Matt Bookman rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown, and added a 45-yard punt return touchdown. Quarterback Jake Boross added 161 passing yards and a touchdown in his high school finale. Linebacker Noah Joseph added 12 tackles, surpassing 15 for the season.

Sophomore Matt Bookman gained over 160 all purpose yards and ignited the B-CC Barons with an electrifying 45 yard punt return for touchdown in the second quarter. Noah Joseph finished the season with 150 tackles, 63 solo.

The Titans' Malcolm Crockett ran wild on the ground again, countering a 200-yard passing effort from Barons quarterback Jake Boross. B-CC also ran for over 100 yards, but Einstein got the better of the shootout.

The Titans (5-4) close their season at home Friday against Seneca Valley, while the Barons (1-9) host Wheaton.

A week after Bethesda-area neighbor Walter Johnson picked up its first win of the football season against Poolesville, Bethesda-Chevy Chase pulled the same trick, topping the host Falcons, 40-14.

"I feel about 30 pounds lighter," B-CC coach Joe Allen said. "I've got this monkey off my back. But WJ got it off before I did."

Sophomore running back Matt Bookman broke out for 230 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, and was pulled with 7 minutes left in the game. But the Barons (1-7 overall, 0-5 Montgomery 3A West Division) led just 14-6 at halftime, on Bookman scoring runs of 21 and 13 yards.

"We started out kind of sluggish because of the long ride," Allen said. "But once we established things, we were able to consistently drive the ball down the field. … Our gameplan coming in was to run the ball on the edges because we knew they couldn't handle our athletes in space."

The Barons added four rushing touchdowns in the second half, and quarterback Jake Boross (6 of 12, 75 yards) found Sean Lee on a 19-yard touchdown pass.

Senior linebacker Noah Joseph made 14 tackles, including eight solo and one behind the line of scrimmage, going over the 100 mark after just eight games. Joseph hopes to play next season in the Ivy League, and is seriously considering Brown (R.I.) University.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase 40, Poolesville 14
The Barons get their first win of the season over winless Poolesville. B-CC may have found their running back for the next few years in sophomore Matt Bookman, who ran 18 times for 230 yards. Those numbers put him in Offensive Player of the Week consideration.

A week after Bethesda-area neighbor Walter Johnson picked up its first win of the season against Poolesville, B-CC (1-7 overall, 0-5 Montgomery 3A West Division) pulled the same trick.

"I feel about 30 pounds lighter," B-CC coach Joe Allen said. "We started out kind of sluggish because of the long ride. But once we established things we were able to consistently drive the ball down the field. … Our gameplan coming in was to run the ball on the edges because we knew they couldn't handle our athletes in space."

Sophomore running back Matt Bookman broke out for 230 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, and was pulled with 7 minutes left in the game. Senior linebacker Noah Joseph made 14 tackles, including eight solo and one behind the line of scrimmage, going over the 100 mark after just eight games.

B-CC led just 14-6 at halftime, on Bookman scoring runs of 21 and 13 yards. The Barons added four rushing touchdowns in the second half, and quarterback Jake Boross (6 of 12, 75 yards) found Sean Lee on a 19-yard touchdown pass.

B-CC -- Bookman 21 run (Bookman kick)
B-CC-- Bookman 13 run (Shamma kick)
B-CC -- Charters 27 run (kick failed)
B-CC -- Lee 19 pass from Boros (kick failed)
B-CC-- Bookman run (Shamma kick)
B-CC -- Jenkins 1 run (Jenkins kick)

RUSHING LEADERS -- B-CC: Bookman 18-230.
PASSING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 6-12-0 74.
RECEIVING LEADERS -- B-CC: Lee 2-24, Jenkins 2-32.

RUSHING LEADERS -- B-CC: Bookman 16-61.
PASSING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 11-33-0 117.
RECEIVING LEADERS -- B-CC: Jenkins 4-54.

B-CC-- Jenkins 13 pass from Boros (Shamma kick)
B-CC-- Bookman 31 pass from Boros (Shamma kick)

RUSHING LEADERS -- B-CC: Bookman 17-41.
PASSING LEADERS -- B-CC: Fitzgerald 0-1-1 -3, Boros 16-28-1 155.
RECEIVING LEADERS -- B-CC: Bookman 4-50, Jenkins 3-39, Fizgerald 4-34.

First-year Kennedy head coach Randolph Warren could barely watch.

What his eyes scarcely saw was Bethesda-Chevy Chase kicker Casey Shamma leaving a potential game-winning 30-yard field goal just short, clinching a 22-20 Cavaliers (1-4) victory, their first of the season.

"Everything stopped," said Warren. "It was silent and the ref signaled no good and we celebrated."

The Cavalier defense was the story of the afternoon, as they forced seven Barons (0-5) turnovers.

