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Hammer time: DeMatha defends WCAC crown
SEE HOW THIS STORY DEVELOPED
Related Topics: Annapolis
Crowell was referring to Good Counsel’s 12-7 loss to DeMatha, their fourth in a row to the Stags, in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game.
The feeling was the same for Good Counsel. But this time there were no bad bounces, no game-changing turnovers, no horrendous bad luck that left the Falcons feeling cursed. Sunday at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, the story was the DeMatha defense.
Limiting Good Counsel (10-2) to one first down in the second half, DeMatha (10-2) stuffed the potent Falcons, avenging a 28-24 loss two weeks ago in the regular-season finale.
“Our motto was ‘The Hammer,’ this week,” said senior Kenny Tate. “And we laid the hammer to them — head to nail.”
DeMatha limited Good Counsel to four first downs and 135 yards of total offense, 71 of which came on a first-quarter touchdown run by Caleb Porzel (8 carries, 98 yards). In the second half, Good Counsel never crossed its own 35-yard line.
“It was much tougher to run against them than in the first game,” said Porzel. “They just swarmed the ball. Where ever the ball went, they were there.”
In the first half, it was defense that allowed DeMatha to overcome four turnovers and escape with a tie.
“We’re 7-7. We’re in great shape,” said DeMatha coach Bill McGregor, who won his fifth straight conference title and 16th in 26 years. “We felt the second half was going to be ours. It’s the conditioning, the running, all those extra things we do to be ready for the fourth quarter.”
Leading the defense were linebackers Anthony Listorti (3 tackles for a loss) and Raheem Cardwell (2 tackles for a loss), defensive end Nick Rivers (sack), and cornerback Tyler Carter, who had a fourth-quarter interception.
“Last time they really hammered us,” said McGregor. “This week we talked about it. Are we gonna be the hammer? Or are we gonna be the nail?”
Applying the final nail was junior DT Ikechi Nnawuba, who sacked Good Counsel quarterback Tyler Campbell, forcing a fumble that rolled out of the end zone for a safety.
In the first meeting, Campbell was effective. This time, under a heavy rush, the junior completed just 6 of 20 passes for 30 yards.
The DeMatha offense was led by Ashby Christian (31 carries, 115 yards) and Tom Chroniger (12 of 27, 143 yards), who accounted for the Stags’ lone touchdown with a 21-yard completion to Rodney McLeod in the first period.
After the game, the Stags raced to the end zone, climbed steps and defiantly tore down several Good Counsel banners.
“It’s not classy, but they won,” said Porzel. “If you win, you can do that.”
kdunleavy@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
8:02 PM MST on Wed., Dec. 5, 2007 re: "Hammer time: DeMatha defends WCAC crown"
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7:25 PM MST on Mon., Nov. 19, 2007
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DM 05 Grad said:
Wait what does it matter to you guys. If you never went to DM or any school that can't seem to beat us they decide to go and do everything in their power to scare us. I was their for the dead deer and it was disgusting. What was worse was that they cut the antlers off and brought them to the game. So someone please tell me that taring down a banner is worse than that. We are Gentleman and Scholars unlike most of those other men from GC or Gonzaga. It was a fair and good game thats all that matters.
82 agree | 59 disagree
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dematha grad 92 said:
The kids that's right kids went up in the stands and tore down banners so what, at least they didn't go up in the stands and beat up the Good Counsel fans like the Indiana Pacers did years ago against Detroit Pistons. It was a another good game against the two best teams in the D.C area and yes DeMatha won again and they will continue to win every year, I wish they went back and played the best inter city school in football, they play in basketball what's the difference? I really wish they would play the team that wins the 4A in the state and we would really see who is the best in the state and city.
100 agree | 69 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Not only is everybody correct but, for a team any team Dematha included, tears down banners from the opposition shows that there is some hate in their blood. So called rivalry blood. It is what it is and it's disrespectful. Dematha has been winning and doing that banner thing shows that they aren't used to winning. Their record speaks for itself. If anything they should take a picture of the banners and remember it for what it is................
92 agree | 120 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Can DeMatha do anything right??? NO matter what the outcome of any sport or any game somehow someone finds somthing that DeMatha didnt do right. Why cant people just understand that these are teenagers?.....when I played at DM the week prior to the '02 wcac championship Gonzaga fans hung very distasteful banners at our practice field and dumped a dead deer at our school but no one said "Gonzaga isnt classy" to a public paper. We just let it get us fired up and shut out mouths and played the game. Even though we lost that game because of a fake feild goal, no one said "we may have lost, but Gonzaga doesnt show class because of the events that happened prior to the game." Its what goes on when there is a rivalry. Porzel was just taking a cheap shot because he is salty that GC cant win the games that count.
123 agree | 99 disagree
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Consider yourself fortunate... said:
At least there was no scandal of cheating prior to the football game, there was no team member lost to a homicide prior to the football game...and after the game the only unsportsmen like gesture was tearing down a banner... Does anyone realize back in the day when the Inter-high and WCAC used to play an actual City-Title game and it was ceased because of violence of the racial sense occured. Yes, if history is destined to repeat itself...the consider yourself fortunate.
128 agree | 82 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I believe if you were aware of the total picture your judgement may not have been so harsh. GC fans were busy all week creating banners, with 'we will prevail' type messages, that were placed at DM's practice field, at the school etc. Fans will be fans and it is all part of a great rivalry. The signs came down without malice just like they went up without malice. Congratulations to both teams on a great season!
125 agree | 122 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
How sad that when this team won a fair game, they felt good sportsman ship was for the team to run up to the banners that GC had up, which were placed by fans, and tear them down. I found this to be very not sportsmen like, in fact I do not think this lind of action is what a catholic school, or any public school teaches. I am not a parent or any chid of any team. I was just a guest. I honestly feel that the tearing don of banners was glouting, and poor sportmanships. I do honestly feel that they need to know this.
107 agree | 132 disagree
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