Photo by Graham Cullen Catoctin running back Landon Routzahn leaps over a Brunswick player during the Cougars' shutout win at Brunswick, which concluded the Cougars first undefeated football season since 1983. ""I don't know if people realize how hard it is to go undefeated even when you are good," coach Doug Williams said.

When Catoctin was announced over the loudspeaker, Williams turned to his wife and said, 'Who is Catoctin?' It was amazing. 'Where is Catoctin?' I had never heard of it."

Williams never could have imagined at the time that, more than two decades later, he would preside over one of the greatest eras in the history of the Catoctin football program.

On Friday night, the Cougars walloped their chief rival, Brunswick , 46-0, to cap their first undefeated season since 1983.

Almost a year after playing in the state semifinals, Catoctin (10-0) is back in the Class 1A playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. The Cougars are the top seed in the 1A North and will host a first-round game next week.

"I don't know if people realize how hard it is to go undefeated even when you are good," Williams said. "Just look at our games against Walkersville and Middletown . Those games could have gone either way and we pulled them out. It's amazing."

Catoctin overwhelmed Brunswick (3-7) with its defense and big-play ability on offense.

The Cougars forced six turnovers and limited the Railroaders to just 57 yards of offense.

Senior Paul Barbour and junior Austin Carter each had two touchdown runs. Senior Marc Ohlwiler and junior Eric Barbour each added a scoring run and senior quarterback Dylan May connected on a 21-yard touchdown pass to senior Nick Nowaczyk.

"They've got weapons everywhere," Brunswick coach Patt Foster said. "They are great on defense and they are great on offense. They shut everything down we tried to do."

Carter led a balanced rushing attack for Catoctin with 45 yards on nine carries. He scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter and a 4-yard run in the third.

Only one of Catoctin's seven scoring plays stretched longer than 9 yards.

Carter was one of 12 ball carriers for the Cougars. None carried the ball more than nine times.

"We wanted to steamroll into the playoffs," Carter said. "We can't just tiptoe in. We needed the momentum. After playing close games two weeks in a row, we really picked up the slack this week. I thought we played very well."

The win had special meaning for junior receiver and defensive back Zach Krietz. His father, Dave, was a junior on the unbeaten '83 team at Catoctin.

"He texted me right before the game and told me to play hard and get a win," Krietz said.

In the last year, Catoctin honored members of that '83 team at halftime of a home game. The ceremony resonated in the minds of players like Carter.

"It means a lot to us because we know someday we can come back and everybody can be looking down on us like that," he said. "We'll be recognized on our home field when we are old and gray."