By Syl Sobel
It’s been more than ten years since my youngest child graduated from QO, but I still follow QO football.
My kids ask me why. Many of my friends ask me why. My wife – who gamely accompanies me to many of the games – sometimes asks me why. And over the past couple of years, frankly, I’ve been asking myself why.
For eight years I had a good excuse. I covered high school sports for The Town Courier, the Kentlands/Lakeland community newspaper, whose tradition of covering QO sports was started and maintained for years by Mike Cuthbert and who I was privileged to succeed.
But the Town Courier has been out of business for a couple of years now. So why do I still follow QO football, sitting in “The Mayor’s Box” on Friday nights at the Cougar Dome with Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman, friends from the city government and QO staff, and a few other former QO parents?
Last Friday’s state championship game reminded me why.
Sitting in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with our transplanted Mayor’s Box group, it seemed like the QO side had twice as many fans as the Wise side. I looked around and saw many familiar faces – parents of kids that our girls went to school with; recent QO alumni, including former football players; young families with elementary and middle school students who were there to cheer for their future high school. It wasn’t just a Quince Orchard High School crowd that filled the home side of the stadium. It was a turnout by the QO community.
And that’s what QO has always been about –community. In the 25-plus years we’ve lived here, QOis and has been the focal point of a large, diverse community that families are part of from the time theirchildren are in elementary school to, well, the rest of your life if you want.
The QO community is the reason why so many alumni and alumni parents still drive to Annapolis on a Friday night in December to support the football team when it’s playing for the state championship. And why so many alumni parent friends of ours who weren’t at the stadium were messaging me about the game as they watched it on livestream at home.
The QO community is the reason why Quincy’s, the unofficial community watering hole, had a full house last Friday night to watch the livestream of the game, rooting for QO.
Community is why so many alumni parents still volunteer to work on the field, or in the grill shack, or concessions, even after their kids are no longer in school.
And it’s why QO students so often excel not just in football and other sports, but in academics, theater, art, music, and other extracurricular activities. Because the QO community – its teachers, administrators, coaches, and parents – make a deal with our students: You find something you like and want to do well, and we will provide the support, and the time, and the facilities to help you do it as well as you can.
And so often, they do. And we enjoy watching and taking pride in their accomplishments.
QO’s 2021 state championship culminates a quest over the past two decades to become the best public school football program in the state. It was an ambitious goal, almost ludicrous when it began. QO football, but for a state title in the school’s early years, was a middling team for most of the 1990s.
But first under Fred Kim, then under Dave Mencarini, and now under John Kelley, the program and its players have practiced the mantra of getting just a little better every day. And they have, from their 2007 state championship, to defeats in the 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017 state championships (the last three times to Wise), to another state title in 2018.
And now, after beating Wise convincingly in the 2018 state semifinal and last Friday for the championship, there can be no doubt that the Cougars have achievedwhat they’ve long sought. QO is for now the best public school football program in Maryland, and our community can share in their glory.
Early Saturday morning, still savoring QO’s achievement a few hours earlier, Mayor Jud, my wife and I, and new Gaithersburg council member Lisa Henderson sat in Quincy’s with owners, Alexis and Marty Magill, themselves the parents of two members of QO’s 2007 state championship team.
Marty, Jud, and I shared recollections and stories of QO football teams and players past and present and struggled to explain why, after all these years, we remain as attached to QO football as we were when our children were young and we first began sitting under the Friday Night Lights in the Cougar Dome.
“It’s like an addiction,” Marty said.
“Yes, it is,” I agreed.
“I’ve got it, too,” said Jud.
“I think I’m starting to get hooked,” said Lisa, who at Jud’s suggestion attended her first QO game just a few weeks ago.
It’s not just the players or the action on the field. It’s not just the atmosphere with the band, and the cheer squad, and the poms, and the Red Army. It’s not justthe parents, and the grandparents, and the neighbors, and the siblings, and the little kids. It’s not even the state titles – though admittedly that helps fuel the addiction.
It’s the whole thing, the whole QO community, the support it takes from so many, the quest for excellence,the work and effort and the sheer drama necessary to get there, and now the commitment it will take to stay there.
When Friday’s game ended, and the players and coaches had gone through the traditional handshake line to congratulate and show their respect for eachother, Wise’s coach and several of his players stopped and looked up at the QO stands.
And then they lifted their hands and applauded, a sign of respect to the QO community as well.
See you next season at the Cougar Dome.
Featured photo:
Best experience in my life ❤️. @QO_FOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/q0WPJebEc5
— Makhi Walker #5 (@_makhiwalker_) December 4, 2021
The Washington Football Team announced today that D.C. native, Grammy nominated rapper, and longtime supporter of the Washington Football Team, Wale, will perform his 2020 hit song, “Sue Me” at halftime of the team’s “Inspire Change”- themed Monday Night Football game on November 29th against the Seattle Seahawks.
