St. John’s Knocks Off DeMatha, Advances to WCAC Final

St. John’s Knocks Off DeMatha, Advances to WCAC Final

St. John's defeats DeMatha 17-14 to advance to WCAC Championship.

Nov 11, 2017 by Kolby Paxton
DeMatha vs. St. John's

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

The WACA Championship matchup is set.

No. 25 St. John’s (D.C.) defeated DeMatha (MD) for the second time this season, 17-14, on Saturday to advance to next week’s WCAC title game vs. Gonzaga.

The Cadets jumped out in front early, capping a 10-play, 68-yard drive with a Rafi Checa field goal to move ahead 3-0 with 6:20 to go in the first quarter.

Both defenses were otherwise stingy for most of the early going, but midway through the second quarter, St. John’s quarterback Kevin Doyle converted on fourth down with a 41-yard pass to Charles Briscoe. On the next play, Keilan Robinson plowed in from 2 yards out to put the hosts ahead 10-0.

DeMatha answered on the ensuing possession, marching 53 yards in eight plays — the capper, a nine-yard touchdown run by Sieh Bangura just 34 seconds before the break, setting the halftime margin at 10-7, St. John’s.

If the Stags were caught on their heels a bit in the first half, they came out looking to accomplish just the opposite in the third quarter — and the early returns were promising.

With less than six minutes gone in the second half, DeMatha running back Marshawn Lloyd rumbled 24 yards to the house to give the Stags their first lead of the game, 14-10.

On the ensuing possession, Doyle and the Cadets offense fired right back. Doyle found Rakim Jarrett with a 24-yard touchdown strike to put the home team back on top, 17-14 — a total that would ultimately hold over the final 17:23 of the game.

DeMatha mustered one final march into St. John’s territory during the game’s final minutes, but on fourth-and-2 from the Cadets 29-yard line, Tim Swope crashed untouched off of the edge to stop Lloyd 3 yards deep in his own backfield as multiple defenders converged to finish him off.

Three plays later, Robinson converted a third-down run to move the chains for St. John’s and end the game.

The Cadets advance to play Gonzaga in the WACA Championship on Saturday, Nov. 18, streaming LIVE on FloFootball.