Archbishop Spalding ready to test its mettle against Dematha

Led by University of Maryland commit Malik Washington the Cavaliers are out to prove a point

DeMatha quarterback Denzel Gardner and his teammates will provide a major test to an emerging Archbishop Spalding football team, when the Stags visit the Cavaliers in a heavyweight high school football showdown on Saturday night in Severna Park. / Michael Smith

After finally breaking through for its first MIAA A Conference football championship in 2022, Archbishop Spalding followed up with a second league crown in 2023 and is heavily favored to win a third straight in 2024.

The program nurtured from a floundering "C" Conference football team into a legitimate "A" Conference squad by the late Mike Whittles is now led by former University of Maryland offensive lineman Kyle Schmitt. Schmitt, who took the helm in 2013 has kept the Cavaliers on a steady upward trajectory and finally saw the breakthrough in 2022.

Now, Spalding, led by University of Maryland recruit Malik Washington, one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, is looking to make a breakthrough on the national high school football stage. The Cavs took a step in that direction in last week's opener when they traveled to Ohio and picked up an impressive 28-14 win over Archbishop Hoban, a private school power in the Buckeye state.

Archbishop Spalding 4-Star quarterback Malik Washington, also a standout on the school's basketball team, has committed to play his college football at the University of Maryland. He lead the Cavs against DeMatha on Saturday night. / John Bowers

This week the testing ground settled back into the DMV and Spalding hosts Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) power Dematha, a program long established as a force on the national stage. The Stags will visit Spalding's Whittles Field for a rare Saturday night contest and it offers the Cavaliers an opportunity to make a major statement.

Both teams are ranked in the top five in the SBLive Top 25 Maryland High School Football Rankings, with Dematha at No. 3 and Spalding at No. 4. The two teams are just behind No. 1 Our Lady of Good Counsel, Dematha's top WCAC rival, and No. 2 St. Francis Academy, a MIAA member school which plays its football as a national independent.

Washington turned offers from many of college football's elite powers to help the University of Maryland break through as a top tier team in the powerful Big 10, which has only grown in stature since last season with the addition of former Pac 10 powers Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington. His decision has bolstered Maryland's recruiting efforts which are now ranked among the Top 25 in the nation by all of the major recruiting services.

Against Hoban, Washington connected with sophomore wide receiver Myles McAfee, a 4-star recruit in his own right, for three first half touchdown passes to lead the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers also have an outstanding defense led by 3-star defensive lineman Delmar White and 3-star defensive backs Jayden Shipps and Alijah Jones. White and Shipps are also committed to the Terps, while Jones has committed to Northwestern.

DeMatha came within one score of dethroning Good Counsel in last year's WCAC title game and the Stags bring back plenty of playmakers to help them achieve their goal of reigning over the WCAC for the first time since 2016. The Spalding game is also a big litmus test for the legendary Hyattsville institution.

Three-star running back Bud Coombs, who is slated to join Washington and the other Spalding players headed to College Park to play for the Terps, is back and will be a handful to the Cavalier defense. Marshall commit Denzel Gardner is the Stags quarterback and a 3-star prospect. The defense is anchored by 3-star linebackers Noah Chambers (Virginia Tech) and Jermaine Minnis (Ohio).

SBLive will be providing live updates throughout this huge match-up between Maryland powers, each seeking to break through in the national rankings.