The first week of the WCAC inter-conference is over and the results indicate that the rest of the season will be worth watching. At the eye of the gathering storm for the WCAC play-offs is undefeated Bishop O’Connell who calmly dismantled Gonzaga 40-0 on Sunday. This is very bad news for Gonzaga who is now faced with the reality of slim play-off hopes in the closing days of September. The suspense during the previous two seasons for the Purple Eagles had been deflated with losses to the McNamara Mustangs in October. The win by the Bishop O’Connell (4-0, 1-0) over Gonzaga (0-4, 0-1) marks the first time that has happened since the reorganization of the WCAC from the old Metro Conference.

The Bishop O’Connell Knights certainly provided the biggest upset of the weekend considering the historical perspective but Saint John’s College (3-1, 1-0) proved that they aren’t ready to be added to the list of stalwarts succumbing to pressure from upstarts just yet and supplied shock value of their own. SJC managed to rally late in the fourth quarter to overcome a fourteen point halftime deficit in order to win 27-14 against Bishop McNamara (2-2, 0-1). A returned interception, returned fumble, and another returned interception were just what the Cadets needed to get back on track when their offense was only able to manage one touchdown run with a failed extra point in the third quarter.

The resurgence of the Cadets’ defense coupled with the confidence that the Knights are now exuding will undoubtedly influence the game against October 4 and make it worth watching. The Cadets may have just debunked the notion that they are an offensively focused team with concentrated talent on one side of the ball. However if O’Connell continues to prove all the skeptics wrong with an important home stand, then it could mean that McNamara has an uphill battle into the WCAC post season. Should the Mustangs fail to secure an upset victory against Good Counsel on October 17, or a win again Bishop O’Connell on November 1, the Mustangs will have to play formidable DeMatha on November 7 for a possible birth –excluding any sudden implosion by the Bishop O’Connell Knights.

As for the perennial mainstays of the WCAC, defending champion DeMatha and runner-up Good Counsel both notched wins against Archbishop Carroll and Paul VI, respectively. Good Counsel (4-0, 1-0) only needed three quarters to put a thorough shellacking on the Paul XI Panthers (2-2, 0-1), who opted to use the weather conditions to end the game short of completion. The DeMatha Stags (3-1, 1-0) simply decided not to show up on the front end and spotted the Carroll Lions (1-3, 0-1) seven points in the first quarter before eventually winning 44-7 this past Friday for their first home win of the season. Another slow start by the Stags has many people wondering if they will be prepared for the juggernauts of Jelani Jenkins and Caleb Porzel that lead the charge for the Good Counsel Falcons when the two WCAC titans clash this coming Thursday on ESPN2 during the Falcons' regular season home game.

Already billed as the Highlight of the 2008 Season, DeMatha versus Good Counsel will likely determine the seeding of the top two teams of the WCAC play-offs for the sixth year in a row barring a miraculous continuation of the run by Bishop O’Connell. While the currently undefeated Bishop O’Connell Knights are currently in the catbird seat, they aren’t expected to pose serious competition to the Falcons or Stags when they meet during the regular season on October 10^th (away) and 25^th (home), respectively.

Dandini’s 2008 WCAC Week 5 Power Rankings

Sorry no photos* again, this week.

* The Then & Again photos were from a Washington Post piece done last December on Morgan Wootten.  Not a lot of people know that before he became a Hall of Fame basketball coach, the only one admitted to the ranks of the HOF based solely on his high school record (.869 winning percentage), Morgan Wootten had a 79-40-2 record and won three conference titles as a football coach from 1956-1968. Wootten's 1963 football team finished with a 9-0 record and was #1 in The Washington Post and ranked in the top ten nationally.

The Stags won in football last week. I went to the game with Maverick and Maven. We had an awesome time together but the Stags really weren’t all that impressive, I must say. The Stags wound up beating Friendship Collegiate 22-8, but there just seemed to be something lacking in the way the Stags played on offense. I mean running back Marcus Coker wasn’t 100% because he suffered a concussion against Gilman, and I don’t know if it’s Chroniger or McPherson: something isn’t clicking in the passing game.

