2022 High School Football: Previewing The MIAA A & B Conferences

MIAA A

For a second post-season in a row in the MIAA A, the regular season champion went unbeaten in league play, and finished the regular season undefeated, only to fall in the league’s post-season play. 

Spalding ripped through their regular season undefeated in ‘21, before getting stopped by McDonogh in the MIAA semifinals, 7-0. The Cavaliers came into the post-season matchup averaging 36.5 points per game, before succumbing to the Eagles stellar defensive line. Nonetheless, the Cavaliers won their first regular season crown in the MIAA A, in their tenth season in the top division, and notched first 10 win season while playing in the MIAA A, one of the best leagues in the country. While the Cavs pulled out a tough victory over the Eagles in their regular season matchup, they outscored their other four league opponents by an average of 39 points per game. In 2019, McDonogh went 10-0, and pulled out a second tough victory over Spalding in the semifinals, before falling to Mt St Joe in the final, 17-10. 

Coach Kyle Schmitt enters his tenth season with the Cavaliers, after four successful years at Atholton. Schmitt holds a 58-30 record at Spalding through eight full seasons and a two game 2021 season, after going 38-9 at Atholton. Last year’s campaign compares to Schmitt’s 2016 Cavs, who finished with just two losses – one to Good Counsel, 20-14, and another to the then newly formed juggernaut, St Frances, 32-29, who won the MIAA title, a game ahead of the Cavaliers.  

The 2021 Cavaliers (10-1) were a senior laden team, on both sides of the ball, losing their starting quarterback, their leading rusher, their two top receivers, and their two all-league lineman on offense, and their top five players on the defensive side of the ball. Schmitt and the Cavaliers are blessed to have one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 class on the East Coast. Malik Washington is a 6’5 200 sophomore, with a cannon of a arm. Washington already holds offers from Penn State, Maryland, and Virginia Tech, who offered the two-sport star as a freshman. 

While Washington replaces Nick Gutierrez, senior Hakim Sims (5’10 175) replaces Jordan Harris at running back. Senior Maxwell Moss (6’1 182) and junior RJ Newton (6’5 N/A) provides Washington some weapons on the outside. Dillon Jones (6’2 260) returns to the O-line, after starting at right tackle for the Cavs last season. Senior Gio Boone (6’0 190) will lead the defense. The Cavaliers secondary will be young, but talented, with junior Tyler Brown (5’11 180) and sophomore Jayden Shipps (6’1 178).

The Cavaliers dropped their opener to Don Bosco Prep (NJ), 48-28, after falling behind 27-0 in the second quarter. The Cavs got within 41-28, before the Ironman scored the clincher. Washington threw for for two touchdowns, and ran for a 37 yard score. Brown returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score. 

Calvert Hall (9-3) won their first MIAA A championship since 2010, taking out McDonogh, 14-8, in the final. Coach Josh Ward is starting his third year with the Cardinals, after three years at Concordia Prep. The Cavaliers return enough talent to repeat, with their starting quarterback returning, their leading rusher returning, and one of their two All-Met receivers returning. Noah Brannock (6’0 200) was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Met first team as a junior, after completing 116 of 193 passes for 1,852 yards and 25 touchdowns. Brannock has committed to William & Mary. Senior receiver Donnie Lewis (5’9 170) returns, after joining Braddock on the All-Met first team, after grabbing 37 passes for 731 yards and eight touchdowns, including both of the Cards scores in the MIAA title game. 

Senior running back Dawon Dorsey (5’8 175) led the Cardinals in rushing last year, gaining 669 yards on 163 carries, with nine touchdowns. Senior running back Daniel Harper (5’9 182) was the Cardinals second leading rusher last season, rushing for 555 yards on just 80 attempts, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, and scoring eight touchdowns. Senior receiver Derrick Ringgold (5’10 150) caught 15 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns last season. Ronald Anderson, a 6’4 275 senior, returns at left tackle for the Cards. 

The Cardinals looks to be the strength on the defensive unit, as an already talented group got even better when 6’3 300 senior defensive tackle Nathan Nosan transferred in from Roosevelt High in Seattle. Emilie Dore (5’11 215) top defensive line prospect in the ‘25 class, had an outstanding freshman season playing at tackle, recording five tackles for loss, and five sacks, in ten games. Senior Zyir Daniel (6’2 230), who registered six tackles for loss, and senior Corey Broome (5’11 185), who made 20 solo tackles and three tackles for loss, will man the end positions. Junior Aiden O’Connell, a 6’3 175 two-way player, provides another target for Brannock on offense, and picked off an interception and four pass break-ups last season. The Cards trounced St Michael the Archangel VA, 41-6. 

