MIAA championship preview: Loyola Blakefield will try to slay the giant when it faces No. 1 Boys’ Latin

TopLaxRecruits.com, Posted 5/17/13
Staff Report

TOWSON, Md. – Boys’ Latin, the top-ranked team in the TopLaxRecruits.com Boys’ Rankings since Day 1, can complete a perfect season tonight (8:00) when it plays Cinderella qualifier Loyola Blakefield in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association “A” Conference championship game at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium.

The Lakers (19-0), who rallied past Calvert Hall, 12-10, in the semifinals, may be the favorite. But Loyola Blakefield (12-8) has been beating the odds during this amazing tournament run.

The sixth-seeded Dons barely qualified for the tourney – only because of an overtime loss by St. Mary’s – with a 3-6 record. They entered the tourney on a three-game losing streak and then stunned No. 3 Gilman, 17-14, and Tuesday dominated No. 2 McDonogh, 13-4.

Loyola has gotten great offensive production from senior attackmen Devin McNamara and Kevin Jackson and sophomore attackman Alex Roesner. Sophomore Acie Newton has been a key in goal.

Boys’ Latin has a host of weapons, but senior attackman Colin Heacock and junior attackman Shack Stanwick are the two most teams watch the most. Mac Pons heads the defense and Christian Knight has been a standout in goal all year and was a hero on Tuesday in the comeback victory.

Jackson said Loyola Blakefield’s trek to the finals has been a somewhat of a surprise even to the Dons..

“It’s surreal,” he said. “Coming onto the playoffs – and barely getting in because St. Joe’s beat St. Mary’s – we just got hot. We’re all looking for each other and nobody is playing selfish. We are just moving the ball and playing smart.”

Added Roesner: “We came together as a unit and played together rather than for ourselves. We are ready to fight and pick up the next win Friday.

“I think we all believed in ourselves, even when we were losing. We knew we had to put the pieces together.”

Other Championship games:

MIAA “B” Conference championship
John Carroll vs. Sts. Peter & Paul, Friday, 5:30 p.m.

MIAA “C” Conference championship
Gerstell Academy vs. St. John’s-Catholic Prep, Friday, 3 p.m.