In the second quarter, senior defensive tackle Aaron Butler sacked B-CC quarterback Jake Boross, forcing a fumble which he returned 55 yards. It set up a 4-yard touchdown run by running back Kenny Godfrey, and gave Kennedy a 6-0 lead.

Later in the quarter, running back Beze Ezekoye scored on a 7-yard run, and the ensuing 2-point conversion extended the lead to 14-0. But the Barons would respond to tie the game, 14-14, after a 38-yard flea flicker to Kerrance James and a 5-yard pass from Boross to Gus Vita.

The Cavaliers' Sharadi Mudimbi answered by returning the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, with a two-point conversion giving them a 22-14 halftime lead. B-CC would add another touchdown in the third quarter after Gibb Jenkins' 40-yard interception return, but their missed 2-point conversion proved decisive.

With the Barons driving in Cavalier territory in the fourth quarter, Kennedy linebacker Chibueze Okoji — who also caught three passes for 52 yards — intercepted a Boross pass that stopped a potential go-ahead score.

"It feels very good," said Warren. "It's great for the kids and the homecoming game. We moved the ball on offense, played field position and it was a total team effort."

B-CC hosts Clarksburg (5-0) this Friday, while Kennedy hosts Watkins Mill (2-3).

Highlights: Kennedy capitalized on seven Bethesda-Chevy Chase turnovers, an 88 yard kickoff return, and fake extra point run to win their first game of the season.

B-CC -- James 38 pass from Fitzgerald (Shamma kick)
B-CC-- Vita 5 pass from Boros (Shamma kick)
B-CC -- Jenkins 40 interception return

RUSHING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 7-18.
PASSING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 30-54-3 270, Fitzgerald 1-1-0 38.
RECEIVING LEADERS -- B-CC: Bookman 5-30, Jules 4-28, James 4-62, Jenkins 4-65, Vita 6-56, Fitzgerald 3-24.

The B-CC Barons have struggled to get going early on this football season, with a 0-2 record. They lost their season opener to the Paint Branch Panthers 35-13, and dropped their home opener to the Walt Whitman Vikings 28-9. However, the team looks to rally behind a senior cast of Quarterback Jake Boross and Wide Receivers Augustin Vita and Gib Jenkins (B-CC's only All-Gazette honoree last year).

Despite the bumpy start, B-CC players remain optimistic about the rest of the season. Boross, who after transferring from Chesapeake, Virginia, beat out two seniors for the starting position last year, is feeling “pretty loose and excited” about this season. The offensive line returns four starters from last year, anchored by center Reid Williams, guard Brian Altman and tackle Mike Allen. Furthermore, the Varsity squad hopes to be bolstered by talented underclassmen making the leap from a JV squad that finished 4-4 in 2007, like starting running back sophomore Matt Bookman.

This year’s B-CC team has taken on a new offensive approach, following a disappointing 2-8 record in 2007. The more wide-open attack on offense (a spread formation) has been influenced heavily by Head Coach Joe Allen’s additions to the coaching staff: Wayne See and Darrell Hodge. The new approach takes advantage of Boross’s experience behind center and the Baron’s athletic and talented group of receivers, including Jenkins and Junior Casey Fitzgerald.

Darryl Hodge takes over at Defensive Coordinator, after spending the last two years at St. Johns College High School, where he coached both the Offensive and Defensive Lines. Wayne See comes after working as a graduate assistant under (now Michigan’s head coach) Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia University.

The Barons, however, aren’t going to let their mighty opponents faze them. Boross plans on “playing hard and making the school proud.” Assistant Coach Hodge agreed, stating that the team would simply try to place “emphasis on the little things” and make sure that “everyone is on the same page” as they look for their first win of the season.

The Barons come back to B-CC for the homecoming game on September 26th, where they face the Watkins Mill Wolverines.

The spread. The read option. The run-and-shoot and the fun-and-gun.

All of those speed-based offenses have produced success in college football and trickled down to the high school level. But sometimes — like in Friday night's 20-6 Watkins Mill win at Bethesda-Chevy Chase — there's just no substitute for a power running game.

"We're going to try to just pound the ball and pound the ball, which is different from what we've done in the past," Watkins Mill head coach Joe Rydzewski said. "The game plan was to keep the ball from them and hold onto the ball rushing the ball."

Friday was the perfect time for the Wolverines (2-2) to embrace "four yards and a cloud of dust." For starters, the game began in a heavy downpour, making precision difficult. The teams combined to fumble 11 times, though only one was lost, and throw three interceptions.

What's more, Watkins Mill enjoyed a huge size advantage over B-CC (0-4). Based on roster weights, the average Watkins Mill lineman outweighs the average Barons lineman, 256 pounds to 219. The Wolverines have four players who tip the scales at over 300. ...

