Update: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the opening has been delayed.
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Germantown
The two teams regularly expect to contend for a state championship in their classifications and this year is no different, with Damascus looking to repeat after capturing a record-tying 12th state title last year. Northwest, though a few years removed from their last title game appearance, added some big-time championship experience to their coaching staff. Their head coach will be familiar to many Damascus fans, as Bucky Clipper was the Hornets’ defensive coordinator during their dynasty run from 2014-18, and in 2019 served as DC for Northwest who made the 4A final that year. Anyone who saw Damascus play during that glory period knows the Hornets defense was straight up nasty during that time, and Clipper will look to maintain that same identity as he guides Northwest as the top dog. He’s not the only championship coach they brought in either, as Justin Sickeri returns as OC of the Jaguars after head coaching stints at Poolesville and Seneca Valley. Sickeri was the mastermind behind the offensive unit that captured back-to-back titles in 2013 & 2014, and will look to field a just-as-great unit a decade later.
Both teams achieved big blowout victories to start the year. Northwest went to Montgomery Village and thumped Watkins Mill, 47-0, which they reached in just the first half of play. Damascus welcomed Einstein to the “Hornet’s Nest” and boatraced the Titans 44-12. Solid performances across the board for these teams, but Watkins Mill and Einstein will not come close to the challenge level that Northwest and Damascus will find in each other.
Old Glory DC is the first professional rugby team based in the Washington metropolitan area and this year it’ll be playing its home games right here in Montgomery County. Old Glory DC competes in Major League Rugby (MLR), a professional rugby union league competing in its sixth season in 2023, representing North America’s highest level of rugby competition. Since its inaugural season in 2018, MLR has grown from seven to 13 teams, featuring 12 from the United States and one from Canada.
Per the team: Old Glory DC is excited to announce that all 2024 home regular season and playoff matches will be played at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, MD. Entering its sixth season and following an exceptional Championship Series playoff berth and a first-ever Eastern Conference Championship appearance, Old Glory aims to continue its success with rugby fans, supporters, and sponsors throughout the DMV region.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw2WWuJOY3t/
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Laperaux, the Journeyman Chef’s French Bistro, which opened at 18056 Mateny Rd. in February, has been selected for the ‘2023 Best of Germantown Award’ in the Restaurants category by the Germantown Award Program, according to a press release submitted by the owner of Laperaux.
Each year, the Germantown Award Program identifies “companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Germantown area a great place to live, work and play.”
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a fire on the 23900 block of Trading Post Drive in Clarksburg around 3:30pm on Friday, September 1. Lucien Lee, a recent graduate of Seneca Valley High School, reached out to let us know he and his family lived in the home that was destroyed by the fire. The young man started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help the family as everything gets sorted out and they recover from their loss.
“Hello everyone i’m fundraising for my family and I, today september 1st 2023 our house was burned down. My parents are first generation immigrants and we’ve lived in maryland our whole lives. And now we have nothing other than our clothes on our back and our car. Today we lost everything I hope you guys could help us get back on our feet. God bless everyone.”
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Update: The Gaithersburg Massage Envy will relocate into this location on December 1st.
Massage Envy at 20950 Frederick Rd in the Neelsville Village Center in Germantown has permanently closed. The store is redirecting its members to the Gaithersburg Massage Envy location at 127 Crown Park Ave in Downtown Crown. According to signage posted on the front door, the store never fully recovered after the COVID-19 pandemic. Massage Envy offers massages, stretch therapy, and facials, and has additional Montgomery County locations in Rockville and Silver Spring.
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) are investigating a fatal collision that occurred on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, in the area of Frederick Road and Gunners Branch Road in Germantown. The decedent has been identified as 28-year-old David Glenn Jenkins, II of Germantown.
At approximately 9:49 p.m., 5th District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the location for the report of a collision involving a bicyclist. The preliminary investigation has revealed that Jenkins was traveling east to west across Frederick Road when he was struck by a silver 2005 Acura RSX that was traveling northbound on Frederick Road. Jenkins was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Acura remained at the scene and CRU detectives are investigating the possibility that other vehicles may have been involved with the collision
Montgomery County Police are investigating a collision that occurred on Wednesday, August 30, in the area of Frederick Road and Gunners Branch Road in Germantown. According to MCPD: “At approximately 9:49 p.m., 5th District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the location for the report of a collision involving a bicyclist. The preliminary investigation revealed that the bicyclist was struck by a silver Acura traveling northbound on Frederick Road.
Detectives are investigating the involvement of additional vehicles in the collision. The driver of the Acura remained at the scene. The bicyclist, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the collision. A news release will be distributed later today, once more information becomes available. The name of the deceased will be released following proper notification of next of kin.”
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Churchill has re-established themselves as a very good team over the last two years, going 17-6 and making it to the state quarterfinal last year. They did have an easier schedule that cycle though, and this year they will be put to the test against MoCo’s best. However, early signs seem to indicate they’re up for a fight. David Avit is a human bowling ball and one of the top RBs in a year full of talent at that position. He will be guided by one of the best in the biz, as Dave Mencarini has returned to MoCo after a decade-long absence as the Bulldogs’ OC. Given the RB talent he coached at QO from 2004-13, it should be interesting to see what he will be able to get out of Avit. Junior QB Vasi Hallas looks to be the next man up under center, and senior WR Layton Johnson Jr., who’s picked up a few D3 offers, looks to be his top weapon aside from Avit.
Seneca Valley has managed to reassert themselves as a consistent top 6 team following the opening of their new building, and if it was business as usual for them this past offseason, I’d take them in this matchup in a heartbeat. SV should still field a competitive team this year. Their strength is their backfield, which is probably the most experienced in the county: senior QB Elijah Frazier and RB Jorden Hungerford will both be 3-year starters. Frazier is a frontrunner for all-county QB, and Hungerford is a highly underrated RB who would probably be much more well-known if he wasn’t contemporaries with the likes of Iverson Howard, Gideon Ituka, David Avit, and several others.
According to public safety reporter Cordell Pugh, a bicyclist was struck and critically injured on Southbound Frederick Rd (MD-355) near Gunners Branch Rd/Scenery Dr around 9:35pm on Wednesday, August 30th. Montgomery County Police tweeted the following at 10:22pm: “TRAFFIC ADVISORY – N. Frederick Avenue is closed at Plummer Drive due to a traffic collision. Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route. Expect significant delays.”
We will post an update if additional information becomes available. Featured image courtesy of Google Maps.