DeMatha and Seneca Valley.
Seneca Valley and DeMatha.
No matter which way you see it, these two schools define high school football in
Maryland.
And since these teams have never met in a regular-season game, they have created
the greatest mythical rivalry in the history of Maryland high school football.
Since the start of the Associated Press state rankings in 1990, DeMatha, a private
school in Prince George's County, and Seneca Valley, a public school in Montgomery
County, have been ranked a combined 207 times in 107 polls. They are the state's
winningest two programs in the 1990s, and they've held the No. 1 ranking a combined
66 weeks ñ which is 21 weeks more than the rest of the No. 1s added together.
Seneca Valley was No. 1 in the entire 1997 season. DeMatha went coast-to-coast as
No. 1 in 1998.
DeMatha or Seneca Valley.
The dispute raged to such a degree last year that The Washington Post, which had
Seneca Valley as the D.C. Metro area's No. 1 team, set up a call-in line and printed
a sampling of the results.
"It's like a quarterback controversy," said Seneca Valley coach Terry Changuris
of the DeMatha vs. Seneca Valley debate. "People like to talk and like to have
an opinion. ... (The Post story) generated a lot of publicity. Of course, the DeMatha
people said DeMatha and the Seneca Valley people said Seneca Valley. ..."
The programs' win-loss records during the 1990s leave little doubt these football
powers are the state's heavyweights. Seneca Valley is 100-12 in the 1990s. DeMatha
is 83-14. The Screaming Eagles have won five state championships, the Stags have
five league titles (the school's highest possible on-field honor).
Fans crave a DeMatha-Seneca Valley meeting, but simply put, under current conditions,
it will never happen.
While Changuris and DeMatha coach Bill McGregor both profess the utmost respect for
the other's program, a head-to-head meeting doesn't further either team's objective.
"My highest goal is winning the WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference),"
McGregor said. Changuris countered by saying a Maryland state championship is always
the aim for Seneca Valley.
DeMatha advances to its conference playoffs based on results in its league. Seneca
Valley, meanwhile, must earn points to qualify for the playoffs and all games count,
meaning non-league loss, regardless of the opponent's size or ability, could jeopardize
the school's chances of postseason play. If Seneca Valley's goal is to be a public
school state champion, it hardly seems worthwhile playing a non-public school.
Also, the fact that DeMatha is a private school and can attract student-athletes
from anywhere creates a uneven advantage that Changuris is not eager to face.
"It's not like Seneca Valley is ducking anyone," said Changuris, whose
team is facing defending 3A champion Friendly in a non-league game. "We would
play DeMatha if they played only the kids that lived within three or four miles of
the school. We have a very small draw area ... not more than three or four miles
(in any direction of the school)."
McGregor, meanwhile, would welcome a meeting with Seneca Valley, saying "we'd
love to sign a lifetime contract" to face the Screaming Eagles. But McGregor
understands Changuris' predicament, and harbors no ill feelings.
The best chance of a Seneca Valley vs. DeMatha game ñ or any public school vs. DeMatha,
for that fact ñ would be a special, post-playoff charity game, therefore the match-up
wouldn't affect either team's run at their vastly different goals.
Although any fan would like to see the issue settled on the field, truth is by not
playing, the programs' inadvertently help the other.
When both go undefeated, like in 1998, it creates conversation and seemingly more
attention is paid to high school football in Maryland. With two undefeated, untied
teams, it's possible for both to be recognized on the region and national levels.
A head-to-head meeting could create a major loser in this mythical rivalry. Such
avoidance as worked in Maryland's favor in high school basketball. After all, DeMatha
and Dunbar never play in basketball, and the Stags never faced St. John's at Prospect
Hall while it was a national power. Yet, all three managed lofty national rankings
throughout the 1990s, including a pair of national titles.
But on the football scene, DeMatha and Seneca Valley seemed destined to take of business
the best they can for now, and leave the "Who's No. 1" debate up the fans
and media.
So be assured when The Associated Press Preseason Top 20 is released on Sept. 1,
the debate again will surface as to who should be No. 1 ñ DeMatha or Seneca
Valley.
ñ Sheldon Shealer