The B-CC offense, by contrast, lines up in a one-back shotgun set and relies heavily on the arm of senior quarterback Jake Boross. Knowing it couldn't redraw the entire playbook because of the forecast, the Barons stuck with that formula.

"The weather gave us a little bit of a problem, but the bottom line is, we had too many early turnovers," Barons head coach Joe Allen said. "And we're not the type of team that can get in a hole and work our way out. … I certainly believe that was a winnable game." ...

The good news for B-CC is that both its passing offense and its run defense clicked into place in the second half.

B-CC's touchdown came with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining, when quarterback Jake Boross found Casey Fitzgerald on a 39-yard seam route. Boross finished 16 of 32 for 145 yards. He added 53 rushing yards, thereby accounting for 198 of the Barons' 177 yards of offense, or 112 percent.

The defense held Watkins Mill to 62 total yards and no scoring in the second half.

RUSHING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 9-71.
PASSING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 15-20-2, 121.
RECEIVING LEADERS -- B-CC: Jules 5-29, Vita 4-28.

The visiting Vikings continued their annual dominance of the battle for Bethesda Friday at B-CC. The win evened Whitman's record at 1-1 heading into next week's game against Wootton, which carries serious 4A playoff implications.

The Barons (0-2) fell despite a fine effort from senior quarterback Jake Boross, who threw for 177 yards and rushed for 13 more. B-CC's score came on a pass from Boross to Augustin Vita, who had 82 yards receiving on the night.

RUSHING LEADERS -- B-CC: Bookman 4-18.
PASSING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 13-26-1, 177.
RECEIVING LEADERS -- B-CC: Shamma 3-64, Vita 3-82, Jenkins 3-26.

As they did a year ago, the Panthers kicked off their season by routing the Barons. ... The Panthers overcame a 7-6 first-quarter deficit with 21 unanswered points before halftime.

Senior quarterback Jake Boross accounted for both of B-CC's touchdowns. He hit sophomore running back Matt Bookman from 25 yards out in the first quarter and dove into the end zone from a yard out in the third. Boross hit 11 of 22 passes for 97 yards.

RUSHING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 14-41.
PASSING LEADERS -- B-CC: Boros 11-22-2, 97.
RECEIVING LEADERS -- B-CC: Bookman 4-44, Shamma 3-22.

During the two days of two-a-days and throughout the rest of the preseason, DigitalSports asked Montgomery County football players 5 simple questions and they gave some hilarious answers. [Video clip with B-CC]

Almost before the 2007 football season was half over, B-CC head coach Joe Allen began taking steps to ensure his second year at the helm would go more smoothly than the first.

The Barons lost their first seven games last season; most in ugly fashion. But in October and November, they began laying the groundwork for a resurgence, and won two of their final three contests.

"That definitely continues on to this year, especially with our quarterback, most of our receivers and our whole offensive line back," said senior receiver Gib Jenkins, B-CC's only All-Gazette honoree last year. "Most of those players last year were juniors. Now we're seniors, so we're ready. … I think the mentality to win is just there."

The rebuilding began when Jake Boross was installed at quarterback in the third game of last season, winning a three-way competition with two seniors. Though he took his lumps, he is back for his senior season with plenty of experience under his belt.

Several athletic youngsters moved up from junior varsity during the course of last season and got playing time. Others, including projected starting running back Matt Bookman, a sophomore, make the leap this year from a JV that finished 4-4 in 2007.

Finally, Allen added to his staff in the offseason, bringing in former Division I player Wayne See, fresh off two years as a graduate assistant at West Virginia University, and former St. John's (D.C.) assistant Darrell Hodge as defensive coordinator.

"The team chemistry is a lot better than it was last year," Boross said. "We've worked hard and we feel like we're prepared. It's a fresh start."

There will also be a fresh offensive approach. B-CC reverts to a more wide-open attack this year, taking advantage of Boross' experience and a slew of athletic receivers.

"We just feel, basically, we've got some athletes," Allen said. "We've got a lot of receivers. And we're looking forward to it."

The offensive line returns four starters and won't include anyone under 200 pounds, something of a novelty at B-CC. The right side — center Reid Williams (6-foot, 210 pounds), guard Brian Altman (5-11, 225) and tackle Mike Allen (6-3, 300) — are all seniors who have lined up together in that order for three straight years.

Most of the linemen will play both ways, but the Barons have enough athletes that few of the skill players will see double duty. Senior Noah Joseph anchors the defense from middle linebacker, while juniors Casey Shamma and Casey Fitzgerald lead the secondary and will work at receiver.

The challenge will be to gel quickly; the toughest stretch of the Barons' schedule is the first three games, just as it was last year. They could easily be much improved and still start 0-3, but that's not what's on their minds.

