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Archbishop Spalding hadn’t allowed a touchdown since August. When rival McDonogh quickly maneuvered down the field and scored a touchdown early in the first quarter of the MIAA A Conference championship on November 15, it stunned the Cavaliers.
Spalding’s senior leaders and coaches began to communicate, telling one another to stick to the principles of Spalding football and to refocus their efforts and be the more physical team.
The Cavaliers used offense, defense and special teams to reel off 31 unanswered points to become the first football team in Spalding’s history to go undefeated and win their third consecutive conference title.
“We knew we had to put the brakes on McDonogh’s offense,” said former Green Hornets and current Spalding senior linebacker Angelo Scalese. “We met on the sidelines and the coaches wanted the linebackers and defensive backs to change our eye discipline and refocus on their quick passes in the flats.”
With those adjustments, the Cavaliers’ dominant defense began to slow down the McDonogh West-Coast offense and had numerous defensive stops leading up to halftime.
The key momentum swing occurred when the Cavaliers got the ball with 40 seconds left in the first half. Quarterback Malik Washington found a soft spot in McDonogh’s secondary and hit sophomore wide receiver Myles McAfee on a 26-yard slant route to make the score 14-7 at halftime.
“That score right before halftime was the momentum swing we needed and was probably the key to winning the game,” said Spalding football head coach Kyle Schmitt.
That score lifted the Cavaliers’ confidence heading to the locker room as they made additional changes for the second half.
“We played more man coverage on defense and ultimately got off blocks and kept them in second and third downs and long,” Schmitt said after the raucous postgame celebration. “Offensively, we found an inside run with a read option that we liked and allowed our offensive line to come off the ball regardless of McDonogh’s front.”
Spalding received the second-half kickoff and freshman wide receiver Kam Miller returned the kick 60 yards to McDonogh’s 40-yard line. After punishing runs by senior running back Chase Gorman, the Cavaliers had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by senior and Navy commit Cooper Welch to make the score 17-7 at the 10-minute mark of the third quarter.
Spalding’s suffocating defense, which had given up 27 points all year, placed their hard-hitting skills on display as senior defensive back and Navy commit Trent Gillis distributed volatile hits throughout the game.
At 7:04 left in the third quarter, McDonogh turned the ball over on downs and Schmitt used his battery-ram halfback Gorman to run over the Eagles defense down the field. That drive ended with an eight-yard pitch pass to Miller to increase Spalding’s lead to 24-7.
Spalding’s ferocious defense stiffened again, and the Eagles turned the ball over on downs again.
Spalding then used their hard-nosed running attack led by a young and determined offensive line and repeatedly opened holes for Gorman. That drive lasted over seven minutes and ultimately ended with junior running back Antonio Ledbetter scoring from eight yards out, making the score 31-7.
“We used the Army-Navy attack scheme and used ball control to eat the clock and keep McDonogh off of the field,” Schmitt said.
McDonogh fumbled on their next procession and Spalding failed on a fourth–down conversion.
With 1:54 left in the game, Spalding junior defensive tackle Zack Philpott sacked Eagles quarterback Braeden Palazzo and hundreds of Cavaliers fans erupted in joy and cheers as the Cavaliers were about to win their third consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference title.
Schmitt did a classy move and pulled Washington after his first kneel-down so he could receive a standing ovation for his four outstanding years as Spalding’s quarterback. Severna Park’s Blake Howell knelt down two more times and the celebration ensued.
When Schmitt pulled his star quarterback with less than a minute to go, he hugged Washington and had a brief conversation with his fifth-rated quarterback in the nation.
“I’ll keep most of what I said to Malik between us,” Schmitt said. “However, I did thank him and let him know how much fun I had coaching him for four years.”
The Cavaliers sprinted to the 50-yard line and danced, jumped and screamed as the Mike Whittles Trophy was presented to Schmitt. Whittles, who was from Severna Park, coached Spalding for over 10 years and died of pancreatic cancer in 2012.
After the presentation, Schmitt gathered his team and told them how much he would miss the senior class and didn’t know what he was going to do on Monday at 3:00pm without any practice.
“I probably have spent more time with these guys than I have with my family during football season,” Schmitt said. “I really wanted to thank my four-year guys who have been with me since their freshman year, and it’s been a joy to coach them.”
The player who has developed the most over those four years was Washington. He had numerous major Division I scholarship offers but eventually chose Maryland to be closer to his family and because he had a relationship with head coach Mike Locksley.
“Malik is the best player I’ve ever coached,” Schmitt said. “He’s a phenomenal kid and I was thrilled to be part of his journey.”
Schmitt began his relationship with Washington in the seventh grade and convinced him that Spalding would be a great fit academically and athletically.
“I’ve always trusted coach Schmitt and he’s had great confidence in me,” Washington said. “We have a strong relationship outside of football and he’s been a great mentor for me as well.”
Washington will enter Maryland in January as an early enrollee. He will also compete in the nationally televised All-American Bowl on January 11 on NBC and Peacock. The game showcases the best high school football players in the nation.
Spalding and Schmitt will bask in the championship glow and look forward to the 2025 season with outstanding players coming back.
“We’ll begin lifting weights in about two weeks and start preparing for next season,” Schmitt said after the game.
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