It says, in short, that the Bears aren’t built to win a war of attrition. And yet Saturday afternoon — through some combination of self-awareness, self-assuredness and a dogged effort in the trenches — the Bears did just that, posting a 21-14 win over the Maroon in Alexandria and putting themselves in position to compete for their first IAC title since 2017.
“We haven’t been a football school,” said senior Chase Robertson, who scored twice and kicked all three extra points. “We’re trying to show that we’re not just ‘that private school.’ We’re trying to get back on the map.”
That identity is what brought Coach Paul Padalino to Bethesda in the first place. He enjoys that when his players commit to Division I college programs, more often than not it’s as wrestlers or lacrosse players. That’s no different with this year’s roster.
“We’re definitely at a disadvantage every time we come out,” senior Anthony Panetti said. “But we have a lot of multisport athletes, and that helps. I’ve never been around a football team that’s this smart.”
And so, against the Maroon (3-2), the Bears (4-2) committed to the same hard-nosed, mistake-free football that had taken them far in a 3-0 start.
The process worked: The Bears’ first drive took them just 35 yards and lasted seven minutes. For another team, that might have derailed the half. Instead, one play later, they forced an Episcopal fumble to set up a 16-yard drive punctuated by a rushing touchdown from Panetti on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line. A 38-yard touchdown pass to Robertson on the next drive built a 14-0 lead that held until halftime.
Episcopal was left playing catch-up. When the Maroon cut its deficit to seven early in the second half, Robertson answered with a pick-six a minute later. Episcopal scored once more, on a 15-yard run by senior running back Cedric Benning, but couldn’t mount another successful drive.
“I don’t think we’ve had a team that had the potential to [win a title],” said Panetti, referencing last year’s 4-6 record. “This year, obviously, we do. Our next game [against No. 16 Georgetown Prep] is the biggest game of the year. And then every game after that is the biggest game of the year.”