"We're just going to have to hit the ground running," Boross said. "Paint Branch, Whitman and Seneca the first three — they're going to be three tough tasks. But we'll see where we stand after week one. … The coaches and players have all prepared; we're optimistic about this opportunity."

Head coach: Joe Allen, 2nd year
League: Montgomery 3A
Last year's record: 2-8
Last playoff appearance: 1995 (1st)
Last state title: None
Players to watch: QB Jake Boross, RB Matt Bookman, WR Gib Jenkins

Coach: Joe Allen
2007: 2-8, 1-6
Starters: 8/7
Senior QB Jake Boross and his top three receivers — senior Gib Jenkins, and juniors Casey Fitzgerald and Casey Shamma — are back.

Behind quarterback Jake Boross, a new group of coaches and new offensive system, B-CC is hoping for big changes in its record

BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE BARONS
Coach: Joe Allen, 2nd year
Record: 2-8, 2007; 2-8, Career
Returning Starters: Offense 8; Defense 6
Players to Watch: Jake Boross (Sr., QB, 6-0, 190); Casey Fitzgerald (Jr., FS, 6-0, 170); Casey Shamma (Sr., WR, 5-10, 160); Matt Bookman (Soph., RB/WR, 5-7, 150); Reid Williams (Sr., OL/LB, 6-0, 175)

EXPERIENCE, LEADERSHIP SETTING THE TONE FOR BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE

According to Bethesda-Chevy Chase players, last year’s 2-8 season can be attributed to a problem in leadership. So this year, there’s a whole new regime at the top.

Senior quarterback Jake Boross and the Barons’ 14 returning starters are taking it upon themselves to turn things around this season and Bethesda-Chevy Chase is also welcoming in five new coaches under second-year head coach Joe Allen.

“Everyone would kind of quit on each other when something would go wrong,” Boross said of last year. “I think we’ll be able to handle adversity better this year. The team chemistry is a lot better. It’s a tight-knit group.”

Boross said he can tell that a lot of his teammates look up to him. He has made an effort during the offseason to not only be a vocal leader but also show his teammates the path towards a winning season with increased workouts.

“It was a challenge to come out here every week [last year],” Boross said. “Hopefully it will be easier this year. … The team chemistry is a lot better than it was last year and I think our seniors leaders are going to step up and do their jobs.”

Boross was one of three quarterbacks playing for Bethesda-Chevy Chase last year. This season, he is entrenched as the starter, giving the Barons more stability than it had last season. Boross started the final four games of last season, in which the Barons won two of the last three after opening the season on a seven-game losing streak.

“Our leadership this year is better. Our captain, Jake Boross, is really good,” junior Casey Fitzgerald said. “He makes sure everybody is doing all the time. He stays hard on everyone.”

Bethesda-Chevy Chase’s late-season turnaround could also be attributed by a switch to a spread formation. The formation works well for the team this year considering it returns all of its receivers, including Gibb Jenkins and Casey Shamma.

“With Jake Boross coming back, he’s a pretty accurate thrower,” second-year Coach Joe Allen said. “We have a lot of wide receivers coming back so we thought the best thing would be to kind of spread them out and throw the football. The kids are really excited about throwing the football so we’re really looking forward to a productive year.”

Allen, a St. John’s (DC) graduate, brought in five new coaches, most notably including defensive coordinator Darryl Hodge. Hodge spent the past two years at St. John’s coaching the offensive and defensive lines and wanted to move up the ranks to take over a defense.

Coach Wayne See, who spent time playing Arena football and spent the past two years learning from former West Virginia University Coach Rich Rodriguez, also joins the staff.

“I think the coaching staff has been upgraded,” Allen said. “We brought up some experienced guys. … I think we’ll be more successful this year than we were last year.”

RUNNING GAME IN FLUX:

Returning senior starting running back Joe Poore decided not to play football this season, Coach Allen said.

That seemingly would leave a gap at running back, but look out for sophomore running back Matt Bookman, who Coach Allen pointed to as a potential standout performer.

“We’re looking for big things from him,” Allen said.

It was a trying football season at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, but the Barons can take solace from the way they ended things. After an 0-7 start against teams that went a combined 51-19 this season, B-CC closed with two wins in its final three games, including Friday’s 24-6 victory at Wheaton.

‘‘We knew coming in that it was going to be a tough first six or seven games,” B-CC head coach Joe Allen said. ‘‘It was good experience for the juniors and sophomores, and we ended up with four sophomore starters. In the long term, in terms of the program, it was good for them to get that experience.”

In his first season as head coach, Allen implemented new offensive and defensive systems at B-CC. The team clearly labored under the combination of the difficult schedule and all the changes. Only one of the Barons’ first seven losses was by fewer than 29 points.

