DeMatha Football (3-0) Surges to No. 1 in DMV & No. 16 in Nation

When DeMatha football coach Bill McGregor says that his teams don’t rebuild, they reload, it’s not just a catchy slogan.

With 18 graduating seniors from a year ago now playing college football, a drop-off, however slight, could have been expected. Add replacing a four-year starting quarterback into the mix and an early schedule against top teams from Philadelphia, and the results might have fallen short.

Instead, The Washington Post’s preseason No. 1 team has remained in the catbird seat and surged to 16th in the nation. The Stags improved to 3-0 on Friday Sept. 12 by defeating a very good Roman Catholic team that entered the contest 2-1 and took a 7-0 lead.

It was all DeMatha from there as the Stags rolled to a 44-7 win in a game played at Widener University’s Hirschmann Field in Chester, Pa.

Junior Tristan Sabb, DeMatha’s first-year signal caller, threw three touchdowns passes and scored once on the ground in the Stags’ 13th consecutive victory.

Sabb’s multiple talents were on full display in DeMatha’s first TD drive as he accounted for all but five of his team’s 53 yards. Forty of those came through the air on a 29-yarder to sophomore Chace Irvin and an 11-yard strike to senior Lavar Keys. Sabb punctuated the explosive five-play march by scoring from the 5.

McGregor didn’t want to heap too much praise on Sabb because he, like the rest of the team, can play much better.

“He’s done well and he has a lot of room for improvement,” McGregor said following his 326th
career victory. “He’s done OK.”

The Stags’ onslaught began early in the second quarter when junior cornerback Knyair Crumb returned an interception 29 yards to the Roman Catholic 14-yard line. Two plays later it was 13-7 when Keys’ 7-yard grab ended up in the end zone.

DeMatha added another tally with 2:02 to play before halftime on a nine-play, 58-yard drive. Highlights included pass completions of 20 and 24 yards before Irvin scored from the 8.

“We were down seven [points] and answered the challenge,” McGregor said. “We started getting more momentum as the game went on. We came into the third quarter and did a great job once again.”

The Stags kicked off to start the second half but got the ball right back when Logan Brown stripped the returner and recovered the fumble at the Cahillites’ 10. Senior running back Elijah Lee took it from there by gaining all 10 yards, including a 2-yard plunge on fourth down.

Although DeMatha posted its third impressive performance against a quality opponent, McGregor downplayed the wins and knows that it will be tough for the Stags to repeat as Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champions.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” he said. “I thought it was a good team win.”

Now Under Center

Sabb, who replaced four-year starter Denzel Gardner (Southern Mississippi), agrees the offense can improve, particularly in the first half.

“I think the offense is staring to click,” Sabb said, “but we can play way better.”

Sabb has the luxury of operating with three front-line wide receivers: Irvin, Josh Parker and Keys, who has 4.3 speed and is committed to Penn State. Lee leads the ground attack, and the offensive line is improving.

“Elijah Lee and Nasir Johnson, I love those guys,” Sabb said. “They give us a lot of yards. Our receiving corps is great, and our offensive line played way better tonight.”

Presidential Performance

Roman Catholic had another miscue on a kick return with 2:24 remaining in the third when the return man thought senior Robert Reeser’s boot was going into the end zone, resulting in a dead ball. Instead, the free ball came to rest on the 2, where Jeremy Mack pounced on it.

Reeser pointed out after the game that he, co-president of the DeMatha Student Government Association, kicked the ball and Mack, the school’s Black Student Union president, recovered it.

Lee’s second TD accounted for the final margin over a team that is much better than it showed on a crisp summer evening in the Philadelphia area.

“Roman Catholic is a really good football team,” McGregor said. “Coach [Rick] Prete does a great job with them. They’re very well-coached, disciplined and just a really solid football team. Just like Imhotep is outstanding and so is St. Joe’s Prep.”

DeMatha Grabs the Crown in Philly

Aided by two short fields, the Stags scored 24 points in the third quarter. It was similar to their 45-17 win over St. Joseph’s Prep, which won the Pennsylvania 6A state title last season.

In that game, on Aug. 30, DeMatha erased a 10-3 halftime deficit by scoring two touchdowns in the period and concluding a 61-yard march with a TD 24 seconds into the fourth quarter.

“We played Pennsylvania’s defending 6A state champion, the defending 5A champion [Imhotep] and the 6A state runner-up,” McGregor said. “I don’t think we could have found three tougher games against teams from PA, and we did a great job with them.”

Three Games, Three Picks

Crumb’s 21-yard interception was his third of the year. He picked off a pair in the St. Joe’s victory. His
play has drawn the attention of several Power 4 football programs.

“He did a great job [Friday],” McGregor said. “He’s a great football player, and his play has been fantastic. He works hard in practice, and it carries over to the game each week.”

Next Game

The Stags will host Mt. Zion Prep Academy (0-4) at Wilson Stadium in Landover tonight at 7 p.m.