Coach Hakeem Sule’s McDonogh Eagles had an ‘up and down’ season last year, or rather, ‘down and up’ season. The Eagles (6-6) started 1-4, before winning five of six to send them to the league championship game, including a 7-0 shutout win over then undefeated Spalding in the league semifinals. The Eagles were led by their outstanding defensive line, who headlined a starting unit that allowed just eight touchdowns in their last eight games. That line featured Penn State Nittany Lion Dani Dennis-Sutton and Boston College Eagle Kwan Williams. Thankfully, for the Eagles opponents, Happy Valley and Chestnut Hill took them in. Mason Robinson, however, returns at defensive end. The 6’4 225 talent committed to Northwestern, after holding offers from Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Oregon, among others.

The Eagles offensive line boasts Maryland Terrapin commit, 6’4 300 Tamarus Walker, though they lost 4-star tackle Antonio Tripp to IMG over the summer. Tripp was just one of seven 4-star players hailing from Maryland, and is ranked 17th at his position (interior line) in the country in the ‘23 class. Tripp chose ‘The U’ over offers from Penn State, Michigan, Texas A&M, and Maryland, among others. Walker, a 3-star, is ranked among the top 100 interior linemen in the country in his class. 

Junior Chase Green (5’11 200) will help both ways, at linebacker, and at running back. Senior Mathani Paul-Swinson (6’0 185) is a bone-crushing cornerback, who recorded two interceptions, three tackles for loss, and five pass break-ups last season. Junior Noah Onkst (6’0 205) returns at outside linebacker, after leading the Eagles in tackles. Sophomore edge Kamden Laudenslager (6’3 215) contributed as a freshman, and already holds offers from Tennessee and Boston College. Junior Santonio Sanchez (5’9 175) showed he could make big plays, as well as big catches down the field as a sophomore. The Eagles won their opener over Mt Zion Prep, 21-2. 

Mt St Joe (7-4), the defending 2019 MIAA A champion, worked through a 7-4 last season, in Coach Dom Damico’s first full season with the Gaels, finishing second in league play with a 4-1 record. The Gaels were 4-0 before getting shutout by Spalding, 41-0, in their regular season finale. The Eagles lost to Calvert Hall, 31-26, in the league semifinals, after handing the Cards a 24-14 defeat in week nine. The transfer portal hit the Gaels hard in the off-season, as three starters left for St Frances, while a talented running back and a highly touted junior quarterback went to Milford Mill. The Gaels lost 6’5 250 defensive end Julien Moutome, who holds offers from Albany and Lehigh, to St Frances, along with 6’4 215 junior inside linebacker Dwayne ‘DT’ Green Jr, and 6’4 192 senior tight end Chase Wilkens, who also became Panthers. Deshawn Purdie, a 6’4 205 junior quarterback who holds an offer from Maryland, and senior running back Sean Williams, the Gaels second leading rusher in 2021, both became Millers. 

The Gaels were led to a 4-1 league record behind a sophomore quarterback and the Gaels top weapon, a junior receiver. To add, their top rusher, was also a junior. Things should bode well offensively for the Gaels, if nothing else. Winston Watkins (6’6 207) had a productive sophomore season at the quarterback position, completing 106 of 201 passes for 1,612 yards and 15 touchdowns, with five interceptions. Trey Goodridge (5’11 180) was Watkins top target, ranking among the top five in the area receptions, with 56, for 882 yards, with eight touchdowns. Bryce Cox (5’11 208) led the Gaels last season in rushing, gaining 539 yards on 95 carries, scoring four touchdowns. 

Senior defensive back Carter Davis (6’0 170) headlines the defense, months after the 3-star prospect committed to Boston College. Davis also held offers from Maryland and South Florida, among others. Dashaun Merrick (5’11 260) returns to the defensive line at tackle. Evan Smith (6’5 327) returns to the offensive line at guard. Damico spent 24 seasons at McDonogh, where his Eagles went 149-74. Overall, Damico has a 158-78 record coaching in Maryland, and his 158 victories rank second only to River Hill’s Brian Van Deusen in coaching wins among active coaches in the Baltimore area. Damico’s 158 wins are two more than Dunbar’s Lawrence Smith, and three more than both Franklin’s Anthony Burgos, and Milford Mill’s Reggie White. The Gaels began the ‘22 season with a 35-20 win over St Mary’s Ryken. 

