Churchill Football Battles Injuries but Enters 2025 Season with Confidence Under Coach Joe Rydzewski

Despite losing 21 seniors and dealing with 11 early injuries, the Bulldogs lean on experienced assistants and new leaders as they chase another playoff run

Winston Churchill football players work on the handoff exchange during a 2025 training camp practice. / Harry Lichtman

Since 2021, Winston Churchill High School (Potomac, Md.) football head coach Joe Rydzewski has done a remarkable job turning the team into contenders. However, now entering his fifth season as the Bulldogs' head coach, Rydzewski is looking to overcome some early adversity due to injuries during the first week of practice.

Early Injuries Challenge Churchill’s Preseason

"It started off well, but then we got snakebit with the amount of injuries that we've already had," said Rydzewski. "A couple guys broke their thumbs, and we had a player hurt his back. But the amount is crazy. I don't know what's going on."

According to Rydzewski, a total of 11 players have gone down to injuries. Fortunately, he is glad to have quality assistant coaches Dave Mencarini and Ben Minturn by his side.

"With the 11 starting positions where we have injuries, there's no other staff that I'd want to be with," said Rydzewski. "With those two guys, we have the head coach of the offense, head coach of the defense. Problems like we're dealing with right now don't seem like huge problems when you have two guys of their caliber."

Coaching Staff Brings Experience and Stability

Mencarini has tons of coaching experience, most notably with fellow Montgomery County school Quince Orchard. He was the Cougars' head coach from 2004-2013 and made them the contenders they are today. The school's current head coach John Kelley was an assistant coach under Mencarini.

Minturn joins Churchill's coaching staff after spending six seasons as Bethesda-Chevy Chase's football head coach. He took a year off from coaching in 2024.

"It's nice to be a part of a good staff with a lot of guys with a lot of knowledge," said Minturn. "So I can learn more by being with these guys."

Facing His Former Team: Minturn vs. B-CC

Funny enough, the Bulldogs open the season at home against B-CC, Minturn's old squad, on Friday, September 5th.

"It's a little weird," said Minturn. "I love the guys at B-CC. I've been friends with Coach R for a lot of years, and it's nice to get an opportunity to coach with him. But at the same time, it's tough coaching against a bunch of kids that I love."

Churchill’s Playoff Progress Under Rydzewski

Back in 2023, Churchill made its deepest playoff run in Rydzewski's tenure as they reached the MPSSAA 4A state semifinals. It was also the football team's deepest postseason run in nearly 30 years.

Last season, Churchill overcame a rough 0-2 start by finishing with a 6-5 record. The Bulldogs went on to beat Clarksburg in the first round of the MPSSAA 4A football playoffs, but fell to QO in the second round.

"We were not sure we were going to find a win on the schedule after being 0-2," said Rydzewski. "We came out against Wootton, played a great game, got after it, and that changed our season a little bit."

The Bulldogs were shut out by the Cougars twice in 2024, both in the regular season and playoffs. However, Rydzewski explained how his team was able to compete with QO in the regular season loss, despite not scoring.

Quince Orchard Remains the Standard

"We had an opening drive against QO where we had 1st and goal at the [one-yard-line]," said Rydzewski. "We didn't score, but it was a 75-yard drive. That drive, even though we didn't score, was like, 'Hey man, we can play with just about anyone when we're playing tough.' Because we didn't have a tough team weeks 1 and 2 last year."

Key Games on the 2025 Schedule

Churchill has the Cougars on their schedule once again, as they will host them for homecoming on Friday, October 3rd. Also on the Bulldogs' 2025 schedule are rivals Walter Johnson on the road on September 19th, and Wootton at home on October 24th.

The biggest win for Churchill last season was at home against Urbana back on October 4th. The Bulldogs came through in a 23-20 overtime thriller on homecoming.

Replacing 21 Seniors, Building New Leaders

Churchill lost 21 seniors from last season, including quarterback Vasi Hallas, offensive lineman/defensive lineman Chris Tran, and wide receivers Drew Menick, Gabe Diamond and Sammy Schaefer.

"I told our seniors that I was disappointed that we didn't show up against Quince Orchard," said Rydzewski. "You see Quince Orchard win 50-0, it's like, 'How does it happen?' It's usually as you get off the bus, they're spotted 14 points, because the kids are scared."

Players to Watch in 2025

In terms of players to keep an eye out for the Bulldogs this season, be on the lookout for junior quarterback Hunter Humphries taking over for Hallas, along with running back/linebacker Noah Zhang, wide receiver/running back/defensive back Ian Larson, wide receiver/defensive back Bryan Ngouzo, and tight end/linebacker Nolan McHugh.

"It feels pretty good to get a new start," said Humphries. "First time playing with this team at this school. I'm just excited for the opportunity."

Bulldogs Aim to Push Through Adversity

While the varsity Churchill squad has been affected by injuries this early, Humphries is still keeping his head high as the season begins in a couple weeks.

"They affect us as a team," said Humphries. "We can't get reps with our starting guys, but we'll push through it. We still have a lot of time till B-CC."