November 25, 2002.
For seven of the eight football teams in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, that date should be etched in stone and used as motivation. It was the last time a team not named DeMatha won the WCAC championship.
With a few exceptions, the Stags have run through the WCAC with greater predictibility than the fate of the Washington Nationals or Balimore Orioles. Good Counsel has come close a few times. St. John's always seems to compete and Gonzaga and McNamara show their heads from time to time. But for the most part, the WCAC belongs to Bill McGregor and his DeMatha Stags.
With the dog days of summer coming to an end, at least for football players, it's time to look into the future and break down the top five games involving WCAC teams vs. out of conference opponents.
Sept. 4: St. John's at Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio)
After traveling to Pennsylvania the previous three years, St. John's branched out and scheduled East St. Louis (Ill.) last year and quickly learned that life outside the WCAC can be troubling, especially when you lose 54-13. A year later, Joe Patterson and his Cadets are hitting the road once again as they take on Ohio's Kettering Archbishop Alter Knights. The Knights finished 13-2 last year, and both losses were forfeits due to ineligible players, so they never actually lost a game on the field. According to our friends over at JJHuddle.com, Alter has a few different Cody's leading the way. Cody Taulbee should be the feature back, LB Cody Conley returns as the team's leading tackler and Cody Byers is a Division I college prospect with sub-4.6 speed.
September 4: Good Counsel at Valhalla (San Diego, Calif.)
The Falcons are taking their show on the road, all the way to California. The good news is that Good Counsel might be able to spend a little time on the beach, but the bad news comes in the form of 6-foot-5, 210-pound senior quarterback Pete Thomas. The Arizona State commit completed over 68 percent of his passes last year for 3,169 yards and 28 touchdowns. Al Thompson, Louis Young (Stanford), Dominick Mitchell, Frank Tamakloe (Wisconsin) and Stefon Diggs better be ready for one of the best quarterbacks they face all season.
September 12: DeMatha at Gilman
Not many football programs can say this, but Gilman has beaten DeMatha twice in the past four years, including a seven-point victory over the Stags last season. Everyone knows that DeMatha has reloaded, but the Stags will have their hands full with Iowa commitments in defensive tackle Anthony Ferguson and linebacker Jim Poggi, along with up-and-coming guard Tripp Trainor (6-4, 250). The Stags beat Gilman by a combined score of 66-6 in 2006 and 2007, so a blowout in the series isn't without precedent.
Photo by Michael Starghill Jr.
DeMatha fans don't want to see their beloved Stags go down for the third time in five years to Gilman.
Sept. 12: Landon at Carroll
No, this isn't a misprint, and this has nothing to do with the state of Landon football. There are good things going on at Carroll, especially with their football program. Senior defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu is the real deal, and he currently holds offers schools like Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Kansas State, to name a few. Lineman Nate Clarke (6-4, 282) held scholarship offers from Maryland and Kansas State before picking the Terps earlier this week. Early games against St. Mary's Ryken and Ireton should prepare Carroll for Landon in week three. The Bears won this game 25-0 last season, but Carroll played well and looked much better fundamentally that in year's prior. I'm not saying Carroll is going to win, but they will make it close.
Sept. 19: Georgetown Prep at Gonzaga
Georgetown Prep has won this game the past two seasons, which included a 42-0 victory last season, but Gonzaga has a talented quarterback under center and a football program hungry to get back into the playoffs. Not only does this game feature two of the area's most prestigious private schools, but it raises money for the Washington Jesuit Academy. This game is packed with students, parents and alumni, so make sure you get there early.