DeMatha Wins Second Straight WCAC Football Championship

ANNAPOLIS - Former Navy quarterback Roger Staubach would have been proud of DeMatha junior Tristan Sabb.

On the same field where Roger the Dodger won the 1963 Heisman Trophy with his passing and running ability, Sabb engineered a late 66-yard drive that he punctuated with a 1-yard plunge on fourth down to lift the Stags to a 20-13 victory over Gonzaga for their second consecutive WCAC Championship.

“Tristan made big plays for us all year,” DeMatha coach Bill McGregor said “He made them with his arm; he made them with his feet. And great things happened for us.”

Sabb, voted first-team All-WCAC, finished 14 of 18 for 230 yards.

Played Sunday night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the win was the 26th conference crown in school history. McGregor has won 19 of those and was selected co-WCAC Coach of the Year.

The Stags (11-0) concluded their first undefeated season since 2016 and were ranked No. 1 by The Washington Post all season. They advanced to the final for the fourth consecutive season with a 42-0 thrashing of St. John’s and will enter 2026 on a 21-game winning streak.

Lavar Keys, who is expected to be named first-team All-Met, had an outstanding game. The Indiana University recruit caught nine passes for 130 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown to hand DeMatha a 13-7 lead late in the third quarter.

Josh Parker, another senior wide receiver, also came up big. His 40-yard TD that Sabb and Keys set up with a 47-yard completion put the Stags up 6-0 with 8:41 to go before halftime. Parker finished with four receptions for 96 yards.

“Lavar and Josh had outstanding games against a very good defense,” McGregor said. “And credit our offensive line for giving Tristan the time to throw.”

The No. 5 Eagles (7-5) scored on the final play of the second quarter when junior Jason Lindsay, under heavy pressure, found senior Jerry Harrison in the back of the end zone from 31 yards out. Junior Asheton Burton’s extra point gave Gonzaga a one-point lead heading into the break.

The Eagles, who advanced to the title game with a 31-28 win over Good Counsel, scored again on Lindsay’s 22-yard TD pass to Burton with 4:01 remaining. Sophomore Nick Stevens blocked the extra point to keep the game tied at 13.

Driving Into History

DeMatha began the winning drive on its own 34 following a short kickoff with 3:58 on the clock. Senior running back Elijah Lee sandwiched runs of 6 and 12 yards around Sabb completing two passes for 17 yards to Keys.

Sabb then dropped back to pass but ended up scrambling down the right sideline. He picked up a key downfield block by Parker and rambled 26 yards to the Gonzaga 5. After a four-yard run by Lee brought the ball to the 1, Sabb was unable to hand off cleanly to Lee and jumped on the loose ball back at the 5.

Lee, who had 26 yards on the final march, picked up another four yards to return the ball to the 1. It was fourth down and the Stags were either going to greatly increase their chance of winning or head to overtime.

Sabb finished the drive by going up the middle and, with a shove from sophomore Michael Murray, was able to pierce the goal line. Senior Robert Reeser, following a five-yard false start penalty, hit the extra point from 25 yards away.

Let’s Get the Party Started

Reeser drove the ensuing kickoff into the end zone, and despite producing a first down, a grounding penalty pushed the Eagles back to the 21. When Maryland-bound senior defensive back Darrell Carey intercepted their final pass and took a knee, the celebration began at 8:34 p.m.

“Any WCAC win is a great win, and I’m very appreciative” McGregor said. “Championships, whenever they come, are hard to get. I’m very thankful that we were able to do it.”

Sabb, who transferred from St. Frances in Baltimore, played against Keys in youth ball but outside of a 7-on-7 team, had never played with him. He performed well all year after taking over for Denzel Gardner, the only four-year starting quarterback in DeMatha history.

“For him to come to DeMatha and us just click like this, I’m just happy for him that he got his first championship,” Keys said. “And us seniors got our second one.”

Keys, wearing his Stags football jersey for the final time, said this year’s title has a different vibe to it than last year’s.

“This feels better because it’s my last [game]; I don’t have any more after this, and it was a pretty intense game,” he said. “Last year was 16-7 and this year was 20-13. I’m happy for it.”