Posts Tagged ‘Recruiting’
October 21, 2017
2017 will certainly be a year that goes down in Saint Johns College history if only for ending a very long streak of losing in football to DeMatha. The Cadets finally managed to have a good day and bested the Stags on the gridiron 38-22 in front of their homecoming crowd on Military Road.
It isn’t hard to put this win into perspective for Saint Johns because no one on their current football roster was born the last time that they beat the Stags in 1994. We announced some time ago that Cadets changed the football landscape and that the rivalry with the Stags was back. With this win, Saint Johns will undoubtedly justify the drastic changes that they have undertaken but it probably still rings a little hallow.
DeMatha falls to 4-4 on the year, and 0-3 in the WCAC. For the first time in a while, DeMatha is fighting to be the fourth-best team in a very competitive league. Looking at the strength of schedules, DeMatha doesn’t have any significant wins at this point in the season and Saint Johns merely joined the ranks of Good Counsel and Gonzaga who also beat the Stags this year. The loss to Saint Johns College was their third in a row in a season in which DeMatha has struggled against upper echelon football teams.
https://twitter.com/iamjtii/status/920657321637896193
The defending WCAC champions are now fighting just to make the playoffs. DeMatha needs two straight wins at Bishop McNamara (October 28) and Archbishop Carroll (November 4) in order to control their own destiny. Nothing will come easy for the Stag squad this season because, by now, everybody smells blood.
There have been some bright spots for the DeMatha Stags football team. Senior Judson Tallandier was named to the American Under-19 football squad. Senior Kicker Jake Dolinger is showing why four-year Stags are still the most sought after student-athletes in NCAA recruiting after recording a notable score on the SAT.
Yet DeMatha finds themselves in an unfamiliar position because they are unable to dominate key aspects of football games against teams -like they have in years past. Sacks and rushing touchdowns are both down in 2017.
Stags are in unfamiliar territory.
The Big Four all have offensive and defensive lines that hover around the average weight of 300 lbs per player -and that makes for very tough sledding.
Once more the Stags are still trying to find their footing in a sport that isn’t very forgiving. DeMatha has even tried changing quarterbacks to no avail: both Tyler Lenhart and Eric Najarian have notched two losses as the starter. The ability to overcome injuries and distractions is also a huge part of football and the DeMatha Stags still aren’t totally out of contention yet.
If DeMatha can claim the fourth seed outright, there is still a chance to defend their title and win a fifth straight WCAC championship. Can they come back unscathed from the verge of annihilation in 2017? Stranger things have happened to the Stags so we will have to keep you posted.
[Featured Image: City of Ashton website]
Tags:2017, Archbishop Carroll, Bishop McNamara, Cervus elaphus, Charles Brisoce, DeMatha, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys, DeMatha Football, DeMatha Stags, Division 1, Eric Najarian, Football, Gonzaga, International Bowl, Jake Dolinger, Judson Tallandier, Kevin Doyle, NCAA, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Recruiting, Saint Johns College High School, SAT, SJC, The Big Four, The Chronicles of Six, The Washingon Post, Tyler Lenhart, Washington Post, WCAC
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October 14, 2017
The DeMatha Stags football team couldn’t send off the seniors in style, losing in overtime against a tough Good Counsel squad for their last home game of 2017. In a low scoring game that primarily featured run defenses, both teams stayed knotted at the conclusions of half and full times. The relatively equally matched teams have become familiar with each other’s strategies over the years and they each only managed a touchdown in the first half. DeMatha took a 14-7 lead until 2:02 left in the fourth quarter when Good Counsel tied the game on a spectacular passing play that left the Stags stunned. The Falcons would then stop DeMatha in overtime and score a winning touchdown with a final score of 20-14.
https://twitter.com/ByDanRoth/status/919012916396949504
DeMatha dropped their second game in a row and falls to 0-2 in the WCAC football standings. Eric Najarian made his second start at quarterback of the season and Tyler Lenhart didn’t take any snaps. The Stags are left to search for a way to restore the high expectations that they had for themselves at the start of the season with a 4-3 overall record. While a WCAC football title is still in reach, DeMatha has to understand now that they are merely fighting for survival at this point. The Stags aren’t used to this position.
Still the current crisis isn’t nearly as bad as it could be due to league restructuring. There are six teams competing for the title and DeMatha is still all but assured of beating two of them to secure a playoff spot. However nothing in the WCAC comes easy. The Stags need to embrace what has quickly manifested into a rebuilding year and take a longer view for the season. Head coach Elijah Brooks appears to have already done so with his decision to bench a former starting quarterback on his senior night in favor of a junior.
