Every weekday since August 17th, a battalion of football players—guided under the leadership of Sixth Form Captains Owen Bernard, Preston Bernard, Marcus Jones, Brennan Apple, and Mason Braun—has poured out from the Field House locker room onto Sabol Field, forming five rows from the 20-yard line to other 20-yard line.
They start with stretches, then footwork drills, and end by sprinting up and down the yard line, doing their signature handshakes with each other as they pass. This integral procedure is a part of their training camp, where, for five days a week, the team analyzed film, lifted barbells stacked with 45-lb. plates, donned their signature maroon shoulder pads and golden helmets, and then worked under the scorching sun.
“We got a whole returning group; we’re just getting after it; we’re working hard,” Owen Bernard said. “We’ll be facing a lot of good teams soon, but we’re going to show these teams who we are.”
The intense training has been going well. On August 28th, the Fords decisively defeated West Chester Bayard Rustin High School in a home scrimmage.
“I feel like [the scrimmage] went really well, but there’s definitely some stuff we can work on; it’s just about getting better,” Owen Bernard said. “It was a good start, and I’m excited to see how the rest of the season goes.”
“Goal number one is to stay healthy. Number two is for us to compete, and to be physically and mentally tough.”
Mr. Brian Martin
On September 5th, the McDonogh School defeated the Haverford School in a tight 35-25 battle at Under Armour Stadium in Baltimore, MD. The McDonogh School’s football team ranks 7th in Maryland.
During the 2025 season, injuries plagued the team, which largely contributed to their “disappointing” season record of 4-6. The starting lineup at the beginning of 2025 was quite different from the one that finished the season.
“Last year, me and some others spent a lot of time outside practice doing unnecessary things that we didn’t need to do,” Fifth Former Jason Talley said. “Now, we’re actually taking that time to recover and putting all of our effort into practice, instead of doing stupid things when it’s over.”
Talley, who was on the starting varsity lineup in 2025, had his season cut short because of a serious leg injury. Current captains Brennan Apple and Owen Bernard also had injuries that put them on the sidelines. Losing major players weighed heavily on the team—especially the younger members.
“[Last year] we definitely took a dip as a team, and our confidence just sort of plummeted as the season went on and as we lost more and more players; it was disappointing,” Fifth Former Logan Kim said. Kim had a season-ending elbow injury in 2025.
Head Football coach Mr. Brian Martin emphasizes creating healthy habits.
“[Last year], a couple of guys came up and approached me talking about goals for [this] year,” coach Martin said. “Goal number one is to stay healthy. Number two is for us to compete, and to be physically and mentally tough.”
Unfortunately, injuries are almost inevitable for those in contact positions. In 2025, Apple suffered a back injury at the start of the season. After coming back too early, he then suffered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Both were largely unpredictable and came down to bad luck.
“You can’t really prevent injuries,” Apple said. “As long as you’re going 100% and really focused and not distracted, your chances of getting hurt are slimmer, though. For the captains, we are trying to instill those good habits into all the guys.”
Injuries from overtraining can be controlled more easily, however. The Bernard captains, both of whom have previously suffered from overtraining, emphasize proper recovery.
“Recovery, eating, drinking, staying hydrated and sleeping right: We gotta stress these as the main things we really need to focus on, especially with the summer heat,” Preston Bernard said. “I also make sure my neck is very strong, because that kind of thing can help with head injuries.”
Head injuries are very common. Fifth Former Sean Friel had two concussions in his Third Form year. Extra padding, using the correct technique when tackling, using specialized equipment for the neck and shoulders, and strengthening untrained muscles like the neck are some of the best ways to prevent head injuries, according to interviews with the football team and coaching staff.
“Thank God, I haven’t had a concussion since freshman year,” Friel said. “Proper technique definitely helps prevent injuries like that.”
On one sunny August afternoon, energy ran high in the Field House locker room. Half-finished red Gatorade bottles, Core Power protein shakes, and Barbell protein bar wrappers were strewn across the floor. The players were energized and ready to lift. At 4:15 p.m., they all gathered in the weightlifting room, or “workroom,” each wearing their black “all swag, no sweat” T-shirt, a gift for participating in the Strength and Conditioning program. Everyone eagerly gathered around the front, waiting for Physical Education Teacher and Strength and Conditioning Director Mr. Matthew “Sko” Rosko.
However, Mr. Rosko was unavailable for practice that day.
Everyone looked at the guy next to them, not knowing if they would be able to lift or not. Then, Preston Bernard walked to the front of the room.
“Yo, set em up! Set ‘em up!” Preston Bernard said, in a tone imitative of Mr. Rosko.
The rest of the players eagerly followed. Soon the weight racks were loaded, the benches were set up, music began playing, and practice went on.
“It felt just as if Sko was there. Everyone was super locked in, and we all really respected the leadership,” Fifth Former Luke Anderson said.
The initiatives by not just the Bernards, but also all the other captains and senior leadership left an impression, especially on Coach Martin.
“Keep everybody on the same page and make sure everyone’s still believing in themselves, regardless of how they feel or what it looks like.”
Marcus Jones ’27
“Our senior leadership is on point,” Coach Martin said. “After our last scrimmage [against Bayard Rustin School], they stayed back to pick up trash in the weight room and the locker room. It’s those little things that make me super lucky to have them around. They are great guys all around.”
Football can get very competitive. With players vying for limited college recruitment spots, or being fixated on wanting to dominate, a team atmosphere can easily turn toxic. However, football captain and University of Tennessee-commit Marcus Jones works to prevent that.
“I’m trying to keep everyone positive. Whether it’s a bad play or bad practice, at the end of the day it’s not that important,” Jones said. “Keep everybody on the same page and make sure everyone’s still believing in themselves, regardless of how they feel or what it looks like.”
“It’s guys like the Bernards and Marcus—they’re the ones that will lead by being selfless and not selfish. They kind of set the standard for that, so, you know, we stress it, but they really implement it,” Offensive Coordinator Mr. Andrew Pidgeon said.
“The camaraderie this year is definitely going to help us a lot. I mean, we’re all tight,” Friel said. “We battle for one another; if we get through something, we get through it together.”
Fifth Former Henry Ingersoll agrees.
“I think being surrounded by our boys and going through the same struggles while doing something hard makes it a lot easier,” Ingersoll said.
Once, Mr. Rosko made the football team do an exercise called “Board Drills,” according to Ingersoll. In the exercise, the entire team encircled the “H” on the Sabol Field, and two players were selected to push the other out of the circle—akin to sumo wrestling. While superficially competitive, the exercise deepened camaraderie.
“The one time I was able to go, I went against [Fifth Former] Spencer [Holland]; he got the best of me, but I can’t wait to get back at him,” Ingersoll said.
Holland, who happened to be nearby, chuckled when he heard the comment, dapped up Ingersoll, and put on his helmet.
“We all just feel like one team,” Fourth Former Theodore Young said.
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