“We had a lot of tough battles last year,” Coach Michael Pfisterer said. “It was a grind. And a lot of those kids were juniors put into adverse situations. So they were looking to take that next step this year.”

Year-to-year results can sometimes provide an imperfect measuring stick, but there is no doubt this Old Mill team has leveled up. Like any good team, it has shown an ability to adapt to a game’s style and pace. On Friday against the Wildcats, the Patriots found themselves in a slugfest.

“It was a defensive struggle for sure,” Pfisterer said. “A field position game. Nobody wanted to make a mistake. It was a grind out win.”

The points came in quick bursts, a 92-yard touchdown catch by senior Ja’Siyuse McGirt and a pick-six from senior Jordan Penn.

“This year’s group likes watching film, they like lifting weights,” Pfisterer said. “They like doing the things that you can’t see on Friday nights. And that goes a long way.”

Eastern looks for real in DCIAA

When other teams talk about Eastern, they often mention the Ramblers as a sneaky team within the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association — one that is quietly climbing the standings and threatening the usual top squads. But Eastern, which went 2-8 last year, might be more than just a dark horse in 2023, as it proved Friday in beating Ballou, 14-12.

“Everybody really doubted us this year, saying that we’re the same old Eastern,” senior quarterback Shaun Powell Jr. said, adding that doubting his team is a mistake he’s happy to capitalize on. “They just need to treat us like every other team, like how they usually treat us in the past years. We’re just an underdog this season and we’re just ready to shock the world.”

That energy came alive Friday in Northeast Washington when Powell ran 40 yards for a touchdown; then, relentless pressure applied by the Ramblers’ defense stifled Ballou’s attempt to stage a comeback.

“We really game-planned on the quarterback having no time to throw the ball,” said lineman Tyler Frost, who secured his first career sack. “So if we can get them rattled, it will lead to offense getting the ball more so we can score.”

Frost attributes the Ramblers’ success so far to a change in mentality focused on teammates getting more serious about learning the X’s and O’s.

Up next, Eastern heads to Theodore Roosevelt, which is typically a contender but has stumbled to an 0-6 start this year.

“Every Thursday night I text in a [team] group chat, ‘Let’s hunt,’ ” running back DaQuan Ginyard said. “So that’s our mind-set. We hunt. We don’t do too much talking.”

Eli Harris, Broadneck: The senior playmaker finished with nine catches for 158 yards and three touchdowns in the Bruins’ 35-28 win over Annapolis.

Faheem Delane, Good Counsel: The junior four-star safety was a game-wrecker in the Falcons’ 35-28 OT win over No. 4 DeMatha, as he had two sacks and eight tackles and pressured the Stags’ quarterback to force a game-ending interception.

DeCarlos Young, Wise: With his team trailing by two touchdowns in the third quarter of its greatest test of the season, the junior running back delivered an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that launched the Pumas toward their 17-14 overtime win against C.H. Flowers.

Colin Capistrant, Briar Woods: The junior wide receiver hauled in two touchdowns in the Falcons’ shutout win over Potomac Falls.

No. 6 Quince Orchard at No. 20 Northwest, Friday, 6:30 p.m.

No. 5 St. John’s at No. 4 DeMatha, Friday, 7 p.m.

Suitland at Eleanor Roosevelt, Friday, 7 p.m.

No. 15 South Lakes at No. 7 Madison, Friday, 7 p.m.

St. Mary’s Ryken turns it around

A five-game skid to start 2023, with losses to heavyweights including No. 1 Good Counsel and No. 16 Bishop McNamara, could have derailed St. Mary’s Ryken’s best-laid plans. But that would have ignored the standard Gary Wynn had set in Leonardtown.

Above all else, the second-year coach has prioritized discipline — timeliness, humility and doggedness on and off the field. And sure, that may have drove away a few players away. But it kept the right ones in the building. It empowered stars such as senior Kadan Smith, who helps teammates with homework outside of the lines, works hard inside them and has now scored five touchdowns in the Knights’ past two games.

So Wynn didn’t worry about the tepid start. He just reiterated the standard and tried to keep spirits high.

“The most important thing was morale,” Wynn said. “I told the coaches, ‘If you don’t have energy, you better fake it like you have it.’ ”

Wynn didn’t need to wait for their lower-division Washington Catholic Athletic Conference slate to begin to know his message resonated. It took just one 50-minute practice following their fifth loss, which senior lineman Christian Levy called the best practice of his life.

“We got kicked off a bunch of different fields and so we practiced in the mud and the rain — it really set the vibe,” Levy said. “Everything was physical that day. Couple of fights might have broken out. We were talking trash. We were just having fun.”

It was also a sign of better times to come. With wins over Paul VI and Bishop O’Connell, the Knights are off to a 2-0 start in lower-division play

“Man, it’s been awesome,” Smith said. “These have been my best two games since youth ball. … We’re very young, but as long as we keep building, we have a bright future.”

Meridian shows creativity with small roster

Meridian has one of the smallest rosters in the area. The Mustangs have fielded teams of 25 players or fewer multiple times this season, and many players play on both sides of the ball.

To combat his team’s lack of depth, Coach PJ Anderson has to get creative during practice.

“How do we really learn to compete when we can’t do our traditional 11-on-11 lineup and hit each other?” Anderson said.

Some days, the Mustangs play three-on-three mini games to simulate the physicality of a varsity game. Other days, Anderson recruits his assistant coaches to step in as offensive linemen or receivers during seven-on-sevens so the Mustangs can assume their natural positions during the rep.

It has taken time for Anderson and the Mustangs to figure out the best formula for the most productive practice. But with each week, the coach has grown more confident in the team’s preparation strategy.

The Mustangs, with underclassmen in key positions, have started 3-4 s following a 1-9 campaign in Anderson’s first season at the helm of the Falls Church program.

“We’re hitting our stride,” Anderson said. “The kids are understanding the system better and understanding the coaching.”