The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference football season is over and the playoffs are quickly approaching. Four teams will take the big stage on Sunday, but only two teams will be playing for the championship.
The first game of the playoffs is a renewal of a classic football rivalry as DeMatha (7-3) takes on Gonzaga (8-2). The last time these two teams meet, DeMatha won the game 28-20.
Going into halftime, the Stags were down 20-7. DeMatha used a strong second half to walk away with the win. Junior running back Lorenzo Harrison (Maryland) led the way with 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Gonzaga look to get revenge on DeMatha, and the Purple Eagles have a chance. The Eagles have a lot of weapons on offense that could play a huge factor in the game. Senior running back Reggie Corbin (Illinois), and sophomore running back Tyree Randolph are two players on the Eagles offense to look out for. Corbin ran for 927 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Randolph tallied 776 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Other players to keep an eye on are senior quarterback Nick Johns (Virginia) and senior wide receiver Jabari Greenwood (Kentucky).
It was another great season for the Stags. Despite losing most of its players from last year’s team due to graduation, Stags still made their mark as one of the top teams in the conference and area.
Offensively, DeMatha is led by sophomore running back Anthony McFarland, who ran for 1058 yards and 11 touchdowns. Harrison only played in six out of the ten games this season, but in those six games he ran for a total of 576 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Defensively, DeMatha was led by junior linebacker Shane Simmons (Penn State), senior defensive tackle Julius Combes and senior safety Tyler Green (Ohio State).
Expect the Stags to attack Gonzaga’s defense with their run game. If McFarland and Harrison get going, there is no way in stopping them. They are two athletes with great speed that can run for big yards. Look for the Stags to throw the football as well. Their passing game is just as good as their run game.
Game time: 12:00pm
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Prediction: DeMatha over Gonzaga 26-21
The second game of the WCAC playoffs is between the Good Counsel Falcons and the Bishop McNamara Mustangs. Good Counsel blew out McNamara 45-21 in the last matchup. Falcons junior quarterback Andres Castillo threw for 157 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Mohamed Ibrahim ran for 178 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Good Counsel ended the regular season as the best team in the WCAC with a record of 9-1 and 6-0 conference record. After losing in the playoffs last year to DeMatha, the Falcons look to win today and get back into the championship.
Bishop McNamara is going to be the underdogs in this year’s playoffs. This season the Mustangs were 4-6 and 3-3 in the conference. With wins against St. John’s and Bishop O’Connell late in the season, McNamara was able to squeeze its way into playoffs.
Quarterback Ramar William has been the entire McNamara offense. He threw for a total of 2,323 yards and 21 touchdowns. He led the team in rushing yards with 496 yards.
Good Counsel are huge favorites to win this game, but when it comes to Bishop McNamara expect the unexpected. The Mustangs are a team that will surprise their opponents and find a way to win.
Game time: 4:00pm
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Prediction: Good Counsel over Bishop McNamara 27-17
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