Football: English dazzles as No. 1 DeMatha topples No. 2 McDonogh, 49-28

BALTIMORE — With reporters crowded around him, rattling off comments and questions after completing all 15 pass attempts for 219 yards and four total touchdowns, Beau English chuckled and had only two words to say.

“That’s nice,” he said.

The response was rather fitting, as English, an Air Force commit, unselfishly puts others before him. Nonetheless, pitting with Baltimore’s finest, the senior gunslinger hit all of his marks to perfection on Friday night, sporting a perfect 158.3 passer rating in the 49-28 win over McDonogh.

“Whenever Beau is on like that, we’re tough to beat,” said DeMatha head coach Elijah Brooks. “Great decision making, putting the ball where it needs to be. … I’m really proud of Beau.”

Though the Stags (4-0) pulled out a 21-point victory on the road, the win didn’t come easy. McDonogh took their opening drive 75 yards in seven plays and led 7-0 mere minutes into the contest. English then charged DeMatha to a 75-yard scoring drive on the ensuing series, running in one of his two touchdowns of the night.

One play, and 10 seconds later, McDonogh regained the lead, 14-7, on a 65-yard wide receiver pass that fooled the DeMatha secondary. With “overrated” chants raining down from the McDonogh grandstand, Brooks ordered his team to huddle around him while he delivered an intense message.

“We weren’t playing DeMatha football,” Brooks said. “I just wanted to let them know how important this game was. We needed to give (McDonogh) our best shot.”

Since the fiery speech, DeMatha doled out 35-unanswered points on three Khory Spruill runs from three, two, and three yards and two Beau English touchdown passes — a 31-yard bomb to Dominic Lyles and a 41-yard strike to Delante Hellams.

English, a Baltimore native, ran in his fourth total touchdown of the night from one yard out with 4:32 remaining in the fourth.

“We executed coach’s gameplan to perfection tonight,” English said. “Our coaches did a great job getting us ready for this game. We just came out and got it done tonight.”

DeMatha scored on all five of English’s drives and totaled 419 yards of offense while McDonogh only generated 270. It was a statement win on Friday night for the Stags, who basically man-handled Baltimore’s No. 1 team en route to their fourth win of the season. They begin WCAC play next Friday when they take on St. Mary’s Ryken.

“It means a lot,” Spruill said, who finished with 134 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. “The No. 2 team in the state, there was a lot of cloud around this game, but I as though this is going to get us ready for league play. They’re similar to a lot of teams in our league.”

After the game, Brooks praised his unit for weathering adversity in a tough road environment. In practice, DeMatha ramps up the pace and simulates game-like situations, similar to the condition in which they found themselves on Friday.

“We push our guys to a breaking point,” Brooks said. “It’s to put them in a position like tonight when things aren’t going well and they have to find a way to respond.”

McDonogh (3-1), meanwhile, struggled mightily after the first quarter. Minutes into the second, punting from their own 26-yard line, the snap sailed over Grayson Lawrence’s head, and all he could do was fall on it at their own 2-yard line. Spruill then punched in his second of three touchdown’s on the ensuing play to give DeMatha a lead they would not lose, 21-14.

“Everybody is going to be giving us their best shot,” English said. “We have to be ready go every week.”

McDonogh quarterback and Virginia Tech commit, DeJuan Ellis, mustered seven completions on 17 pass attempts, 68 yards passing and 58 yards on the ground. Running back Mylique McGriff gained 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles will travel to Canada Prep (Ontario) next week.

DeMatha wide receiver Delante Hellams caught six receptions for 107 yards and one score.

Before Brooks packed up his belongings, he was asked how his senior leader, who lived just five minutes down the road from McDonogh School, ended up at DeMatha and not on the other sideline. The Stags head coach graciously laughed, smiled, and then answered.

“He actually found us,” he said. “And thank God he did.”

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
No. 1 DM (4-0)	14	21	7	7	49
No. 2 McD. (3-1)	14	0	6	8	28

 

Scoring summary

First quarter

McD — Mylique McGriff 2-yard run (PAT good), 8:30

DM — Beau English 2-yard run (PAT good), 5:27

McD — Jack Simmons 65-yard pass from Marquis Thornes (PAT good), 5:17

DM — Khory Spruill 3-yard run (PAT good), 0:49

Second quarter

DM — Khory Spruill 2-yard score (PAT good), 10:38

DM — Dominic Lyles 42-yard pass from Beau English (PAT good), 4:13

DM — Delante Hellams 31-yard pass from Beau English (PAT good), 1:05

Third quarter

DM — Khory Spruill 3-yard run (PAT good), 5:30

McD — B.J. Farrare 60-yard interception return (Pass failed), 2:02

Fourth quarter

McD — Mylique McGriff 2-yard run (Ellis pass to Thornes), 9:24

DM — Beau English 1-yard run (PAT good), 4:32