6 Standout Performances from DeMatha versus St. John’s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeMatha and St. John's battled in an instant WCAC classic over the weekend, and the Stags ended up victorious by earning a narrow 17-14 victory. Let's take a closer look at and analyze the standout performances from this epic contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 6'0 175 QB - [player_tooltip player_id='250315' first='Denzel' last='Gardner'] - DeMatha</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='250315' first='Denzel' last='Gardner'] has established himself as a top tier quarterback in the WCAC. This streak of dominance that he is currently on is nothing short of spectacular, and that continued last weekend as Gardner put on a game-sealing performance against St. John's. Gardner was responsible for two overall touchdowns against the Cadets, and he even added a quarterback sneak touchdown from the goal line which tied the ball game in the second quarter. The combination of Gardner's running ability and DeMatha's elite backfield makes it nearly impossible for opposing defenses to stop the Stags. DeMatha takes on Clarkson North (AK) this weekend in a non-conference showdown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/alvin_t3/status/1584239846897639425?s=20&amp;t=e70AiaSDkk2jOr2c0FqznA">https://twitter.com/alvin_t3/status/1584239846897639425?s=20&amp;t=e70AiaSDkk2jOr2c0FqznA</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 6'4 230 DE - [player_tooltip player_id='273347' first='Cortez' last='Harris'] - DeMatha</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='273347' first='Cortez' last='Harris'] played his game of the season so far against St. John's, and he was absolutely fantastic in this game for the Stags. Harris gained possession of a huge turnover which gave DeMatha critical field position in a close game, and this play is a perfect representation of his lockdown effort throughout the contest. [player_tooltip player_id='273347' first='Cortez' last='Harris'] is absolutely a top five defensive end in Maryland for the 2025 class, and, if he keeps up this elite performance, it wouldn't surprise me to see SEC offers rolling in for him soon. He has most definitely earned it. Tune in and watch [player_tooltip player_id='273347' first='Cortez' last='Harris'] and the Stags take on Clarkson North (AK) this weekend in a non-WCAC contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://t.co/dCQoKHDNFY">https://t.co/dCQoKHDNFY</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 6'1 180 DB - [player_tooltip player_id='90656' first='Tawfiq' last='Byard'] - DeMatha</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='90656' first='Tawfiq' last='Byard'] is absolutely the winner of my defensive player of the game award for his performance against St. John's, and, in my opinion, his performance is worthy of overall player of the game as well. Byard secured 2 interceptions in this contest, and he continues to demonstrate his comfort at the free safety position. The fact that Byard is not a 4 or 5 star recruit is absolute insanity in my opinion, and there's zero doubt in my mind that he will continue to obliterate the expectations that are set for him. Tawfiq Bayard is an extremely elite defensive back, and I would argue that he's a top 3 DB in the 2023 WCAC class. Byard and the DeMatha Stags kickoff again this weekend in an out of conference game versus Clarkson North (AK).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/Kingmu35/status/1585988638693011456?s=20&amp;t=e70AiaSDkk2jOr2c0FqznA">https://twitter.com/Kingmu35/status/1585988638693011456?s=20&amp;t=e70AiaSDkk2jOr2c0FqznA</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 5'11 175 RB - Da'Jaun Riggs - St. John's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Da'Jaun Riggs delivered a special performance against DeMatha, and he earned offensive player of the game honors as a result. He accounted for two overall touchdowns against the Stags, running for one and even throwing for another. Riggs is such a utility player that the Cadets use certain wildcat formations solely to put Riggs in position to make a play. While St. John's fell short in this contest, they only lost by a narrow margin and there's no question that Da'Jaun Riggs was the top performer of the game for the Cadets. He'll look to continue his elite level play this weekend against Good Counsel as WCAC play continues.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://t.co/7UKDHDTPbY">https://t.co/7UKDHDTPbY</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 5'8 170 RB/WR - Jason Woods - St. John's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jason Woods was the sole touchdown receiver in this game, and he continues to prove that he belongs in this elite backfield rotation. Alongside [player_tooltip player_id='263209' first='Cinque' last='Blount'] and Da'Jaun Riggs, Woods is a dynamic addition to the Cadets' running back corps, and he showcased his phenomenal pass catching ability against DeMatha. As a Sophomore, it's absolutely incredible what he's accomplished in his high school career so far, and I am beyond excited to watch Jason Woods as his high school football career continues with St. John's. Jason Woods and the Cadets kickoff against Good Counsel this weekend in a clash of two elite WCAC programs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 6'1 190 LB - [player_tooltip player_id='264606' first='Shamar' last='Mcintosh'] - St. John's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you're looking for a linebacker who can absolutely do it all in the middle and on the outside then look no further than [player_tooltip player_id='264606' first='Shamar' last='Mcintosh']. McIntosh was all-over the field making tackles against DeMatha, and his play was integral in keeping the Stags offense under twenty points. McIntosh is also equally comfortable defending in coverage as he is stopping the run, therefore he's a very difficult linebacker to prepare for offensively. There's no substitute for being first to the ball in football and that's something that [player_tooltip player_id='264606' first='Shamar' last='Mcintosh'] had on full-display against DeMatha. McIntosh and the Cadet defense will have their toughest test of the season this weekend against their long time WCAC foes- Good Counsel.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/202made/status/1580706776185335809/photo/1">https://twitter.com/202made/status/1580706776185335809/photo/1</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->