Markelle Fultz Is Number One

Markelle Fultz will go down in history as the first player from the storied DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys to be selected number one in the 2017 NBA Draft.  Peep how it all unfolded on my Twitter and also check the history of Markelle Fultz here, on this site.  DeMatha Stags are doing big things and DeMatha Basketball Head Coach Mike Jones couldn’t have asked for better publicity for the program there.  Markelle is certainly deserving of this high honor, and he is humble enough to keep God first in his life.  In a team preview for the 2014-2015 season, Markelle Fultz was the last person that I mentioned when listing prospects to help bolster college recruiting efforts.  Three years later, no wonder that Markelle Fultz is number one.

Markelle Fultz NBA Draft 2017

Old School Metro Hoops Rematch at Alhambra: DeMatha vs Saint Johns College

The DeMatha Stags didn’t win the WCAC Tournament in 2015 but they were able to win their first ever Maryland Private School Basketball Championship.

The team is currently in Cumberland, Maryland participating in the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament (#ACIT) that featured three other WCAC schools.  However it is DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys vs Saint Johns College High School of Washington DC in the finals that will be played at approximately 8:30 PM, tonight -on Pi (π) day.

The two teams have met three times earlier this season with the Stags besting the Cadets every time.  SJC won the DC City Title Game over Gonzaga recently, and the Cadets did it again yesterday afternoon when they eliminated the Purple Eagles in the semi-finals of the ACIT.  Mentioning the way that these three teams have all gone after each other in basketball is reminiscent of the old Metro conference and how each school has built upon their historic heyday roots.

We’re talking old school here.  Saint Johns College was once an all boys, military school with a penchant for racking up titles and producing dual-sport All Americans before DeMatha even existed.  While the history of the little gray line may only be pictured in the hallways the future still looks bright for the Cadets junior point guard sensation Anthony Cowan, Jr. as the University of Maryland’s latest recruit.  Saint Johns College has completely reinvented itself with the help of generous alumni and the Cadets are desperate to reclaim their former fame back from DeMatha.

DeMatha Junior Markelle Fultz is the 2015 WCAC Player of the Year

Markelle Fultz is the 2015 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Throw all the stats out of the window.  Points per game don’t really mean that much at DeMatha to begin with but Markelle Fultz has already chipped in with all of the intangibles to take his game to the next level.  Whether it is making the extra pass, hitting the clutch free-throws, or getting the timely steal the junior guard with only thirty games under his belt has served notice that he has all of the tools necessary to compete in college.

This kid works extremely hard as evidenced by the fact that around this time last year he was ending his sophomore season on the junior varsity and today he holds the prestigious WCAC‘s highest individual basketball accolade.  After posterizing an Eleanor Roosevelt player in what has been the best highlight of the season, so far, he suddenly leaped up every college scout’s recruiting board.  Markelle Fultz received multiple notable Division 1 offers after playing well enough on national television twice this year to add to his reel.

Do you still need recent or relevant redeeming qualities for Derrick Rose Markelle Fultz after watching that video from Finest Magazine?  I don’t get into the whole JV records thing, but he hasn’t lost to Gonzaga on the Varsity level in his high school career.  Neither has Darren Harvey, for that matter: Gonzaga went 0-2 against DeMatha when DJ made the varsity squad as a Freshman.  DeMatha Stags notice when you build your reputation by punishing the Purple Eagles.  Clearly Markelle Fultz plays well with others because sharing the ball with Darren Harvey -another 2015 All WCAC First Team selection, has transformed the pair into a dynamic duo.

If DeMatha can keep the winning streak going this Thursday in the 2015 WCAC Basketball Championship there will be even more talk about the tradition of producing outstanding student-athletes.  Congratulations to all of the DeMatha Basketball WCAC honorees this year.  In addition to the two first-team players mentioned junior guard Nate Darling and senior Terrell Allen were named to the 2015 All WCAC Second Team.  Senior Thomas Bruce was named to the Third Team and senior Jaelin Grant and junior Kellon Taylor received honorable mentions.

DeMatha VS Gonzaga for 2015 WCAC Basketball Championship, Again

There are a lot of great sports rivalries that get written about but DeMatha versus Gonzaga, in just about every sport, stands up to the test as one of the most exciting in high school sports.  Add basketball to the mix, a sport in which both schools take a tremendous amount of pride in, and you have a recipe for the greatest high school rivalry ever.  The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference is the toughest in America and the last two all-boys high schools in it have desperately clung to superiority complexes that often play-out on the national stage.

Gonzaga versus DeMatha is gigantic already, but the legend is still growing.  Soon they will meet for the 2015 WCAC Basketball Championship, again -and everybody that follows high school basketball knows the implications.  Gonzaga versus DeMatha is Washington D.C. against Maryland, “God is purple” disagreeing with “I believe”, Purple Eagles opposing Stags and so much more.  There may have been a different mindset that has shaped the destiny of each school, but they are seldom far apart.  DeMatha has been the high school basketball trendsetter ever since the Power Memorial game fifty years ago and the Stags also have six national titles to back that up.  Gonzaga has always been an excellent foil, at their worst, and occasionally plays the spoiler to DeMatha when their basketball team is at their best.

