Quince Orchard football remains dominant, defeating Churchill for 34th straight win

POTOMAC – The back-to-back defending state champion Quince Orchard High School football team has won 33 consecutive games, with their last loss coming in November of 2019.

The Cougars added another dominating win on their resume, defeating another undefeated foe, Churchill, for a 35-0 shutout victory on Sept. 22.

After a delayed start caused by the delayed arrival of game officials, Quince Orchard took over as Nino Marzullo connected with Tick Groves for a large gain on the opening drive. Iverson Howard quickly followed up by scoring a rushing touchdown.

Early in the second quarter, Marzullo connected with Groves again for a 65-yard catch-and-run score.

Churchill came close to responding thanks to a big run from David Avit to put them in the red zone but turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert on 4th and goal.

“We weren’t intimidated,” said Bulldogs head coach Joe Rydzewski. “We weren’t scared. The kids came out and played tough, played hard. They made some plays, and we made a few mental errors that crushed us.”

Marzullo and Groves hooked up again at the end of the first half for a 56-yard touchdown pass, putting Quince Orchard up 21-0 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Groves found the end zone for the third time on a 14-yard touchdown run.

Then, Marzullo threw his third touchdown pass of the evening, finding Adjatay Abegesah for a 59-yard score.

Meanwhile, the Cougars’ defense flexed its dominance by holding Churchill scoreless and nabbing an interception in the third quarter.