Archbishop Curley and Archbishop Spalding followed the lead of Boys’ Latin, which won on Friday afternoon, by posting victories and forcing a three way tie for first place at the top of the MIAA B Conference football standings, as the regular season concluded Friday night.
In Frederick, Spalding (8-3, 7-1) outscored St. John’s Catholic Prep (4-6, 2-6), 57-36, in a high-flying affair while Curley (8-2, 7-1) rallied in the fourth quarter for a 21-14 win at John Carroll (5-5, 4-4).
The Friars lost a 13-0 halftime lead, but Curley quarterback Luke Stidham struck for a 50-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Williams to pull out the win.
All three teams finished with 7-1 records in the conference and took turns beating each other, which allowed for no tie-breaks to separate the teams. The MIAA decided earlier this week that a coin flip and a playoff game would be used to to determine the two participants in the championship game, which will be delayed until Sept. 20.
A three-way coin flip will take place this weekend and the winner will advance to the championship game on Nov. 20 at Mount St. Joseph. The other two teams will play next week, at a time and location to be determined, for the second spot in the final. Last year Archbishop Spalding defeated Boys’ Latin in the title game.
In its victory, Spalding delivered a heavy dose of Smith. Senior K.K. Smith rolled through the Viking defense for 254 yards and five touchdowns, while younger brother D.J. Smith added 110 yards and two touchdowns.
Neither team scored in the opening quarter, but the Cavaliers broke on top with three second quarter scores with K.K. Smith scoring on runs of 76 and 13 yards, while J.D. Izon added a six-yard touchdown run. LaMont Wims scored on a 70-yard kickoff return for St. John’s to allow the vikings to pull within 21-6 at the half.
Wims would later add a 69-yard interception return for a score and five-yard TD run, but it was not enough to keep pace with the Cavaliers.
Curley got a one-yard first quarter run from Nick D’Vanzo and 45-yard TD burst from Dominic Hezekiah to jump out to a 13-0 first quarter lead at John Carroll, but the Friar offense bogged down in the middle of the game. John Carroll scored when Ryan Ellerman recovered a botched Curley snap in the end zone, in the third quarter, and the Patriots went in front, 14-13, on a one-yard fourth quarter run by Brian Hunt.
Hezekiah led Curley with 75 yards rushing and he added 15 yards receiving. Joe Evans rushed for 55 yards, scored a two-point conversion and recovered a fumble. James Boast also intercepted a pass for the Friars.