Wale attended Quince Orchard High School and The Mark Twain School, and graduated from Quince Orchard in 2002. He remains tied to the area with his appearances at many local sporting events (Redskins, Wizards, etc.).
Per the Washington Football Team:
Monday night’s game will help bring visibility to the NFL’s 2021 “Inspire Change” initiative, which showcases how players, teams, and the league are joining forces to ensure access to opportunity is a reality to all and create progress in police-community relations, criminal justice reform, and education and economic advancement.
Born and raised in D.C., the self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Rap for the Capital” transcended his status as a local sensation to a national rap contender through go-go inspired hip-hop. Through the decades he has had multiple chart-topping albums and singles including “The Gifted,” “The Album About Nothing,” “Wow…That’s Crazy,” “The Imperfect Storm” and “Folarin II,” as well as mixtapes featuring the likes of Waka Flocka Flame, J. Cole, and Rick Ross. With Wale’s latest album release, Folarin II, he pays homage by “giving flowers” to those who have paved the way and who have supported him.
“I am honored to perform for my home team on such an important night – Monday Night Football and Inspire Change – with such a needed message about supporting the Black community. I am dedicating this performance to the Black community of the DMV. I want to show my appreciation and give flowers to those who supported me from the very beginning of my career,” said Wale of the performance.
Alongside its acclaimed video, “Sue Me” delivers a message of support for the Black community. During the performance, Wale will be accompanied by Y’Anna Crawley, D.C. native and 2009 Season II winner of BET’s Sunday Best, who will be performing background vocals. Y’Anna has performed background vocals for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Angie Stone, and more. An inspirational video and photo montage also will be displayed live on the stadium HD boards, celebrating the African American community across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV).
In addition to Wale’s headlining halftime performance, the team will feature a variety of pregame and in-game activations in support of the Inspire Change initiative. The full schedule of gameday activations will be released closer to the game and will build on Washington’s year-round efforts to support local communities, lead on social justice matters, and increase access to opportunity for all across the DMV.
Featured photo courtesy of Emilee Fails/Washington Football Team
The Clarksburg/Quince Orchard varsity football game has been moved to this evening.
A letter was sent out to the Quince Orchard communities alerting them of the change. It can be seen below.
“Attention QO Community!
Due to the significant rain forecasted for Friday and
into Saturday, the varsity football game vs
Clarksburg will be moved to Thursday, October 28 at
6:30 p.m.
This change has been approved by the
coaches, athletics specialists, and administrations at
both schools and allows the natural grass field at
Quince Orchard High School to host multiple playoff
events on Saturday (2 home soccer playoff games)
and Monday (home field hockey playoff game).
We appreciate the flexibility of both school communities to allow for the games for all sports to be played on the highest quality playing field possible.
Go Cougars!”
The principals of Quince Orchard and Northwest high schools have sent a joint letter to the community regarding Friday’s football game between the two undefeated schools.
MCPS, in collaboration with the Montgomery County Police Department, has moved the game to 4:30pm on Friday “out of an abundance of caution for everyone’s safety and for the smooth operation of the entire event.”
See the letter below.
“Dear Quince Orchard and Northwest Communities,
We are thrilled to join all of you in our excitement for this Friday’s much anticipated varsity football game between Quince Orchard High School and Northwest High School. As we prepare for this Friday’s football game, it is important to remember that it is the responsibility of all who are present to model appropriate and respectful behavior.
To ensure we are collectively supporting the MCPS R.A.I.S.E. core values and our shared values at Quince Orchard and Northwest High Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools, in collaboration with the Montgomery County Police Department, has decided to move the game to 4:30 p.m. Gates will open for spectators beginning at 3:30 p.m. This decision is out of an abundance of caution for everyone’s safety and for the smooth operations of the entire event.
Additionally, and due to the anticipated size of the crowds, the administration of both schools would like all middle school and elementary school students and their families to know that they will not be allowed at the game unless they are accompanied by a parent/guardian. The staff at the game will be checking all students for identification and anyone in middle or elementary school who is not with a parent/adult will be turned away at the gate. The school administration would like families to know that the safety of all of our students is our top consideration.
The R.A.I.S.E. core values of the MCPS athletics program teach and reinforce respect and sportsmanship, academic excellence, integrity and character, spirited and safe competition and equity and access. It is expected that spectators reinforce these values by exhibiting appropriate behavior at athletic events. A condition of entry into an MCPS athletic event is that all spectators agree to recognize the event as an extension of the learning process and that all present have the responsibility to model appropriate behavior. The event is a unique opportunity for spectators to be a part of a positive and productive learning environment and to model behavior appropriate to a public school setting. It is important that all spectators, students and families conduct themselves in a manner which is befitting of Quince Orchard High School, Northwest High School and Montgomery County Public Schools.
