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Quince Orchard doesn’t lose video games fairly often. <\/span>That’s not hyperbole, it’s math. Within the final 20 years, the Cougars have solely misplaced 26 instances. Simply 12 of these got here within the common season. John Kelley, coming into his twelfth yr on the helm, has 11 profession losses. Eleven. And since elevating his first state title trophy in 2018, he’s solely misplaced twice, whereas stringing collectively one spotless common season after one other.
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For many applications, chasing perfection is the dream. For Quince Orchard, perfection is the expectation. To beat them, you want greater than expertise. You want timing, preparation, and perhaps even a little bit destiny\u2013 an ideal storm. This system most frequently knocking on that door has been Paint Department.
The Panthers are amongst Montgomery County’s most constant prime applications, however they’ve by no means cracked the QO code. Their closest brush got here in 2021, when Octavian Smith Jr. had the Cougars on the ropes. Down seven late, the Panthers drove contained in the 5. Yet one more push and the county hierarchy may need flipped the wrong way up. As a substitute, QO made a goal-line stand that echoed throughout the area, PB’s golden likelihood slipping away. The very subsequent yr, QO, older, sharper, deeper, rolled them within the rematch.
However right here we’re once more. Paint Department brings again a loaded core. Quince Orchard, in the meantime, is breaking in new playmakers all around the area. Might 2025 be the yr the Panthers lastly strike?
Nobody questions QO’s protection. That facet of the ball is plagued by established names and future Saturday gamers. JMU commit Kacey Gilliam<\/strong> is the anchor up entrance. Jaheim Bond<\/strong> appears to be like like the subsequent nice Cougar disruptor, already holding a Toledo supply. The secondary has swagger with Rico Jackson, <\/strong>six Division I presents in hand, and the versatile Jaiden Hebron<\/strong>, who could also be their greatest chess piece. The priority is depth. The Cougars should substitute their whole senior linebacker trio and a pair of all-county corners, together with Michigan State commit Aydan West<\/strong>. There are gaps, and Paint Department has the pace to check them.
The larger storyline, although, is the offense. For the primary time in years, it’s a real reset. Gone are the family names\u2013 Iverson Howard<\/strong>, Mason Mizzer<\/strong>, and almost each productive talent starter from final fall. In steps Will Drakeford<\/strong>, a switch QB from Westlake. Drakeford has the body, mobility, and arm to suit QO’s system, however this can be trial by hearth beneath the Cougar Dome lights. The backfield battle continues to be sorting itself out, with Good Counsel switch RJ Royster<\/strong> holding the within monitor however sophomore Jeremiah Williams<\/strong> lurking. Tight finish Diego Rodriguez<\/strong> is the lone confirmed returning weapon, and he’ll possible be the security valve for a bunch of untested receivers.
The excellent news? QO’s line ought to be seasoned and bodily, with veterans Tristan Cabugwas<\/strong>, Nick Yale<\/strong>, and Rowan Myers<\/strong> paving the way in which. If the younger talent guys can simply maintain serve, that’s often sufficient for the Cougars to do harm.
If there’s a star with the juice to interrupt this sport open, it’s Alijah Bah<\/strong>. The junior RB is the true deal\u2014imaginative and prescient, persistence, and burst rolled into one. He can rating inside, bounce to the sting, or line up extensive and torch defenses on swing routes. He’s the type of again who can take over a season.
And Bah isn’t alone. Senior QB Vincent Do<\/strong> returns with 4 of his prime 5 targets, together with Michael Boateng<\/strong>, Joshua Biando<\/strong>, and Chandler Slade<\/strong>. The passing sport wasn’t all the time sharp final yr\u2014Do struggled with downfield accuracy\u2013 however with that continuity, the Panthers ought to be higher positioned to punish defenses that stack the field towards Bah.
Defensively, PB has to interchange Penn State freshman Yvan Kemajou<\/strong>, the havoc machine who made offenses depressing in 2024. However OLB Kaden Chapman, <\/strong>final yr’s sort out chief, is again, together with DE\/TE Daron Agbelese<\/strong>. The secondary, led by Boateng and Biando, has expertise, and new switch Phoenix Boots <\/strong>might add stability at linebacker.
The underside line: PB returns confirmed manufacturing on each side, led by a again who might be the county’s most harmful participant.
On paper, it’s the oldest story in soccer: expertise vs. pedigree. Paint Department has continuity, a celebrity again, and a senior quarterback. Quince Orchard has query marks in all places on offense\u2013 but in addition top-of-the-line teaching staffs in Maryland and a protection designed to suffocate.
For PB, the bottom line is stability. Bah will get his yards, however until Do can hit throws when QO sells out to cease the run, the Panthers will stall. For QO, the check is whether or not Drakeford and a inexperienced offense can keep away from errors towards a disciplined, aggressive protection.
It seems like a crossroads sport. Both Paint Department lastly catches QO in transition, or the Cougars show, as soon as once more, that transition is a fantasy in Gaithersburg.
This sport has all of the elements for the upset recipe. Paint Department is seasoned, explosive, and motivated. Quince Orchard is younger, unproven, and susceptible\u2013 at the very least on paper. However historical past is heavy. Teaching, depth, and tradition matter greater than rosters in September. And Quince Orchard not often misses. Prediction: Paint Department 20, Quince Orchard 14.<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
Prediction for all week 1 video games may be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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