But things slowly turned around. Junior Jake Boros, who transferred to the school before the season from Chesapeake, Va., eventually took over the quarterback job and made it his own.

‘‘Since he’s come in from Chesapeake, he’s taken over,” Allen said. ‘‘His work ethic and leadership have taken over the team. ... With him coming back next year and having had an opportunity to play a full year under this offense, that should be an advantage.”

Against Wheaton, B-CC (2-8 overall, 1-6 in the Montgomery 3A Division) took advantage of turnovers by the Knights to post an early lead. At halftime, the Barons made a defensive adjustment to shut down the Wheaton running game and were able to coast home.

Despite the loss of some key seniors on the line and at the skill positions, the Barons expect better things in 2008. Plenty of talent returns, and they will have had a year in the system. The early-season schedule will be the same, but Allen believes that the Barons won’t be.

"Some of those teams are losing some players next year, and we have a lot of kids in the school we want to try to get a hold of early and get into our offseason program," Allen said. "We can’t worry about the schedule. ... Those guys are going to be consistently competitive. We have to be the same."

From his place on the sidelines, Joe Allen has had a front-row view for six years of the challenges facing the Bethesda-Chevy Chase football program. Monday, Allen officially made the move from the front row to the spotlight, becoming the Barons’ new varsity head football coach.

In his six years at the school, the former JV head coach and varsity assistant has seen B-CC compile a record of 23-35. He believes he has a plan to turn around the school’s gridiron fortunes.

‘‘We’re going to try to establish a competitive football program at B-CC that’s capable of competing with the Seneca Valleys and the Northwests,” Allen said. ‘‘We have a great bunch of kids, a unique culture of kids at the school. We just have to introduce football as a culture at B-CC.”

Allen, 42, recognizes that the first step in doing that is winning, so that’s job one. He is already in the process of tinkering with the offense and the defense, while still holding to many of the principles the team employed in five seasons under former head coach John Zehner, who stepped down at the end of this past season.

In announcing the hiring Monday, B-CC athletics director Tim Gilmore said experience within the program was in Allen’s favor during the interview process, which was conducted during the latter part of last week. Gilmore said ‘‘two or three” candidates interviewed for the job.

‘‘They were good candidates with good qualifications,” Gilmore said. ‘‘Joe’s history with the program gave him a little bit of an advantage. Joe is bringing some new ideas that are expanding on some of the things John was doing. Traditionally, what has been going on, we’ve been happy with. It’s not a major shakeup or anything.”

Allen actually arrived on the B-CC coaching staff the year before Zehner took over as the head coach. It was a complete accident.

‘‘I literally walked into coaching at B-CC,” Allen said. ‘‘It was when B-CC was located over there at Northwood [while the school building in Bethesda was being renovated]. I was running around the track, and saw some kids working out. I said, ‘Are you the football team?’ And the coaches told me, ‘We need some help.’”

Allen happened to be looking to get into coaching at that time. Before latching on with B-CC, he had applied for a job with St. John’s (D.C.), where he graduated in 1982. After St. John’s, Allen continued playing football for three seasons at Salisbury University.

When he finished his career in 1984, he was second on the Sea Gulls’ all-time receiving yardage list, with 1,029. To this day, he is fifth on the school’s career leaderboard and is ninth in receptions (with 77). In Allen’s three seasons, Salisbury compiled a record of 21-8-1 and made the NCAA Division III playoffs and played for the national championship in 1983. His only high-school coaching experience is at B-CC.

Currently, Allen is an information technology specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools. While he does not specifically work at B-CC, he feels his job schedule will allow him to spend a lot of time in the building, a big advantage for a head coach.

‘‘I was just always pretty close to the varsity program,” Allen said. ‘‘I ran a lot of the off-season stuff. I just thought it would be a good time for me to go ahead and give it a chance.”

The Einstein Titans defeated the B-CC Barons on Halloween night with a commanding offensive display that showcased the running talents of senior running back Terrance Love and sophomore tailback Malcolm Crockett. Love distinguished himself on Einstein's Senior Night by running for four touchdowns and 188 yards on 16 carries, while also making two drive-killing interceptions. Crockett continued to show tremendous playmaking ability, scoring three touchdowns, all in spectacular fashion. Crockett amassed 110 rushing yards on 10 carries, rushing for one score, and scoring touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns.

Crockett's first score came after Einstein's defense forced the Barons to punt after their offense went three and out on their opening series. Einstein returned the Gibb Jenkins punt to their 34 yard line, commencing their drive by handing the ball to Crockett for five of six plays. Crockett broke tackles at the line, then veered right for a 42-yard scoring run. Einstein's defense forced another Jenkins punt after just three Barons plays, and their second drive featured Love, who scored his first touchdown from 1 yard out.