Pallotti (5-6) went winless in their first season in the MIAA A, going 0-5, and getting outscored 137-33. Coach Tony Ashley and the Panthers received an early holiday gift when 3-star linebacker Gabriel Williams (6’4 190) announced he’d return to Pallotti, after transferring to St Frances. Williams holds offers from Notre Dame, Penn State, and Maryland, among more than a dozen offers. Williams will add to a linebacker unit that includes Maryland commit Daniel Wingate (6’4 210), and 3-star Mitchell Garner (6’3 205), who holds offers from James Madison, UMass, and West Virginia, among others. The Panthers have a pair of talented receivers in senior Alex Moore (6’2 180), a Maryland commit, and 6’5 190 senior Nathan Stewart. 

Loyola (9-3) comes back to the league after a four season hiatus. It was always gone for now with the Dons, never gone forever. The Dons cited player safety after leaving following the 2017 season, after going winless in league play, including a 65-0 loss to St Frances, went 2-9 overall, and were outscored by league opponents by an average of 32.1 points per game. The Dons have played MIAA A opponents over the last four seasons, and went 4-6, including wins over Gilman in ‘18 and ‘19, and Pallotti and arch rival Calvert Hall, 34-33, in their ‘Turkey Day’ classic. After finishing atop the MIAA B standings last season, the Dons lost to Concordia Prep, 14-5, in the title game. 

The Dons boast a pair of high D1 prospects, with the athletic junior Jayden Moore (5’9 165) committed to Duke, and two-way standout AJ Syzmanski committed to Maryland. Moore split duties between quarterback and receiver last season, and is projected as a receiver for the Blue Devils. Moore led the Dons in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions (tie), with 31 receptions for 559 yards and three touchdowns. Moore was second on the Dons in rushing, rushing for 481 yards, averaging 9.1 yards per carry, and rushing for eight touchdowns. To add, Moore completed 55 of 91 passes for 650 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6’5 245 Syzmanski starred at the defensive end position, while also playing tight end, where he is projected to play for the Terrapins. Last season, Syzmanski registered 70 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and nine sacks, and grabbed seven receptions for 87 yards. 

Senior Marcus Hines (6’0 185), who alternated with Moore at quarterback last season, completed 62 of 111 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns. Syzmanski’s younger brother, Trevor (6’5 275), a junior, stood out on both sides of the ball, at right tackle at offense, and defensive tackle on defense. Senior Nathaniel Jackson (6’1 210) came up with some big plays on defense and special teams last year, as the defensive end made five tackles for loss, recovered three fumbles, and blocked two kicks on special teams. Coach Anthony Zehyoue enters his sixth season with Loyola, and holds a 27-20 record with the Dons.

Gilman (4-5) went 1-4 in league play, and has gone 15-40 since Biff Poggi & Co. took their talents to the Eastside shortly after the 2015 season. The Greyhounds only league victory over the last three full seasons was over first year league entry Pallotti last year, scoring 19 unanswered points in the fourth to come back and win, 26-13. Otherwise, it’s been rough sledding with the league rivals, as the Hounds lost to Mt St Joe by 29, McDonogh by 39, and Spalding by 44. The Hounds had a mixed bag versus MIAA B opponents last season – losing to B league champ Concordia Prep, 20-6, pulling out an overtime win over 4-5 Boys Latin, and a 47-40 win over 3-6 Curley. The Greyhounds will be headlined by junior DeJuan Lane (6’3 195), a talented athlete with offers from Georgia, Oklahoma, and Penn State, among others. Matthew Parker (6’2 175) returns at quarterback for the Hounds, while junior defensive end Kam Custis (6’2 250) will headline the defensive line. Coach Scott Van Zile steps into his first season with the Hounds, after two years at St Paul’s.

Last week, the Greyhounds topped Concordia Prep in their opener, in overtime, 27-21. Parker threw two touchdowns, including the game-tying score with 1:10 remaining in regulation. Lane returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown. 

