Loyola Blakefield captures its third consecutive A Conference soccer crown

by Derek Toney

Loyola was a little miffed about not being atop the area’s boys soccer rankings at the beginning of the season after winning the previous two MIAA A Conference championships. 

The so-called disrespect had some merit. The Dons graduated eight starters off last year’s roster. They also had another new coach.

Loyola accepted the doubts as well as the bumps and bruises that come with playing in the nation’s best high school soccer league.

In the rain Sunday evening, the Dons reached rarified air. Loyola defeated McDonogh, 1-0, at Loyola University’s Ridley Athletic Complex.

“I feel like a lot of people doubted us. We got put forth in the rankings,” said Sharpe. “I feel like it's more about the team than the individual players, you know. We got other people in the league who get higher praises at different levels, but you know, we came together.”

Sharpe’s first half tally and the Dons’ big-game confidence on both ends of the pitch helped put the Towson school in MIAA immorality with a third consecutive crown. Loyola (13-4-3 overall), who won its sixth title overall, joins McDonogh (2017-2019) as the only A programs to go back-to-back-to-back.

“It's crazy…I think it's probably the best league in the nation, right?,” said Loyola coach Lucas Winters. “I don't know many high school teams that get to play two top 20 teams in the nation, and just have to travel five miles each direction.”

Winters, an assistant last season, moved into the lead role after Geaton Caltabiano departed during the summer for St. Mary’s. Caltabiano had succeeded Michael Marchiano who led Loyola to its first MIAA A soccer title in nearly a decade in 2023.

Marchiano left in the summer of 2024 for his college alma-mater, Maryland, where he’s the women’s soccer coach.

Loyola has had a different coach (longtime coach Lee Tschartet left after the 2022 campaign) in each of the last four seasons.

Sharpe said the constant is Loyola’s culture.

“We have those Jesuit values…We don't know what's going to happen, but if you work your hardest, even with different coaches, you believe in yourselves, you’re going to find that end product,” said Sharpe, a senior forward. “You know we were going to fight through and find that passion and win.”

The Dons found what would be the winning connection late in the opening half Sunday. Will Week sent a ball to the right for George Forakis, who lifted a cross to the middle.

Sharpe headed the ball into the corner opposite McDonogh goalie Teddy Kolasky in the 38th minute.

“When I looked down from the ball, I saw the goalie on the opposite side,” Sharpe said. “I knew I was running straight through that corner, doing a little Dan Klink.”

Sharpe was a key reserve last year for the Dons, who were led by Klink, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, now at North Carolina, and Sammie Walker (West Virginia).

“We all knew it was going to be different without our big names, like Klink and Walker, but we knew deep down that if we put a team together that would have success throughout the season,” said Loyola junior defender Mike Leming, a returning starter.

Leming, senior Diego Hernandez, sophomore Cole Jones and junior goalie Colton Gibson were part of a defensive effort that shutout McDonogh twice this season. The Dons’ defense regrouped after losing senior Jimmy Black to injury.

Senior midfielder Will Wnek, another returning starter, said Loyola had a host of players ready this season to help continue their championship reign.

“We had a lot of depth, guys who didn't play last year, but they stepped up this year,” said Wnek. “I think that really shows how they were working last year in the shadows and now they get their chances to show their talent and that's what they did.”

The Dons finished second in the league during the regular season after claiming first and playoff top-seed the previous two seasons. The top five teams in this year’s regular season standings were separated by just six points with McDonogh claiming the top-seed.

The Eagles (15-4-3), seeking their first title since completing their historic three-peat in 2019 were poised to add a record 11th crown Sunday, entering on a 10-game unbeaten streak. But McDonogh wasn’t able to generate quality opportunities as Ryan Neal’s shot sailed just over the crossbar with 57 seconds left in regulation.

Eagles coach Brandon Quaranta said Loyola was the better team.

“I didn’t think we were anywhere close to being good enough in the first half and that’s a credit to Loyola. They started better than us, carried it for most of the first half,” Quaranta said. “I thought our emotional response was good enough in the second half, but we didn’t do enough in the run of play to deserve to win that championship tonight. It’s disappointing. I thought it was one of our worst performances of the year at the wrong time.”

It was another perfect ending Sunday for junior Brody Good, Leming and Wnek who collected their third championship.

“It’s unexplainable,” said Wnek. “I was crying out there. I’m just so happy and really proud.”