September 16 was the first home game of the season for the WJ football team, and the first home game for new head coach Charles Woolridge. The previous week, they lost to Rockville High School 41-0.

“We need to go back to the fundamentals,” Woolridge said. “Tackling, touching the ball, ball security, just being students of the game.”

Walter Johnson lost their second game to the second-ranked team in the county, Quince Orchard High School, 48-6. The WJ defense allowed 41 points in the first half but improved dramatically in the second half, allowing just a touchdown. Freshman quarterback Andrew Markey scored the first touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter and the crowd went wild.

“In the locker room we was fired up,” junior defensive lineman Joe Wu said. “We were like ‘do you really want to go out like that? Do you want to disappoint the crowd in their first game and we were like ‘no.’ We had to shut it down.”

The offense also improved, allowing fewer turnovers. The crowd went absolutely wild during the second half touchdown.

“It definitely brought hope to us,” junior center Brian Williams said. “We have talent on the team that can make great plays… whatever the score says.”

WJ played Kennedy Friday night at home at 7 p.m. WJ improved with their first win against Kennedy, by a score of 24-20. They play at Gaithersburg High School on Friday, September 23, at 6:30.