No. 1 DeMatha Rallies Past St. John’s in Overtime, 23-20

DeMatha’s football games have gotten tougher and been a lot closer since WCAC play began in mid-October. The toughest and the closest was played Friday night at Wilson Stadium in Landover.

For the first 36 minutes, St. John’s was the better team. It was pushing the Stags’ defensive line around and opening big holes for its running backs to accumulate huge chunks of yardage.

Facing its first fourth-quarter deficit of the year, DeMatha showed why it has The Washington Post’s No. 1 ranking by rallying to stun the fifth-ranked Cadets, 23-20, in overtime.

“It was a really good team win,” Stags coach Bill McGregor said from his office Monday afternoon. “I was really proud of the guys and their resiliency. They just never quit. We told them going into the game that this was going to be a big-boy game against a very good football team.

“We knew we had to play 48 minutes.”

The contest between the longtime Catholic league rivals actually went longer than that when it headed into overtime tied at 17.

St. John’s (5-3, 0-2 WCAC) got the ball first on the DeMatha 25-yard-line and continued to establish openings for its running backs. Their first three plays – all runs – took the ball to the Stags’ 4.

That’s when the DeMatha defense dug down deep and repelled the advance. On second-and-goal, Dajon Talley-Rhodes was dropped for a 1-yard loss. On third down, Tyric Powell was swarmed by five tacklers and lost four more yards.

Nolan Stringer then came on and drilled a 27-yard field goal to put the Cadets up by three.

Stags junior defensive lineman James Pace saved a touchdown on St. John’s second play in overtime when Powell went right and cut back to his left with nothing but green turf in front of him. Pace pursued him and tackled him at the 9 following a seven-yard gain.

“It was a great play by James,” McGregor said. “We had [the ball carrier] totally sealed off to the outside. All of our guys went full-go to be there, and the running back did a great job of cutting back.

“When James dove and caught him he saved a touchdown. If they score there, then it’s a whole different ballgame. We would have had to score and kick the extra point. It was a great effort play by James.”

DeMatha got the ball next needing a field goal to tie knot the game at 20 and send it to a second OT. Back to back seven-yard completions by junior Tristan Sabb pushed the ball to the 11 and gave the Stags a fresh set of downs.

Senior Elijah Lee rushed for five yards and Sabb picked up a yard. With the ball residing on the 5 and DeMatha needing four yards for another first down, St. John’s was called for holding senior wideout Lavar Keys in the end zone.

The penalty put the ball on the 2 but was not an automatic first down. Lee ended the game by taking an inside handoff and running between the center and left guard. His TD unleashed a celebration of the reigning WCAC champions’ 18th consecutive victory.

“It was a heck of a football game,” McGregor said. “I think everybody in the stands got their money’s worth.”

How the Game Unfolded

Senior Robert Reeser put the Stags on the scoreboard late in the first quarter when he nailed a career-long 45-yard field goal.

The Cadets drove to the DeMatha 26 on their first possession but went three-and-out following Reeser’s kick. The Stags, who entered the game ranked 12th in the nation (The Sporting News composite rankings) proceeded to march 61 yards and scored with a 26-yard pass from Sabb to senior Josh Parker.

Along the way, Sabb completed seven-yard passes to Keys and junior receiver Austin Barber. Reeser’s extra-point attempt was blocked, holding the DeMatha lead to 9-0.

St. John’s cut the deficit to two points with an 80-yard drive that featured a 27-yard gain on a screen pass and a 21-yard run. Powell scored from the 1 with 5:57 to play in the second quarter.

Two 13-yard runs and a 10-yard advance on another screen play put the Cadets in position to take a 10-9 lead on Stringer’s 32-yard field goal.

St. John’s boosted its lead to eight points by rushing for 59 yards on a 74-yard drive that culminated with Josiah Ampofo finding paydirt on an 11-yard run with 1:35 to go in the third period.

The Comeback Begins

On the second play of the final quarter, Keys had a 26-yard catch and run. Three plays later, Sabb faked a handoff to Lee and went the other way untouched for a 15-yard TD. Sabb pitched right to Lee for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 17. Keys and fellow receiver Chace Irvin had key blocks in the end zone.

Neither team would score over the final 10:21 of game time although the Stags had two good opportunities. Following a 25-yard hook-up from Sabb to Barber, Reeser lined up for a 42-yard field goal in the same direction as his earlier try. He never got the opportunity because of a bad snap.

DeMatha got a reprieve when the Cadets were called for a facemask penalty. Reeser got in position to kick the game-winning 27-yard field goal but had it blocked. The teams went into overtime just like they did two years ago on the same field. The Stags prevailed in that one, 21-14.

Counting Down & Next Up

In DeMatha’s last three games, all against WCAC foes, it defeated Good Counsel by seven points, McNamara by five and St. John’s by three. Does that mean a one-point victory is on the horizon?

The Stags (8-0, 3-0 WCAC) host No. 8 Gonzaga (5-3, 1-1) at Wilson Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. The Eagles are coming off a 13-7 victory over Good Counsel. DeMatha needs a victory to clinch the top seed in the upcoming WCAC Capital Division playoffs.

“Gonzaga is a very good football team,” McGregor said. “If they beat us they have a shot at getting the No. 1 seed.”

The Eagles are joined by Good Counsel, McNamara and St. John’s in the battle for the three remaining playoff spots. The Stags are the only team to have clinched a postseason berth and will host a game on Nov. 14 or 15.

DeMatha will honor 28 seniors prior to the game.