The defending MIAA A champion Spalding Cavaliers have had an eventful fist two weeks of the season, beginning with an impressive 28-14 victory over nationally renown Don Bosco of New Jersey in the opener (week 0), followed by their wild 32-31 last minute comeback victory over a quickly emerging Concordia Prep program on Saturday afternoon. The Iron Men from New Jersey were the only team to defeat Spalding in 2022, winning 48-28, before the Cavs rattled off 11 victories to close the season and capture their first MIAA A conference championship. As for the Saints from Concordia Prep, they gave the Cavs the business like they’ve given 25 of their 26 opponents they’ve faced since the pandemic, but no one the stature of the defending MIAA A champions.
The Cavaliers looked sound all around in their opener with the Iron Men, who came into the contest ranked #63 in the country by High School Football of America. The then unranked Cavs had some kinks in the ‘red zone’, but other than that, produced an impressive opening week win. Cavaliers coach Kyle Schmitt told me, “The win was a big step for the program. We were able to match their intensity up front, and our defense dominated the game. We had a 12 yard advantage in field position, won the turnover battle, and led in ‘explosive plays’, 8-1. Our inefficiency in the red zone kept them in striking distance until the fourth quarter. Now, it’s on to Concordia Prep and the rest of our challenging schedule.”
Schmitt’s immediate focus on Concordia Prep was duly noted, and the Saints would make sure that was time well spent. Prep had opened the season with an impressive 21-0 shutout victory over Gilman, of the ‘A’ conference. The Saints have been on a relative tear since the Fall ‘21 season began, posting a 20-6 record, including the loss to the Cavs, with five of the six losses decided by a one possession margin. In ‘21, in the first full season in two years, the Saints lost to Avalon, 14-12, and Loyola in a 41-9 blowout loss in the regular season finale, before shocking the Dons two weeks later, 14-5, to capture their first MIAA ‘B’ title, or any title, for that matter.
Last season, the Saints lost to eventual ‘B’ champion St Mary’s twice, 21-14 and 21-13, the latter in the championship game. They also lost a close one to Gilman in their ‘22 opener, before flipping the script ten days ago. The Saints had a dismal 31-82 overall record in the program’s first twelve seasons, before Josh Ward came to build the program in 2017, and stayed three seasons, leaving a foundation that saw the Saints go from winless, to a berth in the MIAA ‘C’ title game in Ward’s second year. The next year, Ward ushered the Saints into the ‘B’ conference, and finished 5-5. Ward then took the head coaching job at his alma mater, Calvert Hall, and Joe Battaglia took over the Saints program during the first peak of Covid, in June of 2020. The Saints went 1-1 that Spring, before winning the ‘B’ title and finishing 10-2 in ‘21, and 9-3 in ‘22. The ball bounces the other way about a half dozen times over the last two years, and the Saints could very well have been 25-1, or 24-2.
They just needed one bounce to bounce their way Saturday, leading the defending ‘A’ champions, 31-22, with just over two minutes remaining in regulation time, before the Cavaliers junior kicker Cooper Welsh decided the game with his foot. The Cavaliers were fighting to overcome a one point deficit with 2:30 to play, before surrendering a ‘pick 6’ and going down nine points, and more importantly, two possessions.
Rebounding from the ‘pick 6’, Cavaliers star junior quarterback Malik Washington went to work, punctuated by an 8 yard touchdown toss to junior Zi Louder. Welsh hit the extra point, to cut it to two, and give them a better chance to win, rather than tie, should the Cavs somehow get the ball back. And that they did, when Welsh, ranked as the #14 ranked kicker in the country in his ‘25 class by Kohl’s, converted a successful onside kick, and gave the Cavs a chance. And Welsh made the most of that chance, as he nailed a game-winning 31 yard field goal with 25 seconds remaining to extended the Cavs winning streak to 13 games.
The Cavs struggled to run the ball, so they needed everything they could get from Washington and his receivers. And, Welsh. Washington completed 32 of 49 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns, to counter the ‘pick 6’. Senior RJ Newton caught eight passes for the Cavs for 103 yards, while Lowder added eight receptions for 68 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Jameson Coffman registered ten receptions for 63 yards and a score.
“That was wild. They (Concordia Prep) provided a tremendous test for our football team – in all three phases”, said Cavaliers coach Kyle Schmitt. “They are well coached, gritty, and tough. They had success running the football, and capitalized on our mistakes to score on defense and special teams. Our players were resilient and succeeded in situational football, getting ‘red zone’ stops on defense, and executing two ‘stop the clock’ drives to win the football game. Cooper Welsh was the hero. Malik played his best football in the final two minutes. We have great respect for Concordia Prep, they’ll be one of the top MIAA programs for years to come.”
