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The Roll Dons Report is a monthly e-newsletter for the whole of our Loyola Blakefield community. Read on for the latest updates from our Athletics Department, including upcoming events, recent scores, team news and shoutouts.
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Dear Loyola Blakefield Community,
Happy Spring! I hope everyone has had a chance to get outside and enjoy the wonderful weather. Our spring sports’ Dons are hitting the home stretch with their seasons. The varsity teams are making a push for the playoffs and post season meets. Several members of our track and field team recently broke school records. Hargaden Field has recently been updated with a brand new surface. Teams have begun to start practicing on it in the past few days.
Please join me on campus or off campus for many exciting remaining spring sports competitions!
Roll Dons Roll.
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Upcoming Events & IMPORTANT INFORMATION |
Hargaden Field
We are proud to report that the work to resurface Hargaden Field is now complete! Check out this great photo capture by Ryan MacLean ’27 and join us in thanking all those who labored to bring this project to completion. |
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WELCOME MATT HANLEY '07
Matt Hanley ’07 has been named Loyola’s new Ice Hockey Coach. For the past two years, he has served as an Assistant Coach with the program. He is also the current coach for Foundations Hockey, which serves players from ages 3-18. During his time as a student at Loyola, Hanley was a four-year varsity player and served as captain for two years. Read more about our new coach here.
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Spring Online Stores are open
There is still time to get your Loyola spring sports athletics gear. Visit our website for more information. Remember, a portion of each sale goes back to our teams!
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MedStar Sports Performance Workouts
Strength and Conditioning workouts continue in our weight room. These workouts are provided by trainers from MedStar. Workouts are open for any student Mondays through Fridays (school days) from 6:30-7:30am and from 11:00am-1:00pm (lunch times). Team workouts will take place from 3:00-6:00pm each day.
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Summer at Blakefield
There is still time to register for one or more of our sports camps this summer! These camps are provided by the coaches at Loyola. Please click here for details.
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We have a tremendous coaching staff at Loyola Blakefield, comprised of talented men and women from a variety of backgrounds. Each month we'll highlight one of our coaches and share how they Form leaders to serve with and for others; Develop the mind, body and spirit of student-athletes; and Build programs that foster a culture of champions.
INTRODUCING Dylan Hosford
Coach Dylan Hosford started playing tennis for Loyola under Coach Kraft’s program in 2001. He returned to Loyola in 2020 and acted as assistant Varsity Coach under Kraft. He is now in his 3rd year as Varsity Head Coach and teaches mathematics in the Middle School. Dylan recently introduced the newest member of his family, Ralph, and hopes he will become a Tennis Don one day!
How do you form leaders to serve with and for others on your team?
Our captains are in place to model the qualities we want in our players. We use them to actively motivate, model, and mentor their teammates. Our captains and senior members of our team are our biggest asset in building and maintaining a culture of excellence on and off the courts. When you have guys who are bought into the hard work, integrity, and discipline we ask of all of our players, it is much easier to establish a team of men for others, or better, a team of men for each other.
How do you develop the mind, body, and spirit of each student-athlete on your team?
Tennis is a humbling and brutal sport at times. There are not many other sports here at Loyola where you compete one-vs-one; you vs your opponent. There is nowhere to hide. It’s do or die. The unforgiving nature of tennis demands not just an enormous physical commitment of the athlete, but more so a mental one. This necessitates a year-round emphasis on nutrition and conditioning, but also a year-round emphasis on competition. There is no substitute for the physical and mental strain of playing a match than performing that action year-round. Grit is cultivated. It doesn’t just happen in the span of a few weeks during the season. Many of our guys train and compete in tennis all year long, in addition to the other sports and activities they are involved with. When we hit the courts in late February, this is just an extension of the training they have been putting in all year.
How is the tennis program at Loyola being built to foster a culture of champions?