The quarterback controversy is sure to be revisited because the Stags seemed anemic on offense in their latest losing effort. Senior running back Detrick Washington scored on the ground in the first half, and DeMarcco Hellams broke a crossing pattern loose after gaining fifty yards for a score in the second half. DeMatha wouldn’t sustain a drive until late in the fourth quarter, but they failed to score and didn’t chew up enough clock to prevent Good Counsel from scoring. A personal foul put the Falcons in DeMatha territory with time winding down. The momentum shifted and the Stags never recovered.
Good Counsel used a strong running game to keep the DeMatha defense from pinning their ears back and rushing the passer. The Falcons running back Latrele Palmer demanded a lot of attention at the line of scrimmage, and it was eventually the big bruising back that scored in overtime. DeMatha did manage some bright spots on defense, but Falcons head coach Andy Stephanelli mixed in a good array of plays. Both teams had crucial turnovers in the game but the outcome was decided when Good Counsel maximized their opportunities when DeMatha couldn’t.
DeMatha looks ahead to one of their biggest challenges of the season when they have to go to Military Road and take on the Saint Johns Cadets. SJC beat Good Counsel last week and they have been itching for some kind of revenge for over a quarter century of losses to the Stags. The October 21 game will be a difficult test but DeMatha can’t afford to take any of the games lightly now. With no home games left to hide behind, the remaining WCAC teams are going to look to cow the Stags into submission. Suddenly now the last two games of the season against Bishop McNamara and finally Archbishop Carroll are important.
We are all anxious to see how DeMatha football will respond in the future but feel free to check the tale of the Good Counsel tape on Twitter at #GCvsDM. The DeMatha Football website is back up and running, so you will have to follow there from here on out. We will do our best to keep you posted but there are no more DM Stags TV football broadcasts scheduled in 2017.
The DeMatha Stags have had a rough start to the WCAC season so far, and they are looking for a bright spot.
[Featured Photo, RoughGuides.Com ]
Tags:AllMets, Andy Stephanelli, Anthony Toro, Archbishop Carroll, Bishop McNamara, Curtis Walker, Dan Roth, DeMarcco Hellams, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Stags, Detrick Washington, DMStagsTV, Elijah Brooks, Eric Najarian, Falcons, Good Counsel, Kam Snell, Latrele Palmer, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Overtime, Recruiting, Saint Johns College High School, Senior Night, SJC, The Washingon Post, Twitter, Tyler Lenhart, WCAC
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October 7, 2017
As soon as DeMatha finished lacing up their shoes they got a healthy dose of what they would be getting served for most of the rest of the night. Gonzaga looked upon the famed DeMatha Stags under the harvest moon and kicked them right in the nuts. The Purple Eagles elected to receive the opening kickoff and made an energetic return in exchange for prime field position. It only took them a few minutes to score from there. DeMatha didn’t take very much time off the clock after a three-and-out, and then Gonzaga scored again on an even longer drive the next time.
The Stags tried to regain their composure on their next drive but then quarterback Tyler Lenhart threw a pick-six. Suddenly, DeMatha was down 19-0 at the end of the first quarter at the PG Sports & Learning Complex. DeMatha would eventually threaten the red zone with 7:00 to go in the first half, but their hopes were dashed on a dropped pass for a crucial fourth down conversion. Gonzaga freshman quarterback Caleb Williams played well enough to leave the Stags wondering what was going on and the score would hold up until halftime.
DeMatha was really lucky that the 19 point lead they gave up wasn’t worse. Gonzaga set the tone for what the 2017 WCAC football season has in store. The Stags looked the part of a prime candidate for upset: uncomfortable and timid. Gonzaga was the conference foe that came to Prince George’s County in 2015 and bullied the nationally ranked Stags in a similar fashion on ESPN. It always seems like Gonzaga and DeMatha are taking turns kicking each other in the gonads, destroying each other with shock and awe, in full public view. Penalties and miscues on both sides ultimately tamped down the score total, but anyone could see that this was painful.
Gonzaga came out for the second half with even more Whipass. It was like those old cans of Whupass, but they were quicker. The Purple Eagles generated another stop on defense and walloped the Stags with another quick score to go up 26-0. DeMatha just couldn’t move in this contest and they were completely frozen on offense until a change at quarterback and a fourth-quarter bomb. Eric Najarian finally hooked up with Jermaine Johnson to put the Stags on the board and he started an ultimately hopeless, but what was then still just an improbable rally of sorts. Anthony Toro caught another deep strike, and Myles Miree found paydirt soon after but the damage was done.
