None of the hype mattered once the lights came on in Potomac. B-CC Football rolled into Friday night’s season opener against Churchill riding the momentum of last year’s playoff run and a perfect 6-0 preseason, but they left with a 0-16 shutout loss and more questions than answers.
The game was ugly from the start. The Barons’ offense couldn’t move the ball, the defense looked flat, and the sideline energy faded by the second quarter. By the third, students in the away section were leaving long before the clock hit zero. This was supposed to be a statement win for the Barons, but instead it turned into a reality check, handed down by Churchill’s defensive coordinator: current B-CC P.E. teacher Ben Minturn. The former Barons head coach of seven years knew exactly how to disrupt his old team and his defense smothered B-CC from start to finish.
The stats told the story. Only 45 rushing yards. Fewer than 60 passing yards. A brutal 2-for-11 on third down (18%) and 2-for-5 on fourth down (40%). Add in three first-half fumbles, nine penalties totaling 53 yards, and two safeties, and the outcome felt inevitable.
When the run game wasn’t working, the Barons could have turned to Senior Captain wide receiver Andre Ekani to spark the offense, but he finished with just three targets, raising questions about the game plan and play-calling.
It was also clear this group is still feeling the loss of the Class of 2025. Key leaders and playmakers are gone and the gaps have not been filled yet. The Barons are a fairly young team with a sophomore quarterback still getting comfortable, and right now it looks like they are still searching for their identity as a team.
Second-year Head Coach Matt Schwartzback and the Barons’ staff prepared the team all summer, but on Friday night they were flat-out outcoached. The team looked unprepared, out of sync, and unable to adjust once things started slipping away. For a team that entered the season with high expectations, the performance could not have been more disappointing. Still, there is confidence in the Barons that this first game doesn’t tell the full story.
Senior offensive lineman Timmy Mwangi summed it up best. “We know this isn’t who we are,” Mwangi said. “We just have to bounce back and clean up the mistakes, and show what we can really do”.
That bounce-back chance comes this Friday in the home opener against Blair. If the Barons want to live up to their preseason hype, they need to have answers fast.