We appreciate your cooperation and support as we work to maintain a safe school environment. We are excited for this much anticipated event.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Elizabeth L. Thomas Mr. Scott Smith
Principal, Quince Orchard Principal, Northwest
Last night the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns for the fourth consecutive time, after losing the first two games, to win this year’s NBA Championship. One of the people who helped get them there was Charles Lee, a 2002 graduate of Quince Orchard High School. Lee grew up in Gaithersburg and was a student-athlete at Quince Orchard before moving on to Bucknell, where he attended school and played until 2006.
He went on to play professionally, primarily in Europe and Israel. After his professional career came to an end, he returned to Bucknell as an assistant coach and later served as an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks from 2014-18 and now the Bucks, where he has been an assistant since 2018. His name appeared as a potential candidate for the Washington Wizards coaching job, prior to the Wizards naming Wes Unseld Jr. their head coach earlier this week.
Congratulations to Coach Lee and the Milwaukee Bucks on winning the NBA championship!
Demeioun Robinson of Quince Orchard High School Named 2020-21 Gatorade Maryland Football Player of the Year
In its 36th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Demeioun Robinson of Quince Orchard High School as its 2020-21 Gatorade Maryland Football Player of the Year. Robinson is the first Gatorade Maryland Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Quince Orchard High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Robinson as Maryland’s best high school football player.
Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Robinson joins an elite group of past state football award-winners, including Emmitt Smith (1986-87, Escambia High School, Fla.), Matthew Stafford (2005-06, Highland Park High School, Texas) and Christian McCaffrey (2012-13 & 2013-14, Valor Christian High School, Colo.).
The 6-foot-4, 242-pound senior defensive end and linebacker recorded nine tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, leading the Cougars to a 2-0 record during this past pandemic-shortened season. A First Team All-State selection as a junior, Robinson was also a Washington Post All-Met First Team honoree, amassing 85 tackles, 14 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2019. He was selected a 2020-21 Under Armour All-American and is ranked as the nation’s No. 21 recruit in the Class of 2021 by 247Sports.
Robinson has served as a mentor for younger players and has volunteered his time assisting at a variety of athletic events at his school.
“You would have trouble finding a player more dominant than Demeioun Robinson in the Class of 2021,” said Tyler Bierly, head coach at Gaithersburg High. “He’s just a great player and has been an integral part of the success Quince Orchard has had the last few seasons.”
Robinson has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football on scholarship at the University of Maryland this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.
The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Robinson joins recent Gatorade Maryland Football Players of the Year Blake Corum (2019-20, St. Frances Academy), Bryan Bresee (2018-19, Damascus High School), Anthony Lytton Jr. (2017-18, Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School), and Travis Levy (2016-17, Sherwood High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Through Gatorade’s cause marketing platform “Play it Forward,” Robinson has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of their choosing. Robinson is also eligible to submit a 30-second video explaining why the organization they chose is deserving of one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants, which will be announced throughout the year. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $2.7 million across 1,117 organizations.
Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.
Wale, a 2002 Quince Orchard Graduate, Will Perform at WrestleMania 37
We previously told you about Omos, who attended high school in MoCo, making his debut during Night 1 of WrestleMania this weekend. Now we know that rapper Wale, who was born and raised in Washington D.C. before moving to Montgomery County will be performing Big E’s theme song during Night 2 of the event.
Wale attended Quince Orchard High School and The Mark Twain School, and graduated from Quince Orchard in 2002. He remains tied to the area with his appearances at many local sporting events (Redskins, Wizards, etc.).
WWE announced the following:
Grammy-nominated Nigerian-American rapper and producer Wale, who is featured on Intercontinental Champion Big E’s entrance theme song “Feel The Power,” will perform the entrance for The Powerhouse of Positivity at WrestleMania.
Although performing on The Grandest Stage of Them All is quite an honor, Wale is no stranger to WWE. He also performed The Street Profits out to the ring on NXT in 2019 and his song “My PYT” was an official theme song for SummerSlam in 2016. In addition, Wale hosted a rap battle between The Usos and The New Day on SmackDown in 2017 and his song “Ungrateful & Thankful” was created for WWE’s 2K19 video game soundtrack.
Wale even hosts an annual event called “WaleMania” around WrestleMania, which combines his love of sports-entertainment and hip-hop.
Wale’s performance will be during Night 2 of WrestleMania 37, streaming live as part of a two-night event, beginning at 8 ET/5 PT on Sunday, April 11, exclusively on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.
Featured photo courtesy of WWE