Nothing is going to come easily in WCAC, and the Stags have demonstrated that they have already learned the hard lesson from this contest. DeMatha showed a lot of heart for staying in the fight and for never quitting, but they couldn’t make the impossible recovery. It all ended on a sack before Najarian could even send a prayer to Our Lady of Victory. Tonight the DeMatha Stags got kicked in the nuts, in the old #TheOleKickInTheNutsGame with Gonzaga, and they deserve all the credit. Caleb Williams managed the game wonderfully and the Purple Eagle’s defense held their own.
Trap game after homecoming or not, DeMatha should remember that’s how it goes sometimes in The Ole Kick In The Nuts Game. The last two all-male schools from the old Metro Conference just don’t like each other. They take turns kicking each other in the nuts but nobody ever quits or calls it just a silly game. Yep, this time its football but they’ll be at it soon enough again. We’d prefer to believe that Gonzaga didn’t even get the cakewalk they deserved in the end, barely hanging on for the 26 – 20 final score. It hurts just the same though, but you probably surmised that.
Tags:#TheOldKickInTheNutsGame, Anthony Toro, Caleb Williams, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Stags, Eric Najarian, Football, Gonzaga, Jermaine Johnson Jr., Myles Miree, National Rankings, PG Sports & Learning Complex, Purple Eagles, Reasons Why Gonzaga Sucks, Recruiting, The Old Kick In The Nuts Game, Tyler Lenhart, WCAC, Whipass, Whupass
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October 5, 2017
The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference is arguably the toughest high school sports association in the United States of America.
The toughest conference in America.
The WCAC has been at the forefront of ushering in a new era of recruiting that has shifted the landscape of secondary education, and football is no exception.
The tale of the WCAC in football, and really all the sports played is a story of the best of teams and the worst of teams. The conference known for producing nationally ranked basketball teams in the same season is unique in that all programs at least enjoy the privilege of greatness by association. Unlike basketball, which has exhibited relative parity over the years, WCAC football programs are worlds apart. The schism between schools that made the unwavering commitment to compete on a national level in football and those that didn’t clearly strained the organization more than the other sports. The result was a lopsided mess military guys call a SNAFU: systems normal all fouled up.
DeMatha, Good Counsel, Saint John’s College, and Gonzaga would all make headlines with their football programs by notching clutch wins in national upsets. The four schools with the biggest football traditions in the WCAC continued to prosper, and all of them could be seen on national broadcasts via ESPN over the last five years. The WCAC schools in Virginia were the first to secede and they ultimately identified football as the cause. Bishop Ireton, Paul VI, and then Bishop O’Connell decided that they couldn’t compete with the rising talent level that all of the exposure generated for the Big Four. Archbishop Carroll, Bishop McNamara, and Saint Mary’s Ryken were equally unnerved by the massive arms race occurring in football but hung on despite taking a lot of lumps.
The WCAC was forced to reorganize and update the rules to accommodate a stronger commissioner. Next year they will unveil a two-tiered football schedule and they have expanded to include The Heights School, which is already competing in soccer this year. The conference will be unified in the sport of football again, but in this interim year get ready to see more of just how we got this way in the first place. The Big Four will continue to dominate, sometimes shuffling win and losses between each other but with seldom a loss to the other WCAC members. The 2017 WCAC football season has already begun with Gonzaga pummeling Bishop McNamara 38-0 on Eye Street with a freshman starting at quarterback.
There just aren’t too many schools that want to face that kind of ability to reload on a yearly basis and the Mustangs (0-5) deserve some sort of award for courage. Deeper programs like Gonzaga keep attracting Division 1 caliber players because of examples set by alumni like Kevin Hogan in the NFL. This is just one example but the Gonzaga Purple Eagles (5-1) are still fighting to break into their first WCAC championship game since 2011. Gonzaga is clearly a playoff team. The Eagles were even cut off from competing for the tiny DC “state title,” but they haven’t won a WCAC football championship since 2002. Gonzaga is our pick to finish fourth this year but if they stay healthy they can give anyone problems, for a spell.
Our Lady of Good Counsel will also be challenged to sustain their glory on the gridiron in 2017. The WCAC’s winningest football coach Bob Milloy retired in 2016, after only the second season since 2004 in which they didn’t appear in the championship game. Replacing legends is never easy but the Falcons (4-1), again, looked within their program and picked a gamer in head coach Andy Stephanelli. Good Counsel is still solid and they have shocked teams in the area that might have forgotten that the Falcons were league champions in football from 2009-2012. Still, after facing what should be the top two teams in the WCAC in the ensuing fortnight we believe that home field advantage should be enough to rattle Gonzaga on October 27.