Well Maverick (7 years old) seemed to enjoy watching football and we shared plenty of high fives. While Maverick continues to impress me with his knowledge of the game by knowing the general meanings of obscure penalties like illegal motion and false start, his sister Maven (4) was concerned about noise. A few hugs and half time cheers later though, Maven stopped pouting and was once again down with the boys.  Generally speaking they are both well-behaved and good companions for high school football. I just wish that the Stags had put on a better show for them. Let’s face it, twenty-two points isn’t really a WOW effort and the Stags might want to invest in some cheerleaders as good as Maven if they want to dazzle us with pizzazz this year.

I guess the WCAC season is really about to start with inter-conference play beginning this Friday, September 26^th.  I could just be suffering from a slight football brain drain.

The last out of conference games for the year were a mixed bag of results. Bishop O’Connell waxed Ryken righteously, and rightfully so. Paul VI acted like they had a pair and balled on Bishop Ireton. McNamara proved that they still have work to do by losing to Landon of the IAC.  Good Counsel proved that they mean business this year when they handed it to St. Peters Prep of New Jersey. Carroll, Saint Johns and Gonzaga had byes this week.  Going into the first week before we start to decide who will take the WCAC Championship it appears as if Good Counsel is invincible and that schools that were previously counted out (Bishop O'Connell) want a say.

Anyway, I don’t have any picture or witty retorts. I’m sort of befuddled. I’m going to meditate on Dan McMahon, Ph.D and Charles “Buck” Offutt, Ph.D. I suggest you all do the same because those two guys (pictured above) are holding down Stags like you wouldn’t believe. I mean, we all know that it’s popping-off over there at DeMatha, but sometimes we just need a reality check.  If the Stags can successfully power down against Archbishop Carroll in a quest for their first home win this season then it could do wonders for collective self-esteem going into the ESPN2 (Highlight of the Season) match-up against Good Counsel in the short week ahead.  Go Stags!

Dandini’s 2008 WCAC Week 4 (Final Pre-Season) Power Rankings

I don’t know about the rest of you guys but when I finally grow up I want to be a tycoon. I’m not talking about your Sean Combs’ or Carter’s. Bill Gates is more like it, but not entirely quite up to par. I’m trying to roll like J.P. Morgan, holding assets valued at the comparable land value of everything west of the Mississippi River. Maybe it is because I grew up on the parceled land that was his Long Island estate and became terribly envious of the rolling hills of Morgan’s beach and the seclusion of East (Morgan’s) Island. And to think that all of that property was just a summer retreat! What yachtsman wouldn’t admire? Of course I wouldn’t mind having a 2/3 stake in the national economy, either, but with that privilege comes a huge responsibility.

I suppose that is why the federal government hasn’t ever let that privilege happen again. The responsibility is just too great. The chances of the corruption of just one person are simply too high. In the case of J.P. Morgan, it was his brilliant deeds that actually led to shining the light on the dark corners of American finance and industry. J.P. Morgan was able to bail out the federal government in 1893 when it was literally running out of gold bullion –only a year after consolidating two companies to form General Electric. Morgan coolly created a private syndicate that was able to raise $65 million dollars worth of gold backing and, less than ten years later, still wielded enough influence to pull-off one of the only monopolies the United States has ever tolerated in the form of U.S. Steel. The equivalent of his dominance may never be witnessed again: everything from bridges and ships to wires and nails lined the pockets of J.P. Morgan.

Imagine being able to call “I got everything metallic” during the industrial revolution, or having enough money to bail out a bourgeoning, if not fledgling, country with straight-up gold bullion! Even negating the change of inflation, I don’t think that Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, and Russell Simons combined could get their hands on that much gold. Even if the big Black music moguls could amass a preponderance of the stuff that our dollars are based on, they certainly wouldn’t be using it to bail out the federal government. Black folks just don’t do that type of shit. But I bet you a dollar to a doughnut that one of those three people would have some gold, twenty-six inch rims. Seriously, I’m not a racist. I’m just playing the odds. Quietly, one of those guys probably already has some solid gold rims and just isn’t telling anybody. The funny thing is that their stereotypical example of corporate and personal irresponsibility is not different from their white counterparts or from those entities that are supposedly based in more conservative pursuits like insurance or mortgage lending.

The Big Five Brokerage firms haven’t exactly been the model of stability and prudence of late. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Bear Stearns combined to pay out record Christmas bonuses back in November of 2006. Those brokerage houses shelled out over $36 Billion dollars to reward their employees, undoubtedly going disproportionately to the higher echelons in management. That is a lot of money for rims and wood grained steering wheels. Not too long ago these firms were floating in the clouds on a housing bubble, but somehow couldn’t see the long thin needle of unsafe lending tracking them and bearing down. As a result, today, 60% of the Big Five aren’t what they used to be: Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch were all negatively affected by the ongoing credit crisis. Notice that Morgan Stanley is still holding it down with Goldman Sachs but there is no telling if the trend will continue to rob America of some of it’s most storied fiduciary institutions.

