Top Players from WCAC Showdown

St. John’s and Gonzaga battled in a WCAC rivalry classic, this past weekend, that absolutely did not disappoint. The Purple Eagles’ defense rattled with an early interception, but then the Cadets promptly recovered a fumble and defensive back took it to the house for a touchdown. Gonzaga Sophomore quarterback Aidan Conrath responded with a quick touchdown pass to , and the Purple Eagles held on to the lead at halftime 10-7. In the second half both teams displayed an even more competitive back and forth, leading to a narrow victory for the Cadets- 20-17. Both teams showed unbelievable heart and resilience, and the same matchup will take place in the WCAC conference playoffs this weekend. Everybody get their popcorn ready! Now, let’s take a closer look at the impact players from both WCAC powerhouses. ST. JOHN’S 20 2022 6’0 195 WR – Josh Gary Josh Gary 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Bullis | 2022 State MD The top performing wide receiver, on both teams, in this game was absolutely . found Gary consistently in key situations, and more often than not they converted. Gary hauled in 4 receptions for 76 yards, and he truly put his ability to find the open space on full display. It will be interesting to see if Gonzaga switches up their current matchup with Gary or changes up their coverage in the secondary to account for him better. will continue to be one of ’s go to receivers this weekend, and he will also do big things at the college level next year. 2023 5’10 210 LB – Rohan Davy Rohan Davy 5'10" | 210 lbs | DB St. John's | 2023 State MD As a Junior, is already one of the best linebackers in the WCAC. He showcased his elite tackling ability in this game, and his run defense in particular is clearly very elite. The Gonzaga running backs did not produce their usual output in this game, and that was in large part due to ’s presence. The Gonzaga offensive line must account for him better next game, or he will become a much bigger problem for the Purple Eagles this weekend. 2024 6’1 205 LB – Montay Weedon Montay Weedon 6'1" | 205 lbs | LB St. John's | 2024 State MD Just when it looked like Gonzaga was going to score and take the early in this game, St. Johns’ Sophomore linebacker recovered a fumble and ran it back about 75 yards for the touchdown. Weedon played a fantastic game overall for the Cadets, and he consistently made plays in both the secondary and the backfield. He has great maturity and intelligence at the position, and he is a constant communicator- an indicator of any great defender. 2024 5’11 200 RB – Cinque Blount Cinque Blount was the unanimous offensive MVP of this game. He rushed 16 times for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns. With out of this game, Blount took on the RB1 role and to say that he thrived would be an understatement. Cinque Blount was extraordinary in this contest, and without his performance there is a good chance that the Purple Eagles would’ve completed the upset. Regardless of ’ presence this weekend, Cinque Blount will look to continue proving himself as the future starting running back for the St. John’s Cadets. 2023 6’0 195 DB – Collin Gill Collin Gill 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB St. Johns | 2023 State MD played lockdown defense in the secondary for the Cadets in this game, and that’s not surprising considering the dominant season he has had up to this point. Gill’s tight defense made the game very difficult on Gonzaga’s young quarterback because there were very few open windows. Almost every close play was broken up by the St. John’s secondary, and had a lot to do with the defense’s success. He’s an elite defensive back with a lot of next level potential. GONZAGA 17 2022 6’3 225 TE – Nate Kurisky Nate Kurisky 6'3" | 225 lbs | TE Gonzaga | 2022 State MD has been Gonzaga’s go to guy on offense for quite some time now, and he proved exactly why that is with his dominant performance against St. Johns’ nationally recognized defense. Kurisky caught a beautiful five yard back shoulder touchdown pass from Aidan Conrath to tie the game early, and he only got better after that reception. Kurisky also blocked at an elite level which opened up space and opportunities for his teammates. As a true leader of this football team, will potentially wear the purple and white for the last time this upcoming weekend, which would conclude an unprecedentedly great career for a Gonzaga tight end. Kurisky is one of the all-time greats in Gonzaga football history and he must be recognized as such. He will dominate this weekend win or lose. 2024 5’11 175 QB – Aidan Conrath Aidan Conrath has looked extremely impressive in his first two starts for Gonzaga. The offense seems to be running far more efficiently, and the Purple Eagles just made things competitive with an undefeated powerhouse St. John’s team. Conrath has incredible poise in the pocket, and he always manages to keep his composure in order to make throws under pressure. Aidan Conrath has been playing at a level far beyond his years, and he should be extremely proud of his performance against St. John’s. Aidan Conrath is the future at quarterback for the Purple Eagles. 2023 6’0 180 WR – Brendan Lee Brendan Lee ran a slant route and caught a pass from Aidan Conrath which he ran 65 yards for the touchdown, to bring the Purple Eagles within three points in the fourth quarter. Lee’s speed was extremely evident on this play, and he left the entire St. John’s defense in his dust. This was the play of the game for Gonzaga, and it certainly highlighted Brendan Lee’s elite playmaking ability. He will look to perform equally well if not better this weekend in a win or go home game against St. John’s. 2023 5’10 170 DB – Myles Johnson The first turnover of this game was recorded by Myles Johnson when he intercepted on one of St. Johns’ opening drives. While the turnover did not lead directly to points, it did swing the momentum back to Gonzaga which most certainly gave them the confidence to stay competitive in this game with one of the nation’s top teams. Myles Johnson is an elite defensive back who is getting better every single game, and he has huge upside potential going forward for Gonzaga.