The Barons offense again failed to move the ball, forcing Jenkins to punt for the third time in the quarter. Punting from his own 32 yard line, Jenkins punted to Crockett at the Einstein 39 yard line. Sprinting straight ahead, Crockett broke through the pack and returned the punt 61 yards for Einstein's third touchdown in the first quarter. With 4 minutes and 30 seconds still left in the first quarter, Einstein already led 19-0. Crockett's electrifying punt return seemed to finally jolt the Barons offense, as they came out and drove down the field relying upon senior QB Jake Boross and the passing game. Boross hit Jenkins, Magnus Charters, and Keith Bennett in succession, then handed off to Noah Joseph for a tough 9-yard gain. The Barons got on the board when Boross hit Jenkins on a 7-yard post pattern over the middle. Casey Shamma connected for the PAT kick to make the score 19-7.

After the Barons’ kickoff, the Titans went back to handing the ball off to Crockett, who ran the ball for six straight carries, picking up two first downs. Then Love relieved Crockett for a play, and made the most of it by breaking off a 40-yard touchdown run. After the Barons defense held Love from scoring on the 2-point conversion run, Einstein now led by 25-7 with 10:51 remaining in the first half. After Joe Powers returned the Einstein kickoff to the B-CC 27 yard line, Boross came out firing and hit Gibb Jenkins on a 36-yard pass, with Jenkins and the Einstein defender both getting injured on the touchdown-saving tackle. B-CC sophomore Matt Bookman electrified the B-CC faithful with another hard-charging 25 yard run, moving the Barons to the Einstein 16 yard line. Boross then found sophomore Terrance James open in the end zone for James’s first varsity touchdown. After B-CC senior wideout Sean Lee made a beautiful diving catch in the end zone for the 2-point conversion, B-CC had new life with the score 25-15, and more than 8 minutes left in the first half.

Einstein took the B-CC kickoff at their own 37 and commenced a 63-yard drive alternating Love and Crockett, and mixing in two Benitez passes for crucial first downs in the drive. Love culminated the drive with his third touchdown of the first half, scoring on a 9-yard touchdown run, then Crockett added the 2-point conversion run. Einstein led 33-15 with 4:48 left in the second quarter.

After B-CC senior captain defensive lineman Brian Altman returned the Einstein kickoff to the B-CC 40 yard line, the Barons offense seemed poised to match the Einstein score with one of their own. Boross hit Bookman with a short pitch, which Bookman turned into a 30-yard gain. Two plays later, Boross spied Bookman running down the right sideline and launched a 35-yard pass that Einstein's Love closed on and made a leaping interception at the 1 yard line to kill the B-CC drive. The only thing that stopped the Einstein offense in the first half was the clock, as time expired at the half with Einstein moving the ball and the score 33-15.

The second half opened with Crockett seemingly intent on matching Love score for score. The Einstein back caught the Shamma kick at his own 25 yard line, and then broke off on a slashing, veering, cutback run that resulted in a 75-yard touchdown. Then Love came on and scored the two-point conversion, leaving the score 41-15 with an entire half yet to play. After Bookman returned the Einstein kickoff 20 yards to the B-CC 36 yard line, two plays later Boross was victimized again by Love, when he made a diving interception, thwarting the Baron offense a second time. The Einstein offense then gave the ball to Love and Crockett for their first drive in the second half, with Love scoring his fourth touchdown on a 12-yard run, making the score 47-15, which is how the third quarter ended.

The fourth quarter opened with a 7-yard Boross touchdown run and a Shamma PAT kick to make the score 47-22. The Barons defense then forced the Einstein offense into their first three-and-out offensive series, and the Titans punted for the first time in the game. The Barons then executed a beautiful three-play 85-yard drive, with the biggest play being a 50-yard end-around run by sophomore receiver Kenny Hill, followed by a another diving catch by Sean Hill for a 32-yard gain, and then Noah Joseph scored on a 3-yard belly dive. Matt Bookman then caught a 2-yard conversion pass, and the score was now 47-30 with 9:21 to play. Sensing a Baron comeback, Einstein recovered the Barons onside kick, then brought Love back into the game, and he ran them from the 50 yard line down to the one yard line on six straight carries. Einstein backup quarterback Stouffer then scored from the one yard line, and Prudencio made the PAT kick to end the scoring at 54-30. The Barons could not muster any more scores in the final minutes, turning the ball over two more times via another interception and fumble.

