O’Connell 17, Paul VI 0
With PVI needing a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive, O’Connell running back Devon Brown broke free in the fourth quarter and scored the first touchdown of the game on a 63-yard run. The Panthers were never able to recover and quickly turned their hopes to the Gonzaga-St. John’s game, which didn’t help their cause. Despite the season ending for both schools, O’Connell and Paul VI had two very remarkable seasons that gave fans a glimpse of what is to come next year. PVI’s Junior quarterback, D.J. Mangas, finished sixth in the D.C. area in passing, having completed 103 of 241 passes for an impressive 1,668 yards and 13 touchdowns. O’Connell’s Devon Brown was the 20th ranked rusher in the area. He carried the ball 189 times for 1,222 yards and 14 touchdowns. Both schools finished with a 5-5 overall record and a 3-4 conference record.
McNamara 20, Carroll 14
In the one game without any playoff implications, McNamara beat Carroll by scoring the first three touchdowns of the game, which proved too much for the Lions to overcome. Mustang running back James Brown led all rushers with 118 yards off 12 carries while Carroll’s Ian White led all passers with 183 yards. McNamara finishes the year with a 3-7 overall record and a 1-6 conference record. Carroll lost its final nine games of the year to finish 1-9 and 0-7 in the WCAC.
DeMatha 22, Good Counsel 21
In one of the more controversial games in recent history, DeMatha beat Good Counsel on a last second field goal that stunned just about every person at Parkdale High School Saturday afternoon. On third down, Stag place kicker Matt Campbell lined up to kick a potential 32-yard game-winning field goal with 12.7 seconds left on the clock. The senior kicker, who had already hit a 46-yard field goal (video) earlier in the game, had his kick blocked by Good Counsel (video), sending the team, the sideline, and the crowd into hysteria. DeMatha recovered the ball but wasn’t able to advance the ball as the clock appeared to expire. Akeem Hebron ran to the sidelines and hugged Falcon Coach Bob Milloy as the team began to celebrate.
However, the game wasn’t over.
As the Good Counsel student body prepared to storm the field, a Falcon player laid motionless near the 15-yard line, forcing the referee to call an injury timeout, which stopped the clock at 4.7 seconds and gave DeMatha a chance to set up another field goal attempt on fourth down. The elation from the Good Counsel sideline quickly turned to uncertainty. Coaches and players stood about ten yards on the field wondering what to do as trainers began to treat the injured player. After a few minutes, the Stag field goal unit lined up a second time, waiting for the referee to spot the ball and start the clock. With a look of confusion blanketing the stadium, Campbell lined up and kicked a 38-yard field goal (video) through the uprights to give the Stags the 22-21 victory and the #1 seed in the WCAC playoffs. The Good Counsel sideline stood motionless as the DeMatha student body poured onto the field. As for Matt Campbell, his 18th birthday couldn’t have ended a better way (interview).
The two schools could possibly meet again if both teams win this weekend. DeMatha finished the regular season 9-1 and 7-0 in the conference while Good Counsel was 7-3 on the year with a 6-1 conference record.
St. John’s 41, Gonzaga 16
The Cadets rallied from ten points down to beat Gonzaga and earn the #3 spot in the WCAC playoffs. After scoring late in the first half to get on the board, St. John’s came out firing in the second half with three remarkable touchdowns. The first was a 64-yard punt return by Armstrong (video), who also returned a punt for a score last week against Carroll. Antwon Bailey, who led all rushers with 24 carries for 182 yards, followed Armstrong’s lead with a 20-yard carry to the end zone (video). Bailey also caught a 35-yard touchdown pass (video) before the quarter ended. Gonzaga was never able to recover.
WCAC Playoffs
Friday, November 11th
St. John’s @ Good Counsel, 7:00
Saturday, November 12thGonzaga @ DeMatha, TBA
