WCAC Capital Division playoff preview: Four teams, One title 

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference playoffs kick off this weekend, and, stop us if you've heard this before, the four usual contenders are again battling for the Capital Division crown: <strong>DeMatha Catholic, St. John's College, Gonzaga, and Good Counsel</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeMatha is the defending champion after defeating Good Counsel 16–7 in last year's title game, and the Stags enter this postseason undefeated with one of the strongest résumés in the country.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025 Key Results</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DeMatha Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated Good Counsel 7–0</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated St. John's College 23–20 (OT)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated Gonzaga 42–14</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gonzaga</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated Good Counsel 13–7</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated St. John's College 24–21</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lost to Bishop McNamara 21–0</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Good Counsel</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated St. John's College 17–13</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated Bishop McNamara 34–20</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lost tight games to DeMatha and Gonzaga</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. John's College</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated Bishop McNamara 28–7</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THOUGHTS ON ALL FOUR TEAMS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(Based on in-person evaluations throughout the season)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DeMatha Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeMatha set the tone for its 2025 season by dismantling three of Pennsylvania's premier programs, St. Joseph's Prep, Imhotep Charter, and Roman Catholic, by an average score of 39.7 to 12.7. That early stretch made it clear this Stags team was different.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But the Capital Division grind caught up with everyone, even DeMatha. Over the last three conference weeks, they've been pushed into three straight one-score battles, including an overtime thriller against St. John's.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Stags are still the clear favorite, but the margin for error in November is thin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. John's College</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I saw St. John's beat Downingtown West 42–21 early in the season, and at that point, the Cadets looked explosive. Recently, though, it's been a tough stretch: they've dropped three straight conference games, all in one-score fashion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The positive takeaway? When they're locked in, St. John's has shown they can push DeMatha to the brink. If they put their best football together these next two weeks, they're capable of making a run to the championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Good Counsel</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I haven't seen Good Counsel in person since late September, when they lost 24–0 to St. Joe's Prep. But the Falcons have quietly put together competitive performances down the stretch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two of their last four games were narrow losses to DeMatha and Gonzaga, both decided by a touchdown or less. They now get a rematch with Gonzaga after falling 13–7 on Oct. 25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Good Counsel's defense has kept them alive in every game. If they can find a little more offensive rhythm, they can flip one of these tight results.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gonzaga</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I watched Gonzaga lose 21–0 to Bishop McNamara on Oct. 11, it looked like they were out of sync. Fast-forward a few weeks, and the Eagles have flipped the narrative with wins over Good Counsel and St. John's.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a team that thrives in defensive battles, and their toughness shows up late in games. They're heading into their semifinal with Good Counsel, expecting another low-scoring, physical matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gonzaga is dangerous because they've already proven they can beat both teams in their half of the bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FINAL TAKEAWAY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The WCAC playoffs always deliver, and this year the league feels tighter than usual. DeMatha remains the team to beat, but every contender has proven they can play championship-level football for stretches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->