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Sammyswordsman

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The Maryland/DC region has rocketed into National prominence over the past couple years with the emergence of private school "Super Teams".  This trend continues in 2018 as the Top Rated SFA begins the year in rarified air at an outrageous 92.7 rating.  The Panther feel they were cheated out of a potential marquee win vs. IMG in 2017 (due to a hurricane cancellation) and are determined to mow down the competition in 2018.  Despite suffering some key off season transfer losses, SFA figures to have enough horses to maintain the top spot in the area.

2017 hard luck team St. John's is coming off a very frustrating season which saw them dominating Calif powers DLS, and SJB, before succumbing late in both games.  Coach figures that lack of offseason conditioning was the cause and has been putting the Cadets through a brutal off season regimen to help survive what could be the toughest schedule in the Country.  A (4) game run which begins Aug. 31 at Hoover Al. and continues the following week with Miami Central (Fl), and ending with consecutive games vs. IMG (FL) and Ga. #1 Marietta.    If the Cadets emerge unscathed, they would lay claim to a national #1 ranking, heading into the second half of the year.

Cal Preps has it at:

 

St. Francis Academy   92.7

St. John's  87

Dematha 59.4

Goo Council  49.4

Gonzaga  47

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Per Nick Malibu

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On ‎6‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 10:56 AM, Canes1975 said:

Who are the top 5 teams in the DC/MD area for the upcoming season?

1. St. John’s(WCAC)

2. DeMatha(WCAC)

3. St. Frances Academy(MIAA)

4.) Gonzaga(WCAC)

5.) Good Counsel(WCAC)

SFA lost their QB, so they drop from the top spot. They are loaded, but one dimensional.

DeMatha and St. John’s loaded up on the transfer market. They’ll both have athletes all over the place. SJC’s defense is going to be something else.

Gonzaga is pretty stacked too. The QB had offers from Alabama and Florida State before his freshman year ended. Key players include DE Wete(Oklahoma commit), ATH Ingram(Wisconsin commit), LB Stewart(Virginia commit) and TE Ball(Vanderbilt commit).

Good Counsel is probably on par with Gonzaga roster wise. They will play different than the other 4 teams. GC will grind teams down on the ground and win ugly. They do have a very good deep threat with the WR Hart who has 18-P5 offers with a crystal ball pointing to Notre Dame. He’ll keep teams honest enough. 

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9 hours ago, Dmv_elite said:

While i agree with the top 5....i feel like wise hs deserves some consideration as a top team in the dmv. There not on sfa or st johns or dematha level...but would def give zaga and gc a good game

Wise is definitely very talented, but they are going to have to schedule and beat a top private team to crack the top 5. They barely got a win against Calvert Hall last season. I think the whole area wants to see a Wise vs DeMatha game. 

Any truth to the RB Antwain Littleton(6’ 270lbs) transfer rumor from St. John’s to Wise? If Wise adds him, I can’t see anyone on their schedule giving them any trouble. 

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 Last i heard wise added a kid from ballou rb name jamal speaks but he has since transferred back out. I dont kno if they added antwain...but i have def heard that same rumor. Also why havent those 2 played i feel that would have been better than playing calvert hall for wise and def would have been better than playing friendship for dematha.your right about everyone wanting to see that. They would have to move that game to another stadium lol

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Ambition is interesting:  there was a time when being the state champion meant everything.  A national reputation, collegiate exposure, various blogs competing to announce their find:  none of these were part of winning state.

Now it is different:  the best private schools are going to pick off many of the best athletes-who want to be tested, who want to be discovered, who can announce the next school to offer them, who can see a video, their name as a goal alongside the championship and the offer.  In some states parents move or at least their kids to play with the best in a public school.

And schedules are stepped up-it’s no longer just conference games and a ninth and tenth team to crush on the side.

Now it is about more.  For Maryland it is no longer about Seneca Valley or Springbrook or Sherwood winning state and avoiding DeMatha. The state championship simply doesn’t mean as much as it used to.  Wise is proof of this:  they are going to have to play a top WCAC program.  Otherwise they can win state and, locally, be nowhere near the top.

They will also lose a number of athletes in the meantime, transferring to where they can be seen on the national stage.

This is true:  a top Montgomery county program has not played DeMatha or a top WCAC school in more than FIFTY years.  (I am old enough to have followed ball since the early ‘60’s.)  Over the years several PG schools have stepped up including Suitlsnd, Friendly and Oxon Hill when each was strong.

For Montgomery county and for Wise that is going to change.