Lehman Brothers was founded in 1850 in Montgomery, Alabama. Filing for bankruptcy isn’t supposed to happen to a company that managed to avoid folding during two world wars and The Great Depression, which even saw the closing of 11,000 of America’s 25,000 banks at the time. (Of course all of the closings didn’t happen on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, but most of them were thoroughly and completely ruined by 1932.) Lehman Brothers was so hardy that they managed to stay in business throughout the United States Civil War despite having a primary investment of cotton , and thus Southern cause sympathies. Demonstrating true American grit that some could argue is, in fact, greed; they turned a negative into a positive by laying down the groundwork for the founding of the New York Cotton Exchange in 1870 making the Lehman Brothers immensely richer for it in the process. I don’t know if it was chickens coming home to roost or not, but King Cotton sure has been the cause of a lot of my peoples’ pain. The one’s that got rich off of it can all go to hell, in my humble opinion. I’m not saying that the people that worked for the firm in 2008 are in anyway responsible or connected but I will say that I’m not sad to see Lehman Brothers go.

Oh what a complex that we live in! Most times I focus on the military part of the United States military-industrial complex, but these days and times have shifted my gaze. AIG, or American International Group founded in Shanghai in 1919, is one of the largest companies in the world to be bailed-out by the United States government to the tune of $85 Billion. A foreign, if not international, company with so many American interests that it had to be rescued by the tax payer despite a climbing national deficit, was going to go bankrupt because it couldn’t borrow the money from all of the subsidiaries that the behemoth insurance company actually owned. That just happened. Typically, in times of war the United States economy has done particularly well, but the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan haven’t gone according to the script. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that something is amiss: are we really about to bail out a company from Shanghai that happens to be based in New York just because our economy is that screwed?  We’re not nearly as responsible in our choices as we used to be. Perhaps entrusting one man with virtually the country’s entire gross domestic product (GDP) is not a good idea but at least we were sure where Morgan’s loyalty was. He traveled the world and was even educated abroad but had the good sense to recognize that investing in the infrastructure and fabric of America would yield the highest dividends. Make no mistake that J.P. Morgan was a shrewd and ruthless baron, but ultimately he left us all better-off for the wear.

Sure the United States is set to recoup warrants for a 79.9% equity stake and the right to suspend dividends to previously issued common and preferred stock, but do you feel better about that prospect, or worse? Think about that and get back to me. I’m going to keep dreaming of being The Great American Tycoon, and casting myself as the hero. It just feels better that way, even if they don’t really exist anymore.

First it was Bear Stearns then Merrill Lynch. Then it was Lehman Brothers, and then the DeMatha Stags Football Corporation (DMS). The DeMatha Stags lost in football to the Gilman Greyhounds this past Friday, and I’m just now well enough to write about it. September 12, 2008 was the DeMatha Stags’ version of Black Friday after they fell 21-14.

Stock in the DMS Corporation was previously valued at undefeated but fell sharply to 1-1 when the Gilman Group Incorporated ran a successful partial take-over to become the preeminent football team in the state of Maryland. The Gilman Group effectively went long on their diversified running game and made DMS pay dearly for precious clock time on offense. Fortunately for DMS, Marcus Coker wouldn’t let the Stags go completely bankrupt and he rushed for two scores. Unfortunately, the DMS Corporation defense came up a little bit short under the scrutiny and exposure they received from Gilman Group Inc. in the form of two swift-footed quarterbacks.

Gilman Group Inc. President Emela was ruthless and shrewdly gobbled yardage on the ground despite taking snaps from the shotgun set. The Vice President Jennings fared equally as well, putting up the final game winning touchdown that would be just enough in the bear market conditions created by their domination on one side of the ball. Try as DMS might, they could not secure the bail-out from their subsidiaries, Chroniger & McPherson, in the waning seconds of the game. The star quarterback-receiver combination didn’t combine for a score in game that had many wondering if DMS was worth their blue chip stock rating. Amidst a WCAC market creditability crunch, some are looking towards the bullish Good Counsel Falcons (3-0) to raise the overall bond rating of a region fighting for national recognition.

