Football Game Preview: Bell Griffins vs. McKinley Tech Trainers

Bell is 9-1 against McKinley Tech since November of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the rust and duke it out at 6:00 p.m. Bell will be strutting in after a victory while McKinley Tech will be coming in after a loss.

Bell is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of District of Columbia's top teams: KIPP College Prep, who was ranked 19th at the time (Bell was ranked 11th). The Griffins' defense stepped up to hand the Panthers a 24-0 shutout two weeks ago. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Griffins.

Marquette Jenkins

Rushing Yards

08/29/25 @ Woodson	26
09/12/25 vs Archbishop Carroll	53
09/19/25 vs Sidwell Friends	66
09/26/25 vs KIPP College Prep	167

Bell found their leader in sophomore Marquette Jenkins, who rushed for 167 yards and a pair of scores on only 15 carries. Those 167 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Jenkins. Another player making a difference was Zonique Landon, who rushed for 103 yards on only 11 carries.

Bell was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 279 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 158 rushing yards in three consecutive games.

Bell didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Alonta McCarthy, Jorden Carter, and Joseph Green picked up one apiece. Bell got some further help from Turner Simmons: he picked up 2.5 sacks and made three total tackles (3.0 for loss).

Meanwhile, McKinley Tech fell victim to St. Albans and their airtight defense two weeks ago. They took a blow against the Bulldogs, falling 42-0. The Trainers' defeat continues a trend for the team, making it three in a row.

McKinley Tech's loss dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Bell, they now have a winning record of 3-2.

Everything came up roses for Bell against McKinley Tech when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 51-14 win. Will the Griffins repeat their success, or do the Trainers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.