Receivers:
Sean Lee 6 receptions, 78 yards,
Gibb Jenkins 3 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD
Terrance James 3 receptions, 28 yards, 1 TD
Matt Bookman 3 receptions, 52 yards
Keith Bennett 3 receptions, 28 yards
Magnus Charters 1 reception, 6 yards

Rushing leaders:
Kenny Hill 1 attempt, 50 yards,
Matt Bookman 7 attempts, 45 yards
Noah Joseph, 2 attempts, 12 yards

Defensive performers:
Noah Joseph 13 tackles, 120 for the season
Maurice Whitehead blocked a punt

The Kennedy Cavaliers capitalized on 7 B-CC turnovers and an 88-yard kickoff return for touchdown to defeat B-CC for Kennedy's first victory of the season. The game ended in thrilling fashion as B-CC's 30-yard field goal attempt fell just short of the crossbar, and the Kennedy homecoming crowd erupted as the clock expired. B-CC never punted in the game, but fumbled seven times, losing four to Kennedy. Despite passing for over 300 yards, the Barons also threw three interceptions. Kennedy also turned the ball over, losing two fumbles and two interceptions to B-CC, but their defense made just enough big plays to keep the Barons winless on the season.

The Cavaliers jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead, and B-CC tied the game on a 38-yard flea-flicker touchdown pass from Casey Fitzgerald to Kerrance James, and a five-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Boross to Gus Vita. Casey Shamma was two for two on both point-after kicks. Following the Vita score, the Cavaliers ran back the B-CC kickoff 88 yards for the touchdown, and then scored a 2-point conversion on a fake extra-point kick run. Down 22-14 at the half, the Barons scored a defensive touchdown in the third quarter when Gibb Jenkins stepped in front of an errant pass and returned the ball 40 yards untouched to the end zone. The Barons failed to convert on the two-point conversion, and the Kennedy defense made just enough plays to keep the Barons scoreless the rest of the game.

SR QB Jacob Boross 30 completions, 54 attempts, 270 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
JR WR Casey Fitzgerald 1 completion, 1 attempt, 38 yards, 1 TD

Receivers:
SR Gus Vita 6 receptions, 56 yards, 1 TD
SO Matt Bookman 5 receptions, 30 yards
SR Gibb Jenkins 4 receptions, 65 yards
SR Kerrance James 4 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD
SR Greg Jules 4 receptions, 28 yards
JR Casey Fitzgerald 4 receptions, 35 yards
JR Magnus Charters 2 receptions, 17 yards
SR Sean Lee 1 reception, 8 yards

Rushing leaders:
SR Jacob Boross 7 attempts, 18 yards
SO Matt Bookman 6 attempts, 17 yards

If the only thing important to you is the score, then yes, we got our butts kicked on Friday night, 53-7. However ...

The word is derived from the Spanish *barón*, which was in turn taken from the Frankish word *baro*, which refers to a nobleman or warrior.

The above is truly the description that should be used to describe our young men on Friday against Seneca Valley.

Our boys hung tough through the first quarter, showing everyone that they understand the game of football and can play it well. Even though the Eagles scored first, the Barons came back to score a touchdown and the extra point in the first quarter. After that, our boys held Seneca, refusing to let them score again in the first quarter.

It is obvious from the score that the Eagles continued to score and won the game on Friday night. However, my observation is that these young men, true Barons in every sense, showed a certain dignity and determination in playing the game.

Many reports will highlight certain players for their activities and abilities in a game, and yes, Friday night there were many of the Barons players that could be highlighted; however in my observation, our whole team showed a committment to sportsmanship and determination that is beyond the individual player.

As the homecoming game against Walkins Mill approaches, I have complete faith in our team to continue to play the game of football in the manner for which it was intended, with the heart and soul of a group of young men who truly believe in the game and take the word Baron seriously.

We have learned from the first two weeks of the B-CC Barons varsity football season that the team has lots of heart. Unfortunately, against teams that are bigger and faster than the Barons at most positions, heart and effort have not yet proved enough to prevail.

Saturday's game against Whitman followed a similar script to the Paint Branch loss the week before. After opening the game with a drive that resulted in a field goal and a 3-0 lead, the Barons fell victim to a 44-yard touchdown run that put Whitman up 7-3.

Again, B-CC answered quickly, despite its own difficulty gaining yards on the ground. Quarterback Jake Boross aired out a 15-yard pass to Sean Lee on 3rd down and 12 yards to go to get a first down at B-CC’s 30 yard line. After moving the ball a total of three yards on two more runs, Boross completed a 67-yard touchdown strike to Gus Vita, who had put a fake on two Whitman defenders that had them breaking back to the line of scrimmage while Vita broke deep behind them. B-CC’s lead remained at 9-7, however, when its extra point attempt was blocked.

Whitman opened the second quarter of play with a quick and long touchdown pass of its own. It thereafter tacked on the extra point to take a 14-9 lead with 11:50 to play in the half.

Apparently determined not to let Matt Bookman or the other Barons beat them on kickoff and punt returns, Whitman squib-kicked all of its kickoffs and punts to limit B-CC's big-play opportunities. Whitman also used an attacking defense throughout the game to maximize pressure on Boross and B-CC’s running backs in B-CC’s backfield.