The Saint John’s College Cadets are proof that the transition to elite status in football can come at a steep price. SJC suffers from an identity crisis and every season that goes by seems to make it worse because they certainly sacrificed the most and have the least to show for it. The Cadets opted to go the full-on Moneyball route, but cash hasn’t proven to be a panacea so far. Program alumnus and Under Armour founder Kevin Plank financed a complete overhaul that included an injection of transfers and two head coaches at one point. The Cadets have been knocking on the door in recent years with a lot of notable wins, but none against the defending WCAC champions in the last quarter century.
SJC was supposed to be overwhelming the league with their unlimited resources, but they have underachieved in WCAC football and they have to look back to the old Metro conference for their last title in 1989. Head coach Joe Casamento is trying to change all of that by unleashing the new and improved program on the top teams in the nation but the cracks in the plan have been obvious. The Christian Brothers are probably wondering if a 2-2 record was worth these changes but they haven’t given up the lofty expectations that they have for their football program. School missions aside, whether or not superstar transfers can manufacture enough team chemistry for a title is the question that has relegated the Cadets to second place of late, despite attaining a national ranking in USA Today earlier this season.
The four-time defending WCAC football champion DeMatha Stags have also had a lot to do with that. Head coach Elijah Brooks is now unquestionably the best in the league and his players desperately want to add to this budding dynasty. The Stags lost their opening game of the season but have reeled off four straight wins since then, two of them shutouts. The DeMatha defense hasn’t given up a score in the second half of a football game since Bishop Gorman got the better of them in August. DeMatha (4-1) will open WCAC play against a Gonzaga team that already has three shutouts under their belt on October 6. It is safe to say that everyone is coming for the kings of the WCAC and SJC and Good Counsel are good tests for the Stags to improve their national ranking in USA Today.
It is a long way down from the top and the rest of the WCAC will just be searching for ways to get by in football in 2017. The faces and names might be old news but the essence of the conference is probably going to remain the same for a little while.
With a league that routinely produces heavyweights, the WCAC will realize that they were wise to err on the side of caution and let some teams sit the football slugfest out. What we have this year are six teams competing for the WCAC trophy in football and the rest will rejoin the league next year when the new rules take effect. DeMatha, SJC, Good Counsel, Gonzaga, McNamara, and Carroll could finish in that order during this abbreviated 2017 football season.
It is worth writing that basketball seems to be the honey that kept Bishop Ireton, Ryken, O’Connell, and Paul VI in the WCAC hive. (Those teams will all play independent schedules in 2017, and they won’t be in contention for a title in football this year.) The overall risk-reward for student-athletes is better in basketball and the notoriety of the league has made it a pipeline to Division 1 schools, and beyond. Football is still trying to find a balance in the WCAC, but the shadow of a more formidable conference is still going to bash each other with everything they have in the meanwhile. The only thing that could stop this show is if the culture changes and WCAC football is on the rise.
As per usual, the traditional rivalry games are worth experiencing live. The oldest, continuous football game in the country between Gonzaga and Saint John’s is on November 4. Bishop McNamara is hosted by Archbishop Carroll on October 7. Good Counsel will try to pull off an upset against DeMatha on Friday, October 13 at the PG Sports & Learning Complex. Then DeMatha will travel to Saint John’s on Military Road on October 21.
Did we forget to mention that DeMatha vs Gonzaga is October 6? We hope that you tune into DM Stags TV to check this one out free of charge on the NFHS Network. The Big Four are all ranked in the top ten in The Washington Post, so everyone should remember. Follow the #WCAC hashtag on Twitter if the #DeMatha (live) hashtag is too lit. We have you covered here at The Chronicles of Six, so always check for updates in our Sports category! Let us keep connecting you to the reputable sources.
Tags:2017, 2017 WCAC Football Preview, Andy Stephanelli, Archbishop Carroll, Beau English, Bishop Gorman, Bishop Ireton, Bishop McNamara, Bishop O'Connell, Bob Milloy, Caleb Williams, ChrisBroadwayRomero, DeMarcco Hellams, DeMatha, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys, Deno Campbell, District of Columbia, Division 1, DMStagsTV, Elijah Brooks, ESPN, Falcons, Football, Football Teams, Friendship Collegiate Academy, Gonzaga, Good Counsel, Jaylen Johnson, Joe Casamento, Kevin Doyle, Kevin Hogan, Kevin Plank, Latrele Palmer, National Football League, NFL, OneDeMatha, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Paul VI, Purple Eagles, Recruiting, Saint Johns College High School, SJC, SNAFU, The Big Four, The Chronicles of Six, The Heights School, The Washingon Post, Under Armour, WCAC
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September 20, 2017
This is DeMatha spirit week in preparation for the homecoming game this Friday versus Friendship Collegiate. Watch this video as many times as possible for zero house points. There are a lot of recruiting success stories in this video, and it also goes a long way to show that DeMatha has a deep roster of stud football players. Return to Glory tells the story of how the latest championship run unfolded and is a great example of the DeMatha Family. I hope we can keep the party going.
