St. John’s Stays Undefeated in Epic Battle Versus DeMatha

This game between #24 in the nation St. John’s and their WCAC rival, DeMatha, was an absolute defensive battle, and it was also a game of the year candidate. Both sides dominated defensively, but it came down to offensive experience. The DeMatha Stags opened up the scoring early with a Denzel Gardner touchdown pass to [player_tooltip player_id="90595" first="KJ" last="Winston"], however, St. Johns’ then tied it late in the second. With about five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="134896" first="Wyatt" last="Hagan"] delivered a clutch touchdown pass to [player_tooltip player_id="136028" first="DJ" last="Linkins"] to take the lead. In the fourth, both defenses continued to play lockdown, and the scoreless quarter resulted in a victory for St. John’s. Let’s highlight the star players on both sides of this game because both teams played spectacularly well, and both were impressive.   ST. JOHN'S 14 2022 5’6 170 RB – [player_tooltip player_id="121525" first="Jamar" last="Curtis"] [player_tooltip player_id="121525" first="Jamar" last="Curtis"] scored the game tying touchdown for St. John’s, and he did so after a difficult start to the game. It was impressive to watch Curtis bounce back and power his team from the backfield. He also demonstrated his vocal leadership both on the field and on the sidelines. Even though it was nowhere near his best performance of the year, his high energy play created a lot of positive outcomes in this contest, and [player_tooltip player_id="121525" first="Jamar" last="Curtis"] deserves a lot of credit for his efforts in this game. 2022 6’4 180 WR – [player_tooltip player_id="136028" first="DJ" last="Linkins"] The DeMatha secondary covered [player_tooltip player_id="136028" first="DJ" last="Linkins"] better than any other defense has all season long. They limited him to a minimal number of receptions and receiving yards, by his standards, but, that being said, Linkins is so elite that he still managed to impact the game a tremendous amount. He scored, what we can now call, a forty yard game winning touchdown in the third quarter which sealed the deal for the Cadets. His catch was a spectacular grab in the back of the end zone, and it took a lot of skill and awareness to get at least one foot in bounds. [player_tooltip player_id="136028" first="DJ" last="Linkins"] is now clearly the #1 wide receiver in the WCAC and he should be awarded All-WCAC first team honors at the end of the season.   2023 6’4 240 DL – [player_tooltip player_id="146636" first="David" last="Ojiegbe"] [player_tooltip player_id="146636" first="David" last="Ojiegbe"] was the defensive MVP of the game for the Cadets in this game. He made huge tackle after huge tackle for St. John’s, and his pressure was so stifling that it caused a handful of false start penalties by overeager DeMatha offensive linemen. Ojiegbe also recorded a forced fumble in the contest that was recovered by DeMatha, and he ended the game with a sack that caused the clock to expire. [player_tooltip player_id="146636" first="David" last="Ojiegbe"] continues to play at an elite level game after game, and the fact that he is a Junior is absolutely crazy. He seems to be ready for D1 football right now, with the intensity and energy he’s playing with at the moment. 2022 6’4 230 DL – [player_tooltip player_id="90511" first="Isaiah" last="Smith"] [player_tooltip player_id="90511" first="Isaiah" last="Smith"] really overwhelmed the DeMatha offense. He won all of his matchups against DeMatha offensive linemen, and he consistently subdued both Denzel Gardner and [player_tooltip player_id="90681" first="Brendon" last="Wyatt"] in the backfield. The St. John’s defense has held opponents to only twenty total points all season, and that is in large part because of their relentless pressure imposed by dominant linemen like [player_tooltip player_id="90511" first="Isaiah" last="Smith"]. [player_tooltip player_id="90511" first="Isaiah" last="Smith"] will do big things at the next level, and if he continues to play like he has been then he will be named a WCAC champion as well. 2023 6’2 190 DB – [player_tooltip player_id="146641" first="Zahbari" last="Sandy"] [player_tooltip player_id="146641" first="Zahbari" last="Sandy"] made the play of the game for St. John’s. Sandy intercepted Denzel Gardner about half way through the third quarter, and the Cadets ended up driving down the field for a touchdown to take the lead. The Junior defensive back definitely played his best game of the year, and scouts everywhere should have him on their radar if they don’t already. He’s a prime time D1 level talent.   2022 6’1 190 QB – [player_tooltip player_id="134896" first="Wyatt" last="Hagan"] St. Johns’ Senior quarterback by no means played his best game of the season in this contest, and he would be the first one to tell you that. Hagan was pressured the most he has been all season, and it was impressive that he was able to game manage the way that he did. He simply had to take what he was given by the defense and protect the ball at all costs. Hagan showcased his elite maturity, experience, and football intelligence in this back and forth battle, and there’s now no doubt that Hagan can handle the pressures that come with being named a division one starter.   DEMATHA 7 2022 6’3 210 DB/WR – [player_tooltip player_id="90595" first="KJ" last="Winston"] [player_tooltip player_id="90595" first="KJ" last="Winston"] was the player of the game for DeMatha in this contest. Winston played on both sides of the ball, and he made his presence felt instantly on defense, preventing Cadet receivers from making an impact early. He also hauled in the lone touchdown for the Stags with an incredible catch to take the lead in the second quarter. [player_tooltip player_id="90595" first="KJ" last="Winston"] and his quarterback, Denzel Gardner, clearly have amazing chemistry together, and the connection between them will continue to be a problem for WCAC defenses for the remainder of the season. [player_tooltip player_id="90595" first="KJ" last="Winston"] will do great things at the D1 level. 2025 6’0 175 QB – Denzel Gardner The fact that Freshman quarterback Denzel Gardner almost defeated #24 in the country St. John’s in his first ever start against the WCAC rival is nothing short of spectacular. Gardner was under an immense amount of pressure from St. Johns’ pass rush, but with his confidence and poise in the pocket he delivered a solid overall performance. He threw an early touchdown strike to [player_tooltip player_id="90595" first="KJ" last="Winston"] to open up the scoring and take the lead, but at the end of the game it was the older and more experience St. John’s team who took home the win. Denzel Gardner should be incredibly proud of his performance, and the future sure is bright for DeMatha’s football program with Denzel Gardner under center. He’s the most exciting 2025 quarterback in the entire state of Maryland. 2023 6’0 180 DB – [player_tooltip player_id="90656" first="Tawfiq" last="Byard"] [player_tooltip player_id="90656" first="Tawfiq" last="Byard"] was lockdown in the secondary. He shut down a plethora of elite St. John’s receivers who failed to get going in the contest, and he also helped to eliminate the Cadets’ running game. His speed and tackling ability make him an extremely efficient defender. Byard will look to continue his dominant play this Friday against Roman Catholic. 2022 6’1 170 DB – [player_tooltip player_id="90636" first="Zilan" last="Williams"] [player_tooltip player_id="90636" first="Zilan" last="Williams"] played his best game of the year against St. John’s. He matched up with a bunch of elite St. John’s receivers, and he won seemingly all of those matchups. Williams possesses next level anticipation, and his ability to read plays before they happen is uncanny. DeMatha certainly has one of the best defensive secondaries in Maryland, and Senior [player_tooltip player_id="90636" first="Zilan" last="Williams"] is a huge reason for that and he proved why that is against St. John's.