It is no longer enough to “only” win a state championship.  Now it is about ESPN, national polls, blogs, social media and colleges going after you.  Now you really have to play for the best.  And beat the best.

At least in Maryland winning state is no longer enough.

 

 

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Nice article on SFA from ESPN.

 

http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/24263583/the-football-team-won-league-lost-opponents

“FRANCIS XAVIER POGGI was born in 1959 and essentially raised in Baltimore's Little Italy, the product of an Italian-Greek family that struggled to pay its monthly bills. The Poggi children were taught to share what little they had with those who were less fortunate. Poggi's paternal grandfather was long known for feeding and caring for the orphans who lived up the street at St. Leo's. Poggi's dad, a pharmacist who made, at best, $7,000 a year, often did the same.”

 

2A06281D-87B1-46BB-9A19-E045CC108EA3.png

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@BigDrop i agree winning state dosent get you the same notoriety as it use to but the way hs football is set up now a team like wise. Who hasnt lost in 3 years i believe. Is never going to get national attention, but i think thats ok with them for the time being they are focused on getting there kids into school. And they have put alot of kids in d1 schools to be a public. They do a really good job of keeping there kids as well as grabbing some from other schools i think there qb left left good counsel to come play there

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@Las Vegas_JC i have been following that situation for a few months now. Im not sure if its racism ( im also not saysing that it isnt ) but there is definitely more to it than player saftey or being upset about transfers. FOR YEARS gilman was the dominant figure in the MIAA they went out and sought transfers just like every high level private does, and no one complained. All of sudden a team that is poor and has been the doormat for years is suddenly dominant the league not only dosent want to play but makes it known in may. Knowing good and damn well it would be next to impossible to put together a good schedule that late smh. Thats something very wrong with how they are treating that school. St johns is doing the EXACT same thing mayb even on higher level but you dont see dematha zaga and good counsel doing them like that

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58 minutes ago, Dmv_elite said:

@Las Vegas_JC i have been following that situation for a few months now. Im not sure if its racism ( im also not saysing that it isnt ) but there is definitely more to it than player saftey or being upset about transfers. FOR YEARS gilman was the dominant figure in the MIAA they went out and sought transfers just like every high level private does, and no one complained. All of sudden a team that is poor and has been the doormat for years is suddenly dominant the league not only dosent want to play but makes it known in may. Knowing good and damn well it would be next to impossible to put together a good schedule that late smh. Thats something very wrong with how they are treating that school. St johns is doing the EXACT same thing mayb even on higher level but you dont see dematha zaga and good counsel doing them like that

sounds like good ol' boys

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@PrepGridiron lol i knew you would reference that game. I kinda of felt the same way for awhile. But they put out alot of talent to college schools. I think they are aloud to play those schools. They are play calvert hall again this year and playing camden high from new jersey first  game of the year... a few years ago they also played st peters prep from jersey and that was the year they were really good i believe. Wise fot blasted but there program has come a long ways since then

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16 minutes ago, Dmv_elite said:

@GardenStateBaller that last one was a response for you. I tagged the wrong person. Are you really put in Jersey  i have a ? About a depual catholic player. My nephew in law plays wr for them and is going into his junior year his name is james westry. Is he makeing any noise up there. He tells a different story lol

No need to correct, I like taking credit for GSB. Hahaha.

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Welcome to the board, Dmv_elite!  I’ve posted on National hs boards for perhaps 20 years or so.  This is the best.  In season there may be well over 100 or more on here at one time with half of them registered (meaning they really are on here).  Many, many of those who post on here are knowledgeable-not just about their own areas but often other parts of the U. S.

And, almost everyone is passionately opinionated.

...including me🍷.

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1 hour ago, Dmv_elite said:

Lol ive been following this board, as well dcsportsfan and the Baltimore forum..just not posting anything.  Im famailar with your post..your a dematha alum right ?

The truth:  I graduated from Montgomery Blair in Silver Spring and my best friend went to DeMatha.  Because of him I started following DeMatha and have, over 50+ years, become a huge fan.

I remember both DeMatha games against Power Memorial at Maryland U’s Cole Field House which I saw in person.  The second game (‘65) sold out the 12,500 seat arena for the first time ever and I had never seen that kind of frenzy at a game before.  Because of my friend and the incredible local reaction to Lew Alcindor’s first loss after 71 straight victories (Jabbar who was an absolute gentleman after the game, visiting the DM locker room to congratulate them; huge props to him.  I became a huge fan of his that night.) DeMatha became very special to me.  I travelled heavily for 35+ years for business (not related) and followed DM in football and basketball going out of my way to see them play all over the U.S.  Over the years I’ve seen a lot of games around the U. S.  and been fortunate to experience many fans who welcomed me.