MIAA B

Concordia Prep took the MIAA B title in just its second season back in the league, stunning Loyola in the championship game, 14-5. Just two weeks before, the Dons routed the Saints, 41-9, in the regular season finale. Other than the Dons loss in which they avenged, the Saints had an outstanding season, going 10-2, with a defense that allowed just 6.5 points per game in the 11 games outside of the Dons loss. The ten win season was the first in the program’s history. 

Concordia Prep began as Baltimore Lutheran, which started its football program in 2002. The Saints competed in the MIAA B North division for two  years in ‘05 and ‘06, and went winless in two years in the league, and produced two winless seasons, going 0-19, and getting outscored 799-79. Coach Josh Ward came to the program in 2017 and had the Knights in the MIAA C championship game in his second season. The Saints led Annapolis Area Christian, 20-0, in the title game before losing 21-20. The Saints finished 9-3, then the best season in the program’s history, and the first Saints team to reach seven wins. 

Ward led the Saints in their first year back in the MIAA B in 2019, with Prep finishing 3-5 in league play, 5-5 overall. The Saints lost three league games by seven points or less, including a one point loss to Pallotti, who went 9-0 in league play, and shutout St Mary’s in the championship game, 42-0. Ward left for the Calvert Hall position following the 2019 season, and Joe Battaglia took over. Including an abbreviated spring season in 2021, Battaglia has led the Saints to a 12-3 record.

The Saints return their starting quarterback, their leading rusher, and leading receiver. Senior Jordan Brooks (6’3 195) will air it out, and senior Joshua Derry (5’11 170) is his top target. Derry committed to Monmouth, choosing the Hawks over offers from Old Dominion, Howard, and Liberty. Jaedon Alston (5’8 205) returns at running back after an all-conference season, with offers from Mount Union and Valdosta State. The Saints highest rated prospect is 6’4 234 freshman defensive end-tight end Destin Mitchell, who received his first offer from Florida State in June. The Saints dropped their opener to Gilman, 27-21. 

St Mary’s (6-4) tied Concordia Prep and Loyola atop the league standings with a 5-1 record in the MIAA B. The Saints of St Mary’s dropped a pair of games to the Saints of Concordia, both close – 23-17 in week 8, and 8-0 in the semifinals of the league playoffs. The Saints did top Loyola, 14-12. Wyatt Cotton (5’9 165) returns at running back, after rushing 920 yards on 180 carries, scoring 13 touchdowns. Senior Carson Petibon (6’0 200) comes in at quarterback, transferring from Gonzaga. Petibon will have a pair of talented targets in senior wide receiver Casey Smith (6’4 195), and junior slot receiver Izzy Crockett (5’9 164). Senior Sean Berzins (6’2 205) returns to lead the defense, after playing strong safety, inside linebacker, and ‘nickel’. 

Ritchie Schell returns to Boys Latin (4-5) for his 22nd season, the second longest tenure among area coaches at their school, trailing only Brian Van Deusen, who is entering his 23rd season as River Hill’s coach, and matching Milford Mill’s Reggie White, who is entering his 22nd season with his alma mater. Schell’s ‘22 Lakers will feature 5’7 205 Seth Taylor at running back, one who runs between the tackles, and 6’3 200 senior receiver Parker Jones. Brendon Ireton begins his fifth year at Archbishop Curley (3-6) with a pair of senior defensive standouts returning in 6’2 175 safety Aaron Rose, and 5’10 250 defensive tackle Steven Carter Jr.. Rose was second on the Friars in tackles, with 79 (47 solo), adding an interception, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick. Carter Jr recorded 54 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and three sacks. 

Troy Gibson takes over at St Paul’s (2-7), after Scott Van Zile left after two seasons with the Crusaders to take the head position at Gilman. Gibson comes over from Spalding, where he served as Offensive Coordinator and helped lead a unit that led the MIAA in scoring. The Crusaders former highly touted 4-star, 6’4 235 junior edge rusher Ernest Willor, took his talents to IMG in Florida over the summer, and with him, offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, Cincinnati, and Penn State, among others. The Crusaders do return senior Josh Stinespring (6’0 175), who will play all over the field, while CJ Johnson (6’4 225) should make an impact at offensive tackle and defensive end. John Carroll (0-10) went winless last season, averaging just 7.8 points per game.