St. John’s Wins Game of the Week

St. John’s and Good Counsel have a historic rivalry. So much so, in fact, that over the past decade the two teams have an even record of 6-6 against each other. These games are as competitive as it gets, and that was certainly the case this past Saturday. It was a back and forth battle until the very end, with both teams executing on both sides of the ball and making big time plays. Let’s take a look at the performances of some standout players from both teams. &nbsp; <strong><u>ST. JOHN’S 34</u></strong> <strong>2022 6’1 190 QB – [player_tooltip player_id="134896" first="Wyatt" last="Hagan"] </strong> [player_tooltip player_id="134896" first="Wyatt" last="Hagan"] opened up the scoring early for the Cadets with a 95 yard touchdown pass to Sean Williams on third down. After Good Counsel responded, Hagan drove the length of the field and found [player_tooltip player_id="136028" first="DJ" last="Linkins"] in the back of the end zone for the play of the game. Hagan faced a ton of pressure and was hit a lot in this game, but it didn’t faze him at all. He stood stoically in the pocket, went through his progressions, and ultimately he made big play after big play. [player_tooltip player_id="134896" first="Wyatt" last="Hagan"] continues to impress and prove that he is going to do big things next year at the college level. He handles himself like a division one quarterback on and off the field already. <strong> </strong> <strong>2022 6’4 180 WR – [player_tooltip player_id="136028" first="DJ" last="Linkins"] </strong> [player_tooltip player_id="136028" first="DJ" last="Linkins"] hauled in yet another touchdown pass in this game, and it also happened to be the #1 play of the contest. Hagan’s throw was placed only where Linkins could catch it, but the concentration and focus of Linkins to haul it in and also to keep a foot in bounds was truly spectacular to see. Linkins also showcased his elite blocking ability, cementing himself as the best blocking wide receiver in the area. The star wide receiver will do big things at the next level. <strong> </strong> <strong>2023 6’1 180 WR – Sean Williams</strong> Sean Williams caught the first touchdown pass of the game, and it came at a very crucial moment early on for the Cadets. St. John’s was backed up on their own 5 yard line on third down, and, while facing a blitz, [player_tooltip player_id="134896" first="Wyatt" last="Hagan"] slung the ball about forty yards to the right center hash marks and hit Sean Williams perfectly in stride. With his blazing speed and athleticism, Sean Williams could easily be the #1 receiver on this St. John’s team next season. He has a ton of division one potential. &nbsp; <strong>2022 5’6 170 RB – [player_tooltip player_id="121525" first="Jamar" last="Curtis"] </strong> The second half of this game was absolutely the [player_tooltip player_id="121525" first="Jamar" last="Curtis"] show. While it took him a half to get going, when he did get going [player_tooltip player_id="121525" first="Jamar" last="Curtis"] won the game for St. John’s. The Cadets were down by a touchdown, and they were punting to Good Counsel when the punt was muffed and recovered by the Cadets in Good Counsel territory. On, literally, the very next play [player_tooltip player_id="121525" first="Jamar" last="Curtis"] broke free for a fifteen yard touchdown run which tied the game with an entire quarter to play. Once St. John’s got the ball back, Curtis scored on yet another touchdown run, this time for 74 yards, and the Cadets took a 28-21 lead with only five minutes left to play. [player_tooltip player_id="121525" first="Jamar" last="Curtis"] has proved time and time again that he deserves first team All-WCAC honors this season, and after this performance it’s more than clear. &nbsp; <strong>2022 6’1 215 LB – Kendel Sims</strong> Kendel Sims made the top defensive play of the day for the Cadets. He intercepted Frankie Weaver and took the ball all the way back to the house for a pick six, sealing the deal for St. John’s 34-21. The Senior linebacker was absolutely everywhere in this contest, and it’s safe to say that he played his best game of the year in this one. Sims is absolutely a division one level talent with huge upside. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong><u>GOOD COUNSEL  21</u></strong> <strong>2024 6’0 180 RB – Dilin Jones </strong> Dilin Jones opened up the scoring for Good Counsel with a 74 yard touchdown run on a draw play which essentially tied the game for the Falcons. While there were many different runners in the backfield for Good Counsel, none were more impressive than Sophomore Dilin Jones who averaged more than five yards per carry. He also protected the football immensely well, and he always blocked for his quarterback when necessary. The future of Good Counsel’s backfield is very bright with Dilin Jones in the mix. &nbsp; <strong>2022 5’10 180 RB – Jareel Hampton</strong> With less than a minute left in the first half of this game, Jareel Hampton scored on one of the most unlikely touchdown scores you will ever see. Hampton caught a screen pass near the sideline, and he ended up breaking one tackle and, somehow, scoring a 65 yard touchdown for the Falcons to bring them within one point at half. This score really kept Good Counsel in the ball game, therefore without Jareel Hampton this game might not have been so close. <strong> </strong> <strong>2023 6’5 230 DL – [player_tooltip player_id="146654" first="Neeo" last="Avery"] </strong> [player_tooltip player_id="146654" first="Neeo" last="Avery"] has thrived at defensive end since his switch there from quarterback. His size and speed are a huge problem for even WCAC offensive linemen, and he seems to infiltrate the opposing backfield on every play at will. [player_tooltip player_id="134896" first="Wyatt" last="Hagan"] was hit countless times by Avery in this contest, and the Good Counsel pressure was a huge reason for their near upset. Junior defensive end [player_tooltip player_id="146654" first="Neeo" last="Avery"] should be seen as one of the top defensive ends in the class. He is going to do huge things next year for his Senior campaign and beyond at the college level. <strong> </strong> <strong>2023 5’5 160 RB – Kamari Randall </strong> Kamari Randall tied the game for Good Counsel, and he essentially did all of the hard work for that entire touchdown drive. The Falcons just pounded the rock with their running backs, and, with his stature, Randall found and exploited every conceivable hole created for him by his offensive line. He eventually found the end zone on a goal line score, and, after a successful two point conversion, this brought the game to a tie score. Kamari Randall must not be over looked for his size, because he is one of the best pound for pound running backs in the entire Junior class. <strong> </strong> <strong>2024 6’5 175 QB – Frankie Weaver </strong> Frankie Weaver proved that he is already an elite level WCAC quarterback who is afraid of nothing. Weaver went back and forth with [player_tooltip player_id="134896" first="Wyatt" last="Hagan"] all game long, and Hagan is a much older and more experience quarterback. Weaver was even successful on a gutsy two point conversion run which tied the game late in the third quarter. Frankie Weaver has size and length which both add to his overall beautiful throwing motion, and he continues to prove his running ability with every game. Frankie Weaver is absolutely the future of Good Counsel football, and the future is very bright.