DMS Corporation CEO, Bill McGregor (pictured left) couldn’t be reached for comment. It will suffice to say that we will eventually see who will carry the mantle for the WCAC starting when DeMatha meets Good Counsel on ESPN2 on October 2.

In other news around the WCAC market, McNamara’s (2-0) stock continues to hold despite poorly forecasted earnings. The Mustangs beat Bishop Ireton 28-17 and are proving that the sound leadership provided by CEO Bevil is enough, so far.

St. Johns College (2-1) rebounded successfully against Surratsville 41-6 ending speculation that they could slide further before the WCAC season officially begins.

Paul VI (1-2) and Carroll (1-2) both notched their first wins of the season versus Saint Mary’s Ryken (1-2) and Sparrow’s Point respectively, however none of the junk bonds are expected to have high returns at the closing bell.

The surprise of the WCAC is turning out to be fast-moving Bishop O’Connell (2-0), who managed to hand a loss Saint Albans over the weekend. If this team can continue to perform beyond expectations then it will have an impact on the entire WCAC.

Unfortunately for the Gonzaga Purple Eagles (0-3), they could be one of the teams that the O’Connell Knights will look to punish if they can’t get back on track. The stalwarts and founding members of the WCAC exchange are in negotiations to file for Chapter 11 and have tried everything including board-run operations with Athletic Director Reyda as acting head football coach and CEO.

One of the foundations of the WCAC exchange has been the outstanding business models ventured forth by the football components of their operations. Aside from Gonzaga, most WCAC CEO’s have been able to keep affairs separate from board approval, or getting bogged down in the administrative bureaucracy of competing ventures. The DeMatha Family (DMF), the parent corporation owned by the ancient and secretive Trinitarians, has been at the forefront of creating enough space to allow for autonomy of their DMS CEO to reap the benefits of the capitalist WCAC system.  Trinitarians reap the rewards from both entities.

The DMF organization is primarily responsible for turning out thousands of well-rounded, productive and socially conscious men. While high profile earnings from the football and basketball subsidiaries have garnered the most recognition for their companies, the overall health of is measured in the everyday successes of the more pedestrian bottom line. One must consider that even the five years of WCAC exchange dominance is just a short clip upward on a much greater incline. DMS Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ed King, also couldn’t be reached for comment but it is apparent that all is not lost for the DMS Corp futures, with the publishing of this recent press release:

Kenny Tate Wowing Friedgen

Freshman Kenny Tate’s stock continues to rise, and Tate should see more action this Saturday. Not only will Tate see action in the secondary on every third series to spell Jeff Allen, but Tate will play an important role on the punt return team. When EMU lines up for its rugby punt, Kenny will line up short and attempt to intercept the ball before it starts bouncing 30 yards down the field. Coach Ralph Friedgen said Tate is very good at receiving the ball, but he just has a comfort zone with Oquendo right now.

But Tate has really caught Friedgen’s eye with his play at safety. “He is really a phenomenal athlete and he really has tremendous hands. He made some plays the other day that were like, ‘Whoa,’ going up and catching the ball with one hand. He is a pretty good man-cover guy for a guy who is 6-3, 220 pounds. He plays on the slots, and Coach Franklin can’t find the slots because he covers them up so well. He is going to play more and more each week. He played two series last game. I think he is going to be really good, whether he goes back to wide receiver or stays at safety.

“Jeff [Allen] is playing well, but against MTSU Jeff played 75 plays. Secondary Coach [Kevin] Lempa is getting more and more confident with Kenny. He played very well in the Cal game. Coach Chris Cosh says he has to go in every third series, no matter what the situation is, and we will live with it. Kenny is one of the sharpest guys at making the calls, making the checks, which is not typical of a freshman in the secondary.”

Dandini’s 2008 WCAC Week 3 Power Rankings

Well at this point what else can we say?

As some of you already know, I have had the supernatural ability of levitation for some time now.  Of course I can only get a few millimeters off of the ground after sustained mental exertion but the fact remains that I am able to do it.  I don't like to brag, and I won't do it in inappropriate settings like bars or on street corners like some circus performer or magician.

When I levitate it is totally real.  Ever since I was a kid of about nine years old, I discovered that if I harnessed the energy of my thoughts in a relaxed and energetic manner I could exploit a rift in the physical properties of matter and hover above the ground for relatively short, but sustained periods of time.  I do not jump or pull myself up with my hands in any way.  What I do with with my brain could cause real damage to someone that isn't in the right state of mind, so do not try to copy me.

