glenelg football poised to continue lock-down defense in playoffs; connection between players key to victory

By: Jacob Miles with Mr. Illuzzi

Photo courtesty of Charles Levie

If the age-old adage that “defense wins championships” is true, then the Glenelg football team is in an enviable position heading into the 2024 playoffs. 

With a record of 6-3, the Gladiators are riding a three-game win streak, outscoring opponents 63-14 during that stretch, and outpacing all other county teams with a near league record of 8.1 points allowed per game – a third of their wins this season, including their last two, have been shutouts.

Ask any player if they are surprised to find this year’s team leading defensive statistical categories, and the confident “no” you’ll receive in response indicates a squad that expects to succeed.

It certainly helps when the core of senior defensive players has grown together since their freshman year.

“We’ve been able to build our chemistry by playing alongside each other for four consecutive years,” said senior defensive tackle Joey McCann. “It's kind of something that develops after you play together for a pretty long time. Our success comes from all of us putting in the time during workouts, just trying to better ourselves, pushing each other to become better every day, and working toward a goal we all want to achieve.”  

Gage Trawick, who shifted responsibilities this season from JV head coach to varsity quarterback’s coach, knows if that goal comes to fruition it will largely be due to the players’ maturation.

“I was fortunate enough to coach them [seniors] when they came to Glenelg,” Trawick said. “I've gotten the opportunity to watch them grow from young kids to young adults. It is really cool to see and one of my favorite things about coaching. Sports and football have so many life lessons embedded in them. It teaches you to come together for a common goal and unite. It's a blessing to get to be a part of that journey with the players.”

That journey continues Friday, Nov. 15 at 6pm in the Colosseum against the Walkersville Lions, a Frederick County team that went 5-5 overall – their largest scoring victory of the season was a 61-6 drubbing of a depleted Centennial team on Nov. 7.

But senior middle linebacker Andrew Lentscher knows all too well the Lions are a much more potent team than their record suggests, evident in the Lions’ 44-9 playoff victory over Glenelg in 2022. 

“They play in a tough county with a record that makes them look deceiving, but they’re a tough, physical team,” Lentscher said. “We learned the hard way when they beat us two years ago. But we have faith and confidence in our defense. As long as everyone does their jobs, we should be successful.”

The Lions feature several offensive standouts, including one of the top running backs in the state, senior Da’Marques Ross. According to Glenelg players, Ross, along with Lions quarterback and wide receivers, has been at the forefront of the coaching game plan.

​The Gladiators have benefitted from a first round bye, providing them extra time for rest, film prep, and walk-throughs to simulate what they expect to see out of Walkersville’s play calling. For McCann and senior nose tackle Marc Mongbet, it all comes to fundamentals, execution, and trust.

“Our scheme is simply to contain their offensive threats,” said Mongbet. “We’ve been talking a lot about how to get into the backfield and put pressure on their quarterback. And we’ll just be wherever he [Ross] is and try to shut him down. If we do, then we have an excellent chance of winning.”

McCann added: “I'm just looking forward to playing hard, relying on the trust we’ve established. We're going to be throwing ourselves out there, showing what we got and playing for a reason. We know if we don't execute well that it could be it for us. But I’m excited to get out there and see how far we can go.”

The Glads will relish the opportunity to play in front of their fans, having won three out of four games this season on their home turf. As much as they are playing for their school and community, they’re also playing for each other, set to make one final playoff run to put a stamp on four years of camaraderie and brotherhood. 

“There’s no doubt the bond we’ve created extends beyond the outcome of the game,” Lentscher said. “These are my friends, and we support each other on and off the field. It will all be something to look back at years from now and appreciate. Until then, win or lose, we’ll do it together.”