https://plus.google.com/+DanielCooper/posts/gGrYXgz9kJ6
Watch it again, for six Soul Credits. There were some serious ballers in that video, too. There are guys getting it done in college in that video. Cameron Phillips is just one of the many but it is worth mentioning that he is closing in on the receiving records over there at Virginia Tech. Ju’Whaun Bentley, Taiwan Deal, John Lovett, are all in there with Principal Emeritus John Moylan. Father Damian and Ed King are in there too. Seriously watch it again. Alright now watch Cam for a minute because he clearly has the spirit.
Anyway, we hope that you are hanging in the #NoKaepernickNoNFL boycott. Remember that you can always watch college football and high school football repeats. Don’t tweet any NFL highlights or participate in any fantasy leagues. We think it is pretty safe to say that some of these guys are going to the league and that we hope it is a better one when they get there. We are going to keep it digi. Go Stags!
Tags:#NoKaepernickNoNFL, Bill McGregor, cameron phillips, DeMatha, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys, DeMatha Family, DeMatha Stags, Ed King, Elijah Brooks, Father Damian, Father Damian Anuszewski O.SS.T, Google+, Homecoming Week, John Lovett, John Moylan, Ju'Whuan Bentley, NCAA, Princeton University, Purdue University, Recruiting, Return to Glory, Soul Credits, Stags, Taiwon Deal, The Trentonian, Twitter, University of Wisconsin, Video, Virginia Tech
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September 19, 2017
Howard University has a superstar in true freshman quarterback Caylin Newton. Nobody knows how that just happened, but now the next smart thing to do is to protect him at all costs. Hashtag: #ProtectCaylin. Caylin Newton has a chance to take Howard University to the big time in football. The Buffalo Soldiers have given way to a slick new Bison logo provided on Under Armour uniforms and the reboot is the perfect time make gains in athletics. The offensive and defensive lines are the areas that need improving the most, and by the looks of things, the Bison have their work cut out for them. Recruiting at the linemen positions will have the greatest impact in the immediate future and it is a crucial stepping stone to make the most of Caylin’s time.
Caylin Newton already proved that he has big game potential when he shocked the world by leading Howard football over UNLV, on the road, to upset the biggest point spread in history. Howard football is currently sporting a record of 1-2 but considering that they changed the record books in week one, the next two losses were progressively worse. Caylin Newton has certainly inspired the Bison to punch above their weight, but when they faced the University of Richmond they fell 68-21. Meeting the fellow FCS school, Richmond Spiders, was a humbling experience that exposed the need to augment the talent up front.
Football starts when they snap the ball and Howard University is going to have to get better at dominating the line of scrimmage. Pass protection is going to continue to be an issue for the Bison because Caylin Newton lacks the size of his older brother. Caylin has matched Cam Newton’s indomitable will to win so far, and that can lead to dangerous situations. Caylin Newton plays with a chip on his shoulder, stalling for time, dipping and dodging, and slanging on the run. Shifty moves have kept defenders at bay for the moment, but the Bison can’t afford to continue to let Caylin take these risks.
While most of the competition that the Bison will face is nothing like their first three opponents, Howard football should also take the hint that as game tape makes the rounds good teams may start to figure things out. Caylin Newton’s statistics against Richmond last week are a sign of weaknesses that need to be addressed as soon as possible.
| Caylin Newton |
5-17-2 |
183 |
1 |
43 |
The Howard University defense didn’t fare much better against the Spiders. The Bison gave up 333 yards on the ground to go along with the massive 68 point total. It would be difficult to muster a win against fellow HBCU or MEAC opponents with those kinds of numbers. A strong pass rush and an ability to stop the run are essential components necessary to compete for a championship in football.
Whether looking for talent or for inspiration on the gridiron, new head football coach Mike London doesn’t have to go far. After suffering the walloping defeat against a team London led to an FCS national title in 2008, it should be easy for him to take a page out of their book. Mike London needs to scope out and scoop up local talent because the Washington DC metropolitan area is producing NCAA Division 1 athletes at an unbelievable clip. DMV schools like the University of Richmond and the University of Maryland have made it point to focus on a few elite high schools in the area, in particular, and Howard needs to do the same.
Caylin has joy for the game.