I even sat next to a couple in Ratliff stadium in Odessa, TX (Permian in the late ‘80’s) who told me they’d “never met a Yankee before.”  I also paid $50 to buy a scalped ticket to see Valdosta who, back then, sold out every home game. And I saw a really good DM team crushed by Gerry Faust’s Moeller in 1980, 35-0.  I went to that game with a friend who had actually played ball for Faust.  It was an incredible experience despite the loss.

Nobody had ever heard of Montgomery Blair (Goldie Hawn and Connie Chung went to school with me)but everyone knew DeMatha.

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21 hours ago, BigDrop said:

Ambition is interesting:  there was a time when being the state champion meant everything.  A national reputation, collegiate exposure, various blogs competing to announce their find:  none of these were part of winning state.

Now it is different:  the best private schools are going to pick off many of the best athletes-who want to be tested, who want to be discovered, who can announce the next school to offer them, who can see a video, their name as a goal alongside the championship and the offer.  In some states parents move or at least their kids to play with the best in a public school.

And schedules are stepped up-it’s no longer just conference games and a ninth and tenth team to crush on the side.

Now it is about more.  For Maryland it is no longer about Seneca Valley or Springbrook or Sherwood winning state and avoiding DeMatha. The state championship simply doesn’t mean as much as it used to.  Wise is proof of this:  they are going to have to play a top WCAC program.  Otherwise they can win state and, locally, be nowhere near the top.

They will also lose a number of athletes in the meantime, transferring to where they can be seen on the national stage.

This is true:  a top Montgomery county program has not played DeMatha or a top WCAC school in more than FIFTY years.  (I am old enough to have followed ball since the early ‘60’s.)  Over the years several PG schools have stepped up including Suitlsnd, Friendly and Oxon Hill when each was strong.

For Montgomery county and for Wise that is going to change.

It is no longer enough to “only” win a state championship.  Now it is about ESPN, national polls, blogs, social media and colleges going after you.  Now you really have to play for the best.  And beat the best.

At least in Maryland winning state is no longer enough.

 

 

GC played Northwest last year ....Result  2nd team starts the 2nd half .....Running clock and plays them again this year ... Wise barely beats Calvert Hall DM, SJC GZ and GC would beat Wise by 60 

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34 minutes ago, DMV said:

GC played Northwest last year ....Result  2nd team starts the 2nd half .....Running clock and plays them again this year ... Wise barely beats Calvert Hall DM, SJC GZ and GC would beat Wise by 60 

You are right-sincerely apology for my 50 year comment.  I couldn’t remember a game going back to the ‘60’s.

I never thought about 2017.

Credibility is fleeting...

 

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4 minutes ago, BigDrop said:

You are right-sincerely apology for my 50 year comment.  I couldn’t remember a game going back to the ‘60’s.

I never thought about 2017.

Credibility is fleeting...

 

LOL... Not sure why Milloy scheduled Northwest before he retired but oh well 

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To the best of my knowledge when he was at Sherwood and Springbrook I cannot remember him ever playing a WCAC team.  I do remember a number of games between the WCAC and top Northern VA teams going back to DeMatha and Garfield in ‘89.  DM actually lost to Garfield (I think once in five years) and a really big matchup with Lake Braddock in the mid ‘90’s or so.  Also, a second game with LB (they won) and two victories over Centreville in the same years.  GC and Robinson and Gonzaga and Centreville (I think). Point is that top VA programs played regular season games with strong WCAC teams.  

Actually DeMatha has a scrimmage coming up with Westfield-who they have scrimmaged for ten or so years.

When Seneca Valley was on top I saw them scrimmage DM one year but never a regular season game.

Still, I should have remembered a game in 2017....

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1 hour ago, DMV said:

GC played Northwest last year ....Result  2nd team starts the 2nd half .....Running clock and plays them again this year ... Wise barely beats Calvert Hall DM, SJC GZ and GC would beat Wise by 60 

Hahaha got the quote thing down.. but you cant say that becuase i rememeber when dematha was down the half  against a friendship colligate team that wasnt that good. They went on to blow them out in the 2nd half but that was due bad coaching on friendship part keep in mind calvert halll went was about middle of the pack of the miaa. So yea mayb dematha beats them good and of course st johns...but im willing to bet wise keeps is close vs zaga and good counsel

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