Those of you that have seen me accomplish this extraordinary feat have marveled at the psychological and neurological tour de force performed in front of their eyes more than the bending of earth's physical properties by my elevated wonderment.  Clearly I am a magnificent specimen of a human being so advanced that my mind possesses power and potency which has yet to be surpassed until a few days ago.  Everything about my superior mind is able to reverberate throughout the universe towards magnificent results for my sculpted body.

Apparently the ability to levitate is genetic and my niece has considerably more potency as she can levitate without the burden of excessive strain.  Lily Frances is the wave of the future, people.  Pretty soon the rest of you can evolve to our level and we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil because we'll all be flying.  I used to think that I could only levitate to a height of .6 mm from anywhere between six to nine seconds at a time but now Lily Frances has shown me that it is possible to achieve greater heights for even longer.

Up until this point I had been using a certain mind-altering herb to help with the stresses of levitation anxiety.  I am not dependent on anything in particular but I have found that by oxidizing large macromolecules within the herb and ingesting the by product I could get into the proper mind frame quicker.  This initial benefit was only the beginning, as I also realized that my recovery times were quicker -perhaps because I was lighter. 

Anyway, I am totally dedicated to researching human flight just as soon as she is able to explain how she is able to harness her powers so deftly.  In the picture above, Lily Frances demonstrates that she can levitate over a ball, achieving a height of 18 mm sustained for 120 seconds, at my sister's house to the amazement of onlookers!  Also in the picture, my brother is totally bald and proves that he is totally under Lily's mind control as it relates to clothing color selection. 

In a game that was supposed to be a good litmus test for the overall health of the WCAC, the Bishop O’Connell Knights proved better than the Bishop Ireton Cardinals (1-1) by blanking them hoes 34-0 on the road. I don’t think that the Knights (1-0) have a defense that is nearly that good, but by running the Trimble brothers incessantly, they might have controlled the game clock.

On a day when most of the WCAC seemed to either be shutting someone down or shooting blanks, themselves, I’m going to have to say that the Bishop O’Connell victory is a good indication that the WCAC is healthy. From top to bottom, there is more opportunity this year for a team like the Knights to make an impact. Maybe they read my season preview?

The Gonzaga Purple Eagles lost like some hoes to Loyola of Baltimore. Gonzaga lost 42-0 in their home opener and could be in for a long season as they drop to 0-2. On the bright side, both of the losses are out of the WCAC –for now. On the dark side, Gonzaga doesn’t appear to have an offense or a defense, this year. Man, they might suck harder than Coco on Ice!

Bishop McNamara (1-0) showed why they are a playoff contender this year when they shut out prospective WCAC member Saint Mary’s Ryken (1-1), along with junior quarterback Chris Rixey, 61-0. This was a very rude awakening for Saint Mary’s Ryken, who can no longer claim a totally undefeated football program. Ryken can, however, claim to have their first negative experience of looking like some hoes, though.

Perhaps the biggest losers of the weekend weren’t Saint Mary’s Ryken or Bishop Ireton because neither of them participates in the WCAC, officially, and with a full schedule. This makes the Archbishop Carroll Lions amongst the biggest hoes and losers this weekend because they fell to Landon 25-0 while exposing new weaknesses in their game. The Lions struggled on special teams and gave up a safety when they long snapped a punt attempt through the back of the end zone.

Saint John’s College High School (1-1) also lost, but not so hoe-like, when they thought it would be cool to take a bus down to East St. Louis and play the local high school of the same name. (Brother Ricky Reeves could have told you that it was a bad idea, but you don’t know nothing about Homey D. Clown, pictured below right.) At least the Cadets managed to put up some points in their effort, falling 54-13.  Look for them to regain some measure of their former grit after the East St. Louis hazing.

Also on the same plain as faking it to make it, you can put down Paul VI (0-1) for their 35-14 loss to Georgetown Prep. Prep will take on Gonzaga this weekend in the Jesuit Classic. Look for Gonzaga to lose with a slightly better score than the Panthers had. Idreis Augustus, the star Paul VI Panthers' running back, managed only 123 yards against a defense that didn’t care late in the game.

