How McDonogh (Md.) Won Its Third Straight MIAA Championship

<p>Four months ago, I asked the same question everyone wonders when spring rolls around in Baltimore: 'Who is going to win the MIAA championship?'<br><br>On Friday night at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, McDonogh answered that question and completed its quest for three in a row. In what is starting to feel like a playoff tradition, the Eagles were matched up against top-seeded Boys' Latin. After three straight years of facing off in the semifinals, this matchup finally reached the championship stage. With fans remembering a regular season thriller this year that resulted in McDonogh winning by two, this contest was bound to be great. As the two heavyweights went head-to-head it certainly lived up to the hype. While the first half was a grudge match, a second-half surge by the Eagles put them in the driver's seat and they never looked back.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Controlling Possession</h2>   <p>In a game of this magnitude, there's bound to be some big names on both teams. While both teams had stars, there was a somewhat unexpected hero for the Eagles in face-off specialist [player_tooltip player_id='20157' first='Ciaran' last='Sweeney']. The sophomore was tasked with trying to handle [player_tooltip player_id='14833' first='Parker' last='Hoffman'], who is one of the top-ranked face-off men in the country. Not only did Sweeney control the face-off X, but he dominated it. Time after time, Sweeney won clutch faceoffs to regain possession and put a stop to a potential Boys' Latin run. Whether it was winning it clean or getting the ball in a scrappy ground ball battle, Sweeney controlled the tempo of the game, getting the best of his senior opponent.<br></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Second Half Defensive Adjustments</h2>   <p>Although this game appeared to be controlled by McDonogh, it did not start that way. After drawing first blood with an early [player_tooltip player_id='14510' first='Brendan' last='Millon'] goal, the Lakers responded quickly and kept responding the entire first half. Armed with two of the MIAA's top off-ball attackmen in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='14965' first='Connor' last='Sydnor'] and [player_tooltip player_id='14809' first='Spencer' last='Ford'], Boys' Latin had a clear offensive game plan: dodge to draw a slide and then hit the one more pass for an easy goal which proved to be highly effective and at one point gave Boys Latin all the momentum. Second-half adjustments by McDonogh completely dismantled this system. By taking away off-ball options and being slower to slide, McDonogh forced the Lakers to beat them 1-on-1 off the dodge. A combination of athleticism, experience, and talent on the defensive end left the Lakers outmatched and struggling to find an answer.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Capitalizing in Transition </h2>   <p>When you have big game experience, you gain the knowledge needed to win big games. One of the biggest pieces of knowledge it takes to win the big game is knowing a team must capitalize on every opportunity. What may have been the knockout blow to Boys Latin Friday night was McDonogh's ability to capitalize in transition and 'one more' opportunities. The Eagles' athleticism was very apparent and something they took full advantage of. By pushing defensive players downfield in transition, they created fastbreaks extremely often. Point man and top-ranked junior [player_tooltip player_id='14510' first='Brendan' last='Millon'] looked like a quarterback in the pocket dissecting the defense, hitting linemates [player_tooltip player_id='20017' first='Hunter' last='Metz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='14858' first='Luke' last='Miller'] for layup goals. The ultimate example of McDonogh's ability to capitalize came on a late first-half goal by sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='20017' first='Hunter' last='Metz']. After BL failed to get a loose ball in front of the net, Metz came streaking in to get the ball and hit a diving backhand shot to tie the game. Although there may have been a lot of game left, plays like this made all the difference.</p>   <p>Whether it was talent, a great game plan, or championship experience, McDonogh appeared to have all the answers Friday night on the biggest stage. Although many shined, it was a team effort that made this win possible for the Eagles. With this win, McDonogh became the second team in league history to accomplish the historic three-peat after Calvert Hall did the same from 2017 to 2019. <br><br>A historic run like this has many people wondering what else is ahead for the Eagles. Is it going to be four in a row or is it time for a new team to be crowned king? Even though the season has just ended, there is no time for rest in a league this loaded. <br><br>So I ask you now, who is going to win the MIAA championship in 2025?</p>

Four months ago, I asked the same question everyone wonders when spring rolls around in Baltimore: 'Who is going to win the MIAA championship?'

On Friday night at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, McDonogh answered that question and completed its quest for three in a row. In what is starting to feel like a playoff tradition, the Eagles were matched up against top-seeded Boys' Latin. After three straight years of facing off in the semifinals, this matchup finally reached the championship stage. With fans remembering a regular season thriller this year that resulted in McDonogh winning by two, this contest was bound to be great. As the two heavyweights went head-to-head it certainly lived up to the hype. While the first half was a grudge match, a second-half surge by the Eagles put them in the driver's seat and they never looked back.