Perhaps the last time that Howard University was in this position Jay “Sky” Walker was the quarterback for the Bison. The team was a perfect 11-0 in Walker’s senior year and they were crowned the National Champions of Black College Football in 1993. It is certain that the 1993 team will be inducted into the Howard University Athletics Hall of Fame soon, and Jay Walker can be seen on ESPN broadcasts and in the Maryland House of Delegates. Howard University is the institution for Black learning and it sports monikers such as The Capstone and The Mecca. The school sells itself long before the conversation turns to mundane activities such as football -and Howard definitely wants to keep it that way.
The Jay “Sky” Walker or Antoine Bethea type of player can remain among the Bison elite and bring more recognition for The Hilltop to chronicle. The Yard has seen the most famous of our people and nothing happening on a football field is going to change that. With that already stated, Howard University athletics needs to make a recruiting push to protect assets that they have already acquired on the field. Howard University has a good reputation in everything and Caylin Newton is only going to add to that. The Bison need to thicken the herd and we should all prepare for the coming stampede. Players of his caliber don’t come along very often, but when they do there will be others looking benefit from all of that added attention.
For full disclosure, we need to also state that Caylin Newton is not completely alone right now and that there are others doing their parts. Senior running back Anthony Philyaw was honored as a preseason national watchlist candidate and was named the Preseason MEAC Player of the Year according to the Howard University Athletics website. Sophomore wide receiver Kyle Anthony was placed on the Preseason All-MEAC second team and shows promise. From Miami, Florida the Bison have senior linebacker Devin Rollins who is probably their best defensive player on their best defensive unit. These few players illustrated the problem in a close loss to Kent State two weeks ago. There just aren’t enough of the guys doing the dirty work to make sure Caylin Newton can shine at this moment.
The skill positions will be okay but Howard football needs to bulk up and show that they know how to play football again by controlling the trenches. The offensive line is set to graduate forty percent of their ten roster spots next year and will be looking for stability. While they are much younger on the defensive side of the ball, the Bison should probably consider sacrificing one of those roster spots to add a defensive end. Howard doesn’t want to get caught with their pants down around their ankles when teams inevitably try to shut down Caylin Newton with hard-to-read blitz packages and by hogging the time of possession.
Howard University is on the verge of breakthrough if they can address these issues. (Watch the Twitter hashtags if you want to see a grown man troll them to death, if they don’t: #PullYoPantsUp and #CombYoHair.) We hope that they don’t drop the ball by leaving Caylin Newton overexposed. Black college football needs this, also. Caylin Newton’s choice to attend to Howard and start on the field right away bodes well for a unique and important subculture of the game. The recent changes in the Howard University Athletic program demonstrated that it feels good when the Bison are leading in every aspect. Building around Caylin Newton sends the right message to other athletes with high skill sets that are considering an education at Howard University or other HBCU’s.
Caylin Newton is a quarterback that is going to make the news. All Howard University football needs to do is to keep him safe in order to make sure that there will always be good news to report. All of that begins with the right recruiting approach. That is the real football mission that is very possible.
We are going to keep it digital here and keep you posted. Go Bison!
Tags:#CombYoHair, #PullYoPantsUp, Alternative Media, Anthony Philyaw, Antoine Bethea, Arizona Cardinals, Black College National Champions, Black Media, Buffalo Soldiers, Cam Newton, Chicago Tribune, Devin Rollins, District of Columbia, Division 1, DMV, ESPN, FCS, Football, HBCU, HBCU Gameday, Howard University, Howard University Athletics, HU Bison, Jay "Sky" Walker, Kent State, Kyle Anthony, Maryland, MEAC, Mike London, National Championship, NCAA, NFL, Recruiting, Richmond Spiders, The Captstone, The Hilltop, The Mecca, Twitter, Under Armour, University of Maryland, University of Richmond, Virginia
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September 16, 2017
Kyle McFadden and Maryland Sports Access have some pretty good coverage of the DeMatha vs McDonogh football game. DeMatha won the contest 17-14 and kept McDonogh out of the end zone in the second half, in an otherwise lackluster game for the Stags. DeMatha improved to a record of 3-1 on the season but they are still in the processes of learning and fine-tuning.
The Maryland Terrapins were in attendance, and there may have been performance anxiety issues. DeMatha football has emerged as an unofficial pipeline to the University of Maryland, and the Stag alumni helped coin the popular recruiting wave moniker, “The Movement.” The Old Line State has made significant gains in the sport of football at the high school and college levels and recognition is still on the rise.