Tennis is often looked at as an individual sport. Doubles aside, in many ways it is. However, even when you look at professional tennis players, they have built a strong foundation of support around them: a team. The highs and lows of any sport cannot be endured alone. You must be there for one another. You must work together as a unit. You must be men for others. This is what we preach at Loyola because of it’s importance. As a coach, I must ensure that it is put into practice. When we learn to be selfless in an increasingly selfish sport, we can grow and take each other to the next level. We can hold each other accountable. We can act like a team. In my opinion, this is the purpose of competition. It’s the reason we have competitive sports in school. Along with integrity and discipline, it’s the most important quality I can cultivate as a coach: being a supportive teammate.
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SPORTS Updates
Please note that the updates below from our coaches refLect status of teams as of publication deadline. Track all results on our website. |
VARSITY
The Loyola Varsity baseball team played St Paul's during the spring break and had a 9-1 victory. Freshman Will Kelly went 2-4 with 2 Rbi and Cannon Cooper went 1 -3 with 2 Rbi. The pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the Win.
The next week we had our 3 game series with Calvert Hall.
Game 1 Junior Joe Nottingham started on the mound and went 5 inning with 10 strikeouts. Junior Gavin Pope closed out the last 2 innings with 4 strikeouts. Sophomore Colby Shilling hit a 2 run Home Run to give the Dons the lead. Brad Seiss had the other RBI with a Triple as the Dons won 3-1.
Game 2 the Dons got down 7-2 before the bats came alive and led the team to a thrilling 8-7 in 8 innings. Junior Michael Delgaudio hit a 3 Run Home Run in the bottom of the 6th inning to get the Dons within a run and junior Ryan Clary singled in Will Kelly to tie the game. Sophomore Tanner Robertson started on the hill and Juniors Ashton White and Sam Corriere gave the team great middle relief. Junior Brad Seiss came on in the 8th inning to get the win.
Game 3 the Dons finished the Sweep of the Cards 5-2. Seniors Logan Connolly and Luke McCullough handled business on the mound. Junior Derek Seiss had a double, while Will Kelly and Junior Ryan Clary had RBI singles to power the Dons.
The Dons played MSJ and went 1-2 against them. We are tied 1-1 with Curley and play Friday at Curley to conclude the series. The Dons conclude the MIAA schedule against John Carroll.
JUNIOR VARSITY
The JV baseball team has struggled offensively down the stretch, losing series to Calvert Hall and MSJ. The bats have been chilly the last couple weeks but the pitching staff has kept them in the games. Sophomores Graham Kuchinsky and Trent Mueck have pitched well. Davis Champion, Nate Sheppard and Zane Krikstan have led the freshman on the mound with good outings as well. They look to get back on track with a season ending series with John Carroll.
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VARSITY
Varsity Rugby has struggled to find their footing and play to their potential through April. Varsity rugby lost @ Spalding on a cold and windy day where we couldn’t adjust to the conditions. Following Spalding we battled through injuries to a tie at home vs Calvert Hall, playing a man down for the final 15 minutes of the match. A tough defensive effort, but offensively we struggled to connect. A strong 44-5 showing against MSJ to close out April was a great way to go into the final week of the season with some momentum as we get healthier. A massive home match senior night vs the number one seed Spalding on May 2.
Junior VARSITY
The JV Rugby Dons turned a corner in April and began battling as they gained experience. A win against Spalding brought the team together while a stalwart defensive effort to beat the #1 seed Calvert Hall 19-17 really showed what the team is capable of. A tough final match in April against MSJ saw the JV Rugby Dons fall 17-0, although they fought a strong defensive effort for most of the match. This mostly brand new to rugby side has grown tremendously from the start of the season and looks to close out the regular season home against Spalding next week.