Today DeMatha is (27-3) and trying to end the longest championship drought they have ever had in the WCAC: three years.  Gonzaga (19-10) basketball has been on the precipice of being nationally formidable all year and they can finally do that if they can find a way to beat the most well-known team in the league for the championship and salvage another lackluster season.  Individually there is no shortage of star power on either squad, today or historically.  DeMatha junior Markelle Fultz is the 2015 WCAC Player of the Year, and sophomore Darren Harvey garnered First Team All WCAC honors.  Gonzaga has two players deserving of First Team All WCAC honors as well: sophomore Chris Lykes and senior Sam Miller.

The DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys is in search of their fortieth (40) league championship after their win over Saint John’s College in the WCAC semifinals.  This one is especially poignant for the Stags as they look to officially punctuate another incredible season and send the seniors out on a high note.  Seniors Thomas Bruce, Terrell Allen, Ahmad Clark would all love nothing more but I am equally certain that if Jaelin Grant wants any bragging rights in his family whatsoever -he needs a DeMatha win more than anyone.  Each of Jaelin’s three older brothers managed to bring home a conference title for the Stags, and this is his last year to add to the already spectacular legacy.  On a personal level, I want to see Jaelin holding up the hardware.  I am hoping that this isn’t one of those years where Gonzaga can pull off the ultimate upset after losing two games to DeMatha during the regular season.  So now you know the deal…

Go Stags!  Get 40!

Super Sophomore Championship Goodness

What year would be complete without a recap of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Championship? DeMatha was able to overcome a 14-0 first quarter deficit and eventually defeat Good Counsel, 24-20 for their 22^nd league title. By all accounts, it was a great contest and the Falcons fought to the end but were unable to prevail. The defending champions of the WCAC were underdogs mainly because they were considered to be too young to compete for the title in 2014 but a class of super sophomores had something to say about all of that.

The class of 2017 is loaded. Quarterback Beau English won the starting job earlier this year and matured markedly during a WCAC regular season campaign that only included one loss to Good Counsel. Beau English scored on a third quarter quarterback sneak and managed the game superbly for the Stags. Sophomore running back Anthony McFarland caught one touchdown pass from English and sophomore Khory Spruill completed the class of 2017 trifecta by rushing for a score.  Good Counsel Coach Bob Milloy was named the 2014 Coach of the Year for his undefeated regular season campaign, but DeMatha Coach Elijah Brooks might have done a better job in the end.

It is worth mentioning that Good Counsel was also counted out at the beginning of this season and they definitely didn’t get the respect that they have earned at the beginning of the year in almost everybody’s poll. (It probably isn’t worth mentioning that one of the reasons why Gonzaga sucks is that they hijacked the polls in 2014 and barely made the WCAC playoffs –despite possibly being the best football team within the confines of Washington D.C.) The Falcons will likely find themselves near the top of the WCAC field of football competitors next year, but they will have to contend with a lot of the same names from DeMatha that are only sure to get better in Coach Brooks’ system. DeMatha will return 15 bona fide starters according to sources.

DeMatha also has four juniors on the ESPN 300 list and will likely get a fifth when cornerback Brenton Nelson transfers from his school in Florida. The catalyst for the game happened to be one of the very talented juniors that was snubbed.  Darryl Turner, Jr. wears #1 at DeMatha and he caused the fumble that robbed Good Counsel of a critical possession late in the game which helped the Stags seal the victory.  The cupboard is just about full of Division 1 student-athlete prospects, again.  This is largely why hardcore Stags who are in-the-know believe that DeMatha is preparing for an epic run at a national championship very soon.

Season Wrap Up: Stopping the Run on 2014

(Or, none of these teams were able to stop the run in 2014.)

Gonzaga, McNamara, Saint John’s College, O’Connell, and Saint Mary’s Ryken were all out of contention for the 2014 WCAC football title but what they also have in common is a relative optimism about their programs in the last two years. During that same period of time we have all witnessed the WCAC become extremely competitive in high school football and the parity within the league recently has been especially astounding.

Which two of the aforementioned five teams slated to play in the WCAC next year had the best year in 2014 and should be feeling the best looking ahead?  Please comment!

Ryken can say that they beat a playoff team (McNamara) and will start WCAC play next year with something to prove in the state of Maryland. Their current coach is a former DeMatha head football coach and he already knows what the WCAC is about. Ahem.

McNamara did just unveil Ramar Williams, a certain Division 1 football prospect, and shocked everybody by making the playoffs but it remains to be seen if they will get anybody to play defense for the Mustangs. Is one sensational sophomore quarterback enough to turn an entire program around, anyway?

Saint John’s College beat some of the best football teams in the United States of America but couldn’t manage a win against the top four in the WCAC. I think that this speaks volumes about the state of WCAC football and less to the ability of the Cadets –even if early victories don’t count as much as late season wins.

Bishop O’Connell really thought that they were doing something for a minute there… Well it seemed like it anyway. Also the Knights say that they have some players ready to take over the league but I don’t know their names so I couldn’t possibly mention them here.

In the preseason Gonzaga was nationally ranked and picked to take home a WCAC championship glory after a much extended absence –but it was not to be. After struggling to make the playoffs the Purple Eagles failed to score in the second half for the second time this year against a familiar WCAC foe –but their season isn’t over due to the new DC state championship format.