The 2015 WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) is heading into week 4 of another good season of football.
Last week featured an epic triple overtime game between two very good schools, Good Counsel and St. John’s. The Cadets ended up winning that game 29-23. Archbishop Carroll continued their winning streak as they beat Bishop O’Connell 48-37. Bishop McNamara suffered their second loss of the season to Gonzaga. DeMatha continued their dominating run to be the top football team in the country with 49-0 win against St. Mary’s Ryken.
This week features some very good matchups that can to make out to being interesting games to watch. Take a look at some of my predictions for this week action’s.
DeMatha (4-0) vs St. John’s (3-1)
Last year’s game between DeMatha and St. John’s was a close game that was decided in overtime. In the extra session, DeMatha’s quarterback Beau English threw a screen pass to wide receiver Darryl Turner Jr. and he took it into the end zone for the game winning touchdown.
Saturday’s game should be another well played matchup by both teams. DeMatha, who is ranked No. 3 in the country has enough talent to beat you offensively and defensively.
Offensively, the Stags got Under Armour All-American wide receiver Tino Ellis (Maryland) who is a go to target for junior quarterback Beau English. Then DeMatha’s has a trio of speedy running backs that include Anthony McFarland, Lorenzo Harrison, and Khory Spruill. DeMatha’s offensive bunch has averaged 35.5 points per game and the players mentioned are the reason for that.
The Stags defense has been nothing but incredible. Defensive end Chase Young and cornerback Robbie Robinson (Arizona State) are transfers that strengthen a defense that already featured one of the best defensive players in the country Shane Simmons. DeMatha’s defense this season has made it hard for opponents to put up points or get on some type of groove.
St. John’s is coming off a big win against Good Counsel and they look to carry that momentum into Saturday. The Cadets is a team seeking for some kind of revenge on DeMatha after last season loss and the unforgettable defeat in the 2013 WCAC Championship.
Just like the Stags, St. John’s has a pretty strong defense. One player that highlights the Cadets defense is senior defensive end Terrell Hall. The 2016 Under Armour All-American is one of the top players in Washington, DC and is being heavily looked at Alabama. Senior Aaron Hansford and linebacker Kordell Brown are other key players for St. John’s defense.
This game has the making of a close game but the same thing was said about the DeMatha vs Miami Central game. With that said, DeMatha are favorites to win this conference matchup but don’t sleep on St. John’s. When it comes to sports, anything can happen.
Prediction: DeMatha over St. John’s 24-14
Archbishop Carroll (4-0) vs Bishop McNamara (2-2)
Archbishop Carroll is on a role so far this season. The Lions are 4-0 and in each of the four games they have scored 44 or more points. Carroll played their first conference game of the season against Bishop O’Connell and won 48-37. Senior running back Keon Singleton has led the way for the Lions offensively. In the last two games, Singleton has rushed for more than 250 yards. Even though Carroll is off to a great start, they haven’t played against DeMatha, Good Counsel, St. John’s, and Gonzaga, teams that make the WCAC a tough conference.
Bishop McNamara, a team that found a way to squeeze into the WCAC playoffs last season is sitting at 2-2 this season. Just like last year, the Mustangs are led by senior quarterback Ramar Williams, who is in the making for another great season. Williams has thrown for 1,114 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 290 rushing yards. In last week’s lost against Gonzaga, Ramar threw for 334 yards, one touchdown, and ran the football for 96 yards on 12 attempts. Receivers Brian Thompson, and Chaz Lyles has been top targets for Williams. Thompson has total of 286 receiving yards while Lyles has 237.
The McNamara versus Carroll games will be a rematch of last season’s matchup where the Mustangs beat the Lions 20-17. It will be interesting to see how will Archbishop Carroll defense contain Ramar Williams. One thing to take note of is that Bishop McNamara is 0-2 when Ramar Williams rushes for 95 or more yards this year.
Prediction: Bishop McNamara over Archbishop Carroll 36-31
Good Counsel (2-2) vs Bishop O’Connell (1-3)
In this conference game, Good Counsel are clear cut favorites. Sitting at 2-2, the Falcons need to get on a roll and a win against Bishop O’Connell should do it. Senior running back Mohamed Ibrahim has been really good for Good Counsel this year as he has rushed for more than 130 yards in the last three games. Four-star linebacker Keandre Jones, who will be going to the University of Maryland next year is a key player of the Falcons on the defensive side.
Bishop O’Connell is off to a negative start to the season with a 1-3 record but playing in a conference like the WCAC, it will be hard to turn things around.
Sophomore quarterback Dejuan Ellis and wide receiver/safety Myles Hudzick are two key players for the Knights. Dejuan, who came into high school as one of the most talked about middle school football players now is trying to live up to the expectations. Ellis has thrown for 728 yards, 6 touchdowns, and two interceptions. Senior Myles Hudzick (Duke) is one of the Knights top wide receivers. In the lost against Archbishop Carroll, Hudzick had 8 receptions for 184 yards and one touchdown.
Good Counsel is most likely to win this game because they have much stronger team on both sides of the football field. Even though Good Counsel is 2-2, this is still football team that has been the powerhouse of the WCAC for years.
Prediction: Good Counsel over Bishop O’Connell 31-13
Gonzaga (4-0) vs St. Mary’s Ryken (2-2)
St. Mary’s Ryken football team was reinstated back into the WCAC this year and in their first conference game, they got defeated by DeMatha 49-0. Things don’t get better Ryken since they have to face Gonzaga in their second conference game. The Purple Eagles lost a lot of key players from the 2014 team that lost in the WCAC Semifinals.
Players like quarterback Nick Johns, wide receiver Jabari Greenwood, and offensive lineman Richie Petitbon were valuable players on Gonzaga that left due to graduation. But their departure hasn’t phased the Purple Eagles yet. Last week Gonzaga beat Bishop McNamara 34-24. Junior running back Tyree Randolph is a player to watch for Gonzaga. In the first four games of the season, Randolph has ran for a 523 yards on 80 attempts.
Ryken won’t be facing the third best football team in the nation but Gonzaga is still a team that can make hard for St. Mary’s to come out of the game victorious.
Prediction: Gonzaga over St. Mary’s Ryken 35-10
Ryan McFadden is the founder of Inside The Locker Room and alumni from DeMatha Catholic High School. He attends Iona College and plans to major in Mass Communication. Follow him on Twitter @RMcFadden15. Be sure to follow Inside The Locker Room on Twitter @lockerroom2015 for more news on high school sports and sports in general.
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