Maryland State Flag
As you can see I am not the only person that can cover the Stags. In recent years DeMatha vs McDonogh has been one of those games that can determine who will be top dog in the state of Maryland, and it draws plenty of attention. The University of Maryland definitely took notice when these two heavyweights from The Free State played each other because both teams produce top, Division 1 talent. Anyway, click the link in the first paragraph to read Kyle McFadden’s article with better embedded Tweets. As always, DMStagsTV provided a replayable broadcast for your enjoyment and you can follow all of the Stags home games there. (Alumni teachers Sean O’Connor & Cory Puffett provided the play-by-play this week.) Crabcakes and football! This is what we do.
Friendship Collegiate Academy will travel to the DeMatha home field at the PG Sports and Learning Complex next week, September 22. As usual, we are going to keep it digital and keep you posted here on The Chronicles of Six. Go Stags!
Tags:Cory Puffett, DeJaun Ellis, DeMatha, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys, DeMatha Stags, DMStagsTV, Football, Friendship Collegiate Academy, Instagram, Kyle McFadden, Maryland, Maryland Sports Access, McDonogh, Recruiting, Sean O'Connor, Terrapin Times, Terrapins, The Chronicles of Six, The Free State, The Movement, The Old Line State, Twitter, University of Maryland
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September 9, 2017
Donuts, DeMatha style.
DeMatha football logged their second victory of the season in shutout fashion against Franklin on September 8, 2017. We are getting closer to the start of the WCAC season but the DeMatha defense is showing that their sights are set on the playoffs. There is no doubt that DeMatha would love to win a fifth WCAC championship in a row in 2017. Everybody also knows the tried and true sports maxim, defense wins championships. What you might not know is that big wins used to be celebrated on this blog with serious eye candy, but then one of the writers got married. Ahem. Everything changes but isn’t it nice to return to a good tradition every once in a while? If you close your eyes -or look in the archives, you can almost picture it.
Thanks to Chris McManes and the Hyattsville Life & Times we get to visualize the tradition of DeMatha football celebrating victories in which the other team doesn’t score with sugary breakfast treats, instead. (Yeah, we know that it might not be as good, but it is the best that we can do for right now.) And from the recent, slightly more svelt, looks of the football coaches from Elijah Brooks to Deno Campbell you would imagine that only the Stags players feast on donuts. (Just run with it.) In any case, they all deserve another round after the performance against Franklin. DeMatha amassed 36 points and gave up absolutely nothing. If the Stags continue to play like this they are impossible to beat, no matter what you believe.
You see in football, you have to score in order to win.
Check out the game recap from Twitter below.
DeMatha moves to 2-1 on the season and will take on McDonogh at home on Friday, September 15 to continue their home stretch. On deck, we will also have the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference 2017 Football Preview. As always on The Chronicles of Six, we are going to keep it digital for you. Some traditions never die.
We’re going to keep you posted.
Tags:Anthony Toro, Chris McManes, Cory Puffett, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys, DeMatha Stags, Deno Campbell, DMStagsTV, Dominic Lyles, Donuts, Elijah Brooks, Eric Najarian, Football, Franklin High School, Hyattsville, Hyattsville Life & Times, Instagram, Jermaine Johnson Jr., John Morgan, Maryland Sports Access, McDonogh, Recruiting, The Chronicles of Six, Tradition, Twitter, Tyler Lenhart, USA Today, WCAC
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September 2, 2017
DeMatha football returned to their winning ways against the Avalon Black Knights on Friday, September 1. The Stags managed 28 points in the first half and coasted to a shutout victory after suffering a defeat in their opening game.
The new streak had to be started by junior, backup quarterback Eric Najarian because Tyler Lenhart was sick all week. DeMatha flexed their depth and dominance in the state of Maryland by managing the football game against a solid Avalon team who was befuddled from the start. Najarian mixed in quick slashing routes and running back Myles Miree darted for a first quarter score that kept the DeMatha Stags ahead of the Black Knights.
The DeMatha defense took care of everything else. Despite several penalties, the Stags never lost their composure and held on to preserve their first scoreless game since October 21, 2016. Avalon struggled to move the ball mainly because they lost the battle up front, and the DeMatha defensive line bullied the Black Knights into multiple third-and-impossibly-long situations. It isn’t that much of the stretch to believe that the entire defensive unit had something to prove after relinquishing 35 points on ESPN last week, but they bounced back nonetheless and proved their point.
Defensive ends Austin Fontaine and John Morgan were the usual culprits in a hard pursuit of the Avalon quarterback that prevented rhythmic drop-back passing needed to connect the deep ball. The Avalon running game didn’t fare much better opting to move away from the strength of the DeMatha defensive line with sweeps to the outside. Neither strategy worked for Avalon and the DeMatha linebackers and secondary were also creating problems of their own. DeMarcco Hellams came up with huge tackles chasing down running backs from the weak side safety position. Dominic Logan-Nealy took advantage of Avalon special teams woes and nabbed an interception.
