Today, Friday, November 22, the Barons football team, who are currently 8-3, travel to the Cougar Dome to face off against the undefeated, Quince Orchard Cougars in the 4A Regional Championship.
The Barons enter the matchup as underdogs, as the Cougars are the 11th-ranked team in Maryland on MaxPreps, while the Barons are ranked 59th.
The keys to the Barons’ success will be how they fare in the run game, their pass rush, and on special teams. If the Barons keep the game low-scoring and close, they have a real chance to pull off the upset. Getting junior running back Gabe Eisler and senior running back Lucas Scribner going early will be paramount to any Barons’ success. Eisler leads the Barons in rushing yards per game at 75.2, while Scriber leads the team in total yards per game at 90.9.
A massive discrepancy between the two teams that the Barons will have to overcome is the Cougars’ offensive advantage. Quince Orchard has averaged 40.8 points per game while the Barons have only managed 25.6. The Barons’ defense will have a challenging task ahead of them as they try to cool off the Cougars’ offense. Seniors Milki Bato and John Dale will look to continue their dominant defensive seasons as they lead the team in sacks per game, 1, and tackles per game, 6.4, respectively.
In a game, the Barons will need to be practically perfect to win. They cannot afford to leave points on the table on the special teams side. Senior captain Grady Kugel will look to continue building on an incredible 2024-25 season as the Barons kicker and punter. Kugel has made 75% of his field goals and 83.3% of extra points this season, but he’ll look to be perfect in what will be a hard-fought game Friday night.
This next game may end up being a low-scoring contest, with temperatures projected in the low 40s alongside a consistent threat of rain. This may work in the Barons’ favor as they attempt to get their potent ground game going while minimizing the passing attack of the Cougars.
B-CC Boosters has funded a bus of 50 students to make the trip up to QO. Despite the weather forecast, fans are planning to do everything they can to support the Barons.
