Published on: Thursday, October 04, 2012

By Chris Hinkel

GAITHERSBURG –Churchill won 13-6 against Gaithersburg on Saturday driving their record up to 4-1.  Their victory however was not due to an exemplary performance by the Bulldogs, but to a less than exemplary performance by the Trojans.

Churchill scored a touchdown early in the first quarter when quarterback Jonathan Lee threw a six yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dominique Williams.  Sohrab Hoghooghi then kicked the ball right down the middle earning Churchill the extra point.  Gaithersburg tried to answer but Churchill’s defense was on point and the ball was quickly turned over.

The Bulldogs held their 7-0 lead throughout the second quarter.  Trojan running back Solomon Vault carried the team’s weight, running the ball for almost every play but his teammates were just not able to provide him with the blocking he needed.  “We didn’t get the best protection today,” said Gaithersburg head coach Kreg Kephart.  “Solomon’s tough… He wants to carry the load, he wants to be the man, and he wants the burden to be on himself because that’s what he expects of himself.  We just have to provide him with more opportunities.”

Worsening their already frustrated stance, Gaithersburg gave their opponents 40 yards in under a minute in an overwhelming mess of penalties. On top of a dead ball foul and pass interference, Gaithersburg was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.  “The referees gave them 45 or 50 yards in penalties and our defense prevented them from scoring,” said Kephart.  “I don’t think I need to say anything more on that.”

A glimpse of hope arose for Gaithersburg when Junior defensive back Marc Smith intercepted a pass thrown from Jonathan Lee, but because of offsetting penalties the play didn’t stand.

In the third quarter Churchill linebacker Jake Cantor leapt into the air to tip a throw from Gaithersburg’s quarterback to cause a turnover.  “We, as a defense, knew that we had to step up and pick up the energy,” said Cantor.  “We just went all out.  That’s how we got the win today.”

Later in the third quarter, Churchill running back Vinny Montgillion fumbled the ball after being slammed by Gaithersburg linebacker Mike Datu.  The ball was recovered by Churchill but the action was brought to a halt when the Gaithersburg defensive line was called for two offsetting personal fouls, and yet another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The fourth quarter began with the same 7-0 score but the game soon became much more exciting.  With only minutes left, Solomn Vault ran a forty yard touchdown.  The Trojans missed their kick for the extra point, but brought the score up to a hopeful 7-6.  Churchill worked their way back into Gaithersburg’s territory but the Trojan’s defensive line held steadfast.  At a crucial fourth-and-one, Bulldog quarterback Jonathan Lee ran a QB sneak to get the first down.  With 1:17 left in the game, Churchill was able to score another touchdown as Junior running back Malik Harris ran the ball into the endzone.  Churchill missed the attempt at the extra point— however they were able to keep the Trojans on their own side of the field for the remainder of the game.