The Avalon punter wasn’t able to recover much field position and the Black Knights often went for it on fourth down no matter the distance. This, more than any other aspect of the game, spelled the end for a team that was already facing the tall order of beating the Stags after a rare defeat. A productive running game behind a powerful offensive line is the reason why DeMatha football head coach Elijah Brooks was 58-12 before last night’s contest. DeMatha was able to integrate the reserve units after Najarian threw for a score to tight end Anthony Toro to make the score 21-0 with under three minutes to go in the first half. DeMatha added another score on the ground just before the break and would then grind Avalon down through the sheer time of possession.
New running backs were able to get some work done for the Stags and eventually DeMatha would put freshman quarterback Trace Campbell under center. Safety Nick Cross and linebacker Alec Solano put the finishing touches on the game in the second half and seemed to be everywhere. Avalon threatened to score twice in the fourth quarter with separate trips to the red zone but the DeMatha team defense was having none of it. Nick Cross broke up a good share of long passing plays and Alec Solano had a forced fumble and recovery to end a Black Knight drive.
The Stags will continue their six game home stand against Franklin High School of Reirstertown, Maryland next week. You can check out the next five home games on the DMStagsTV network and watch DeMatha football live streams and replays there.
Tags:Alec Solano, Anthony Toro, Austin Fontaine, Avalon, Black Knights, DeMarcco Hellams, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys, DeMatha Stags, DMStagsTV, Dominic Logan-Nealy, Elijah Brooks, Eric Najarian, ESPN, Football, Franklin High School, John Morgan, Myles Miree, Nick Cross, Recruiting, Sieh Bangura, The Washingon Post, Trace Campbell, Twitter, Tyler Lenhart, Under Armour
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August 26, 2017
DeMatha football suffered the first loss of the season at the hands of the defending national champion Bishop Gorman Gaels in Las Vegas, Nevada yesterday. DeMatha Catholic High School running back MarShawn Llloyd is out for the season after breaking his arm in two places in the first half of play. The Stags were unable to rally around their injured star when he landed awkwardly after fighting to extend a busted play, and they would eventually fall 35 – 23. The home team’s victory was in doubt for most of the game and DeMatha still managed to look good under the bright lights of a prime time ESPN broadcast. MarShawn Lloyd notched the score up to 10 – 0 when he confounded Gorman’s defense for a 30 yard touchdown run in the first quarter of play.
Emblematic of DeMatha toughness, Lloyd not only gave an interview after the game, he didn’t even take an injury time out on the field after his gruesome tumble and instead hustled off the gridiron under his own power. Inside DeMatha Football caught up with MarShawn and the entire DeMatha Family wishes him a successful surgery and rapid recovery.
The DeMatha Stags (0-1) head into the Fall after the loss to Bishop Gorman (1-0) in Las Vegas, Nevada in a nationally televised high school football opener.
The DeMatha Stags continued the fight until late in the fourth quarter but ultimately came up short in a rare match-up between two heavyweight programs. As far as football games go, this one lived up to the hype and it was exciting from start to finish. DeMatha never appeared to be completely over-matched in the contest and they played a very technically sound game. Instead, it was big, timely plays that inflicted all of the damage on the Stags and penalties weren’t much of a factor. UCLA recruit and emerging Gaels superstar quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson provided many of the highlights. The Gaels’ quarterback accounted for all five Gorman touchdowns and threw for over 280 yards in his offensive onslaught.
If you are looking for my hot takes on the game you can find them at the hashtag (#DMvsBG) that I created here on Twitter. There will be more analysis in the forthcoming 2017 WCAC Football Preview, but the DeMatha Stags football team made their alumni and fans very proud in their nationally televised opener. The overall competitiveness of the program is well beyond the comfort zone of most high schools and the elite experiences should pay off in the near future. Certainly one loss against a top echelon foe can be put into proper perspective when there is a long season of football to be played? You should expect DeMatha football to learn from this game and apply it towards the future because that is what faith-filled gentlemen and scholars do.
[Title photo Open Source/ Wikipedia Commons, Luc Viatour]
Tags:2017 WCAC Football Preview, Bishop Gorman, DeMatha, DeMatha Catholic High School, DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys, DeMatha Stags, DMvsBG, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, ESPN, Football, Inside DeMatha Football, Inside The Locker Room, MarShawn Lloyd, national title implications, Nevada, Recruiting, Twitter, UCLA, WCAC
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