Good Counsel (1-0) may have sent defending DCIAA [read: public school] champions Dunbar of DC (0-3) down the road to a hoe and five start after the Falcons beat the Crimson Tide 42-12. I am told that Dunbar scored first on a 80 yard pass play to wide receiver Deon Long and then promptly folded. Good Counsel was heavily favored and their stars Caleb Porzel (107 yards on 13 carries) and Jelani Jenkins (4 rushing touchdowns) looked to be in top form, but…

Clearly the biggest winner this week was DeMatha (1-0) for utterly dismantling the defending Delaware state champions 37-0 on the road. DeMatha also had a nice article written about one of their offensive linemen that also managed to illustrate why DeMatha is so much better than any other school.  (If you can't read, check the video below.) 

If the Stags are able to win this game as well as the WCAC championship, it is unlikely that there will be another team that can lay claim to the Maryland state title. Gilman usually holds down Baltimore and despite getting totally destroyed by DeMatha last year, 42-0, they managed a 7-2 record.

Player of the Week: Marcus Coker of DeMatha rushed for 194 yards on 15 carries.  (Unofficial.)

Dandini’s 2008 WCAC Week 2 Power Rankings.

Seriously, when can we get more videos and photos of Tanoya Barnes? Damn that woman is so fine! I heard that she’s an honor roll student from Texas Southern University which sort of explains everything. They better never let me start teaching at a school that has women as fine as Tanoya is just walking around. Hell, I better never see one of those just out and unprotected, period. I might could lose my mind. Or, I’ll be done lost my mind, to correct the Black ghetto vernacular and replace it with the rural, Black, southern vernacular.

Anyway you slice it, chop it or screw it, old girl is super bad. (See newest version of the video below.)  So the original video is a year or two old… So what? What does that have to do with anything? Ten years from now Tanoya could knock on my door and I’d follow her right then and there without even telling my wife and kids. I’ll bet that she’d still be that fine ten years down the road. And I know that I’m not married yet, and I don’t have any kids but my imaginary wife would have to understand. Hell the kids would probably understand, too. If any of them really knew me, they would have to comprehend that they are one yellow hammer away from total abandonment.

I knew two things going into watching the Scarface Video “Girl You Know” featuring Trey Songs: 1. Scarface and I have a thing for those yellow hammers. 2. Why must it be a secret? The song is so dope that someone that looked like Tanoya deserved to be in it. If I were Scarface, the only thing that I would have changed is the lyrics so I could accommodate a happier ending for Tanoya. Well there’s that and I would have probably tried to marry her after the video shoot for real.

Straight up, I would have snuck a real preacher in to shoot the vows scene and I would have shown up in a tuxedo and made it happen.

That is all.

You might not know it yet, but the Stags are going gangster this year. There has been so much talk of other players in the league (like Good Counsel’s Caleb Porzel and Jelani Jenkins) that I sense that the Stags have a chip on their shoulder. Once again, the Stags get to play from the underdog position and I believe that it suits this team of overachievers lead by senior quarterback Tommy Chroniger.

A senior quarterback with a WCAC championship experience under his belt has got to be given the due respect that he deserves or he’ll simply mow you down. Chroniger may be the boss that just declared all-out war for the rest of the season. Maybe that is why when the DeMatha Stags took on the Middletown Cavaliers, the defending Delaware state champions, in their first game of the season this past Friday (Sep. 5) they decided to make an example of them? The Stags ganged up on the Cavaliers 37-0 and left absolutely no doubt after the massacre that they mean business this season.

Everybody got in on the act with both the offensive and defensive lines controlling scrimmage and the clock equally. Coker was able to rush for 180 yards on 17 carries (131 in the first half alone) and the defense managed three sacks including a safety. The constant pressure and intimidation by the defense may have also contributed heavily to the accidental dropped passes that plagued the Cavaliers all night. The Stags mobbed the Middletown quarterback (Anderson) who was reduced to completing a dismal 25% of his 20 passes for only sixty yards, and one interception.

Tommy completed just fewer than 50% of his eleven passes but he made good by running for a 50 yard score and for channeling his former safety self after throwing an interception and making a shut-out saving tackle. The three rushing scores by Coker meant that DeMatha had their way on the offensive end with big holes created by the big boys up front. The Stags played a very conservative game, running 77% of the time complimented by a stellar, stingy defense that only allowed two first downs through the first three quarters.