Meanwhile, on offense, Whitman’s quarterback, Anthony Wiseman, combined with running back Kevin Cecala to pass and run well enough and just often enough to negate generally solid defensive efforts by B-CC. The Barons especially had trouble containing Wiseman’s scrambles when B-CC had Whitman’s receivers covered. Mixing passes and scrambles, Wiseman led Whitman on a long drive to end the first half that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run and extra point that made the score 21-9 Whitman at the half.

Whitman put the same formula to work to open the second half, moving the ball 75 yards after the opening kickoff and ultimately scoring on a 12-yard run by Wiseman to take a 28-9 lead. That proved the final margin of the game.

As the game progressed, Whitman continued to wear B-CC’s players down. And as frustrations mounted, so too did penalties – on both teams. In the end, though, it was the penalties on B-CC that had the greater impact, as the Barons simply could not provide enough big plays of their own to overcome both Whitman’s steady drives and their own self-inflicted losses by penalty.

From the first kickoff at the Barons' opening game Saturday against the Paint Branch Panthers, it became clear that the Barons would face a substantial challenge controlling the line of scrimmage against a team in which every lineman outweighed his Baron counterpart by a substantial margin.

That size advantage allowed the Panthers to grind out yardage in substantial chunks, including three runs of eight yards each early in their first drive and an 11-yard run for the touchdown. Although the Panthers missed the extra point following that touchdown drive, the effectiveness of their running game set the tone for the game, by forcing B-CC linebackers and defensive backs to commit aggressively to run support. Senior Noah Joseph in particular had a spectacular day on defense, covering the field from sideline to sideline to make numerous stops alone and with his teammates. Indeed, he seemed to be involved in nearly every stop.

Early in the Paint Branch game, the Barons were able counter the Panthers’ size advantage size by surprising them with B-CC sophomore Matt Bookman’s "sneaky" speed and quickness. Bookman returned the Panthers’ first kickoff to the Panthers’ 33-yard line. B-CC senior quarterback Jake Boross then found junior Casey Shamma for an eight-yard pass. On the next pay, Boross swung a screen pass to Bookman, who quickly weaved and juked himself clear for a 25-yard touchdown run. Shamma kicked the extra point to give B-CC its first lead of the season, at 7-6.

B-CC seemed poised to extend its lead after holding the Panthers without a first down on its next series. On 4th down, the Panthers tried to punt, but the snap went over their punter’s head, and he was tackled by B-CC for a 16-yard loss at the Panthers’ 25-yard line. That golden opportunity was lost, however, after Boross was sacked on the next play for a 15-yard loss. The sack was followed by a delay of game penalty and then a holding penalty against the Barons that backed B-CC up to the Panthers’ 35 yard line. The Panthers then returned B-CC’s punt to their own 16-yard line.

Apparently fired up by the stiff resistance B-CC had provided to that point in the game, the Panthers reestablished their dominant running game with successive runs of 10, 20 and 5 yards, followed by a 6-yard pass reception to close out the first quarter. Two plays into the second quarter, the Panthers used their taller receivers to complete a 26-yard acrobatic catch over two well-positioned B-CC defenders, which moved the ball to the Barons’ 18-yard line. Another 13-yard pass put the ball on B-CC’s 5-yard line. Two plays later, another short pass completed the touchdown drive, with 9:34 left in the half. A two-point conversion gave the Panthers a 14-7 lead that they would not relinquish.

Although Bookman spun out another elusive 22-yard run on the Barons’ next drive, the Panthers were able to stop B-CC’s offensive momentum and drive for another score on their next possession to take a 21-7 lead. Then, on B-CC’s next possession, a Panther defensive back jumped the route of B-CC's wide receiver, intercepted Boross’ pass, and returned the ball all the way to B-CC’s 2-yard line. One Panther run later, the score was 27-7.

Opening the second half of the game, Bookman electrified the Baron faithful by returning the Panthers’ kickoff 51 yards to Paint Branch’s 24-yard line. Relying primarily on quarterback draws, including Boross’s final one-yard plunge, the Barons quickly scored a touchdown to cut the Panthers’ lead to 21-13, but missed the extra point.

On the Panthers’ next drive, B-CC forced a fumble, which B-CC recovered on its own 31-yard line. It looked like the team was going to roar back into the game, but they could not drive the ball from there. Forced to punt on 4th down with 14 yards to go, a low snap caused the Barons’ punter to put a knee down to retrieve the ball. As a result, the ball was therefore marked down at that point, without any punt being permitted, for a 12-yard loss. Needing just 15 yards for a touchdown, Paint Branch scored two plays later and added a 2-point conversion to reach the final margin of the game, 35-13 in favor of Paint Branch.

Varsity Football Results