McDonogh pushed to 2-0 after pulling out a 21-14 victory over Broadneck. The Eagles capitalized on a Broadneck fumble in the ‘red zone’ for the game-winning scoring drive. Eagles sophomore quarterback Braeden Palozzo accounted for 308 yards of offense and two touchdowns, including 224 yards and a score through the air, and 84 yards and a score on the ground, on 11 attempts. The Bruins couldn’t muster a lot offense, but All-State senior receiver Eli Harris did what he could, producing 136 of their 193 yards of total offense on just four receptions, including a touchdown. Broadneck travels to Arundel this week, in an Anne Arundel showcase, and McDonogh visits the defending MIAA ‘B’ champion St Marys Saints.
Mt St Joe, who lost to Harrisburg power Bishop McDevitt last week, picked up their first win of the season and evened their record with a 16-12 win over Dunbar of DC. The Gaels host St Marys Ryken on Saturday. Calvert Hall, who blanked Mt Carmel, 26-0, in week one, saw a blank sheet handed to them in a 24-0 loss to Gonzaga. The Cards host Curley on Friday. Gilman bounced back from their opening week shutout loss to Concordia Prep with a 13-0 shutout win over Curley. The Greyhounds host Lawrenceville School of New Jersey on Friday.
Loyola took a 21-0 victory over Dunbar in a game that ended when gun shots rang out just outside of William ‘Sugar’ Cain Field just before halftime. Moments earlier, the Poets looked to have cut their deficit to one score, before their runner lost control of the ball as he reached out toward the goal line. Instead, it was a 99 yard ‘scoop 6’ that pushed the Dons to a three touchdown lead. Dons junior quarterback Brad Seiss hooked up with senior Jayden Moore for two touchdown passes to stake a 14-0 lead. The 1-0 Dons head to Georgetown Prep on Friday. Pallotti fell to 0-2 with their 22-13 loss to Georgetown Prep on Saturday.
MIAA B
The Saints from Concordia Prep were 25 seconds from what would have been their biggest win in their program’s history, until Spalding scored twice in the final minute to steal the win. The Saints led 31-22, before the Cavaliers scored a touchdown to cut the deficit to two, then recovered the on-side setting up their game-winning 31 field goal. Still, it was an impressive showing for the Saints program, a program that when winless in the ‘C’ division as recent as 2015. Three years later, after going 9-3, the Saints moved up to the ‘B’, where they won the conference crown in ‘21, and finished as the runner-up in ‘22.
While Saints senior quarterback Keshawn Mister (14-28-102-1-1) found it difficult to find any big plays in the passing game, he did rush for 188 yards and a touchdown on 33 hauls. Senior Kevin Montague added 17 carries for 122 yards for the Saints, who gashed the Cavs for more than 350 yards on the ground. The Saints travel to Old Mill on Friday.
St Paul’s has jumped out to 2-0 for the first time since 2013, following their 31-14 victory over St Alban’s, which followed a 55-0 rout of Annapolis Area Christian in their opener. Crusaders coach Troy Gibson, the former Offensive Coordinator at Spalding, and in his second season at St Paul’s, loves the progress he sees, “Our kids have fought hard to become better. That’s the theme of our school this year – ‘Better’. We have a selfless team, who play for each other. They are a fun bunch to coach. Looking forward to the continued growth of this team.” The Crusaders have been led by their aerial attack directed by senior quarterback Austin Gordan, who has thrown for 495 yards and five touchdowns in their first two games. The Crusaders travel to Bethesda on Friday to take on Landon.
St Mary’s, the defending ‘B’ champions, who finished 12-0 in ‘22, suffered a 24-16 setback to Bullis in their season opener. The Saints graduated a good part of their quality core in ‘22, and will be challenged to defend their title. Boys Latin won their home opener, blanking St John’s Catholic Prep, 42-0, with senior Liam White scoring four touchdowns. White caught two touchdown receptions, ran for one, and returned an interception for a score. White also recorded a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The Lakers travel across state lines to take on West Virginia power Martinsburg on Friday.
HS Sports Analyst
Willie, a native of Chicago, and now a resident of Columbia for 40 years, is an educator at Homewood Center in Howard County, after spending 12 years as a real estate agent, following 10 years of running a small men’s retail company. Willie has contributed to Max Preps, Digital Sports, and Varsity Sports Network. Willie has produced MPSSAA top 25 rankings for both football and basketball for 15 years, across various platforms. From a large ‘sports family’, Willie’s brother Mike led Reservoir High to the 3A basketball state title game in 2018, while his nephew Anthony serves as the Indianapolis Colts College Scouting Coordinator.