In one of the few times that the Stags decided to air the Tommy gun out, Chroniger found McPherson on the fade route for a touchdown for the last touchdown of the game. I have a feeling that as the season progresses the Tommy Gun will be the weapon of choice, and the Stags will continue la cosa nostra for a record six years in a row. In only one touchdown pass I saw this as a sign that this could be the year of the DeMatha quarterback break-out. This season will answer all of the questions and I don’t think that I should really write that much about it.

Can Chroniger slang it every now and again or will the Stags continue to push Coker? The Stags have a stable of running backs that was previously thought to be weakened by the injury of star sophomore transfer, Knox.  However, Coker is a junior and may have just won himself the starting job even if Knox were to come back from his separated shoulder.  This is a really good problem to have if you're DeMatha Coach Bill McGregor because nobody sees his secret weapon on the field.  If no one discovers that it is the "Tommy gun" Factor we could be asking ourselves how good is it going to feel to hold up the Championship trophy numbers with two hands?

Don’t you have to hold a real Tommy gun with two hands, anyway?  Doesn't anybody see this coming? Do you know how gangster it is to be up by 30 points late in the fourth quarter and chuck a fade to the end zone for a score with your best receiver?  Again, sign me up for 6.

The Gonzaga Purple Eagles missed out on a tremendous opportunity to show the DCIAA why they have been the whipping boys of the WCAC throughout history. Instead it was the Coolidge Colts that put on an offensive display that had them coming back from a 14-0 deficit to eventually win 36-34.

So what does this say about Gonzaga’s defense? The Purple Eagles may have forecasted dire implications for the rest of their season if they can’t stop the run or the pass. The unbridled Colts torched Gonzaga with 400 yards on the ground and four scores through the air.

Gonzaga starts off the 2008 season in an unlikely 0-1 fashion by losing to a Coolidge team that they probably should have beaten if they want to be considered seriously for a WCAC playoff berth. By proving that the Colts were too much for Gonzaga, the Purple Eagles have given an added mental incentive to teams that might have thought they wouldn’t ordinarily have a shot against them in WCAC play.

Look for McNamara and Saint Johns to beat Gonzaga during the regular season, as they have managed to do for the last two years. Also watch out for strong cases from Paul VI, Bishop O’Connell and even the Archbishop Carroll Lions to be emboldened by Gonzaga’s missteps and to play more spirited games.

Speaking of the Carroll Lions, they have demonstrated that they have their work cut out for them this season as they continued their streak of losses into 2008. The Lions have amassed nine losses in a row dating back to September 14, 2007 when they fell to Dunbar’s Crimson Tide, 22-6.

This season’s opening loss to former WCAC member Bishop Ireton was especially hurtful for the Lions after the hiring of new Assistant Athletic Director and head football coach Rick Houchens. Houchens, a controversial pick because he is rumored not to possess a college degree, was expected to show early signs of turning the recently beleaguered program around.

Despite the fact that Carroll wasn’t able to score an offensive touchdown in their 28-7 loss, the Lions did manage to give the impression that they were at least willing to confront their storied history in the effort to revive the program. Freshly cut grass, championship banners and a proud bronze mascot adorning Maus Collins Field contributed to a resurgence in the football culture and an electric atmosphere that remind some of the glory days of old.

At least one team with a rich history in the WCAC and beyond was able to win their game on opening day: St. Johns defeated Calvert Hall 19-16. The Cadets may have found the answer to their question mark at the quarterback position in senior Ed Thomas (pictured with ball on the left) and they are looking to make the playoffs again this year.

In a day and age when St. Johns hasn’t won a championship in quite a while after being credited with putting football in the District of Columbia on the map, the Cadets are looking to leap to the forefront again. Yet the former vanguards may have to yield to upcoming WCAC member Saint Mary’s Ryken for the most remarkable opening day after they shut out their opponent in their first ever varsity level game.

Even though Saint Mary’s Ryken will not officially compete in the WCAC this year perhaps they will provide even more promising glimpses in the future during their abbreviated conference schedule games. If Saint Mary’s Ryken continues to be impressive and successful then it might entice Bishop Ireton back into WCAC fold or at least be indicative of the competitiveness of the league.

Early on in the season, however, some skeptics are questioning whether or not the overall health of the WCAC is declining –often citing the struggles of former powerhouses with DCIAA public school teams. Prudence has shown us that it may be too early to tell, as the league’s brightest stars have yet to hold their season openers.

Dandini’s 2008 WCAC Week 1 Power Rankings reflects little change, as a result.