SCHEDULES & MORE:
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VARSITY
11th ranked Dons Track and Field is headed to a show down with MIAA foe Gilman in a race on May 1st to determine the league dual meet champion. Wednesday’s 2nd place finish secured the number two seed in the league. Top marks Wednesday went to Matt Johnson, the new school record holder in the shot put at 48-3, Khary Adams ( 1st in the 400m with a time of 50.18) a season best for Ezra Carter in the High Jump at 5-10. Other impressive performances went to vaulters Jack Wachter and Will Coyne who both jumped 13-6 and Liam Lucas ran a personal record of 2:01.61.
With a very strong supporting cast that include sprint seniors Maurice Ghee, Matt Redrick and Nathan Perez, the always strong distance group led by seniors Sean Wilson, Andrew Rowan, Lucas, Bryce Robinson and sophomore Liam Stappert (now sub 10 for 3200m) and a solid group of field event athletes to include sophomore Daniel McCormick (long jump 21-7), Jordan Hammond (triple jump) and high jumpers Maurice Ghee and Hammond, Gilman looks to have its hands full next week. In addition to Johnson for the throws, rapidly improving freshman Matty Allen in both the shot and discus should help make for a very close meet.
Junior Varsity
At the jv level, the team is 6-3 through three quad meets. Led by Sophomore Patrick Bradley (distance) and Enzo Capone (vault) with help from frosh athletes Logan Furst (vault and sprints) and a sprint group that includes Kannon McKenzie, Josh Dixon, Michael Escoe, Daniel Longe, and Alejandro Rodriguez, the junior varsity continues to improve as it prepares for the league championship meet in May.
SCHEDULES & MORE:
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Varsity
Loyola Varsity Golf just finished a very tough 4 match week. The week before we lost two very close home matches against Gilman and Mt St Joe that dramatically hurt our playoff chances.
After having our backs against the wall, we had a great week of practice with high energy focusing on proving ourselves against some of the best teams in the league. Loyola ended the week with 3 massive wins in a row over defending champion Calvert Hall, first place St Paul’s, and a dominant win on the road giving Spalding their first home loss of the season.
Now the tables have turned in the MIAA and varsity golf controls their destiny headed into the last 3 matches of the season looking to solidify their playoff spot. As the pressure mounted the team has taken their games to new heights. Led by a strong cast of returning talent Charlie Klaers, Braden Decapite, Ethan Coleman, Cole Dorsey, & Matt Bernhardt the team has had impressive record setting scoring with combined under par performances in its last few matches. Up and coming sophomores Will Ballard & Nolan Vogel have also performed extremely well in their debuts on varsity helping the team heat up into the last stretch of the season.
It’s been a tale of 2 seasons for the Loyola JV Golf Dons. After getting off to a disappointing 1-3 start, the Dons have rolled winning 5 matches in a row!! The wins included knocking off previously undefeated Gilman, and powerhouse St. Pauls! It has been a total team effort with each member of the ‘24 squad contributing in some crucial way. After the Dons win their final march against Gilman, they will have won the division, and will hold home course advantage throughout the playoffs. The future of Loyola golf is certainly bright with these up and coming players.
SCHEDULES & MORE:
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VARSITY
Varsity tennis began their difficult MIAA campain, playing Gilman, McDonough and Calvert Hall the past two weeks. Although Loyola was unable to pull out any victories during this stretch, there were a few silver linings. Senior doubles team composed of Colin Strain and Soren Bammens pulled out a gritty and entertaining match against Gilman, followed by two more decisive victories against McD and CHC, giving them a 3-0 record on the season. In addition, all of the matches have been tight, demonstrating significant improvement against these teams from previous years. There is still much to be work for as the team still controls their own destiny for playoff hopes, where Loyola has shown they can hang with any team.
Junior Varsity
We are halfway through the season and out of three matches played the JV Tennis team representing the Dons are 1-2. We lost 1-4 to Gilman, won 3-2 over McDonogh, and lost 2-3 to Calvert Hall. We are confident in our ability to turn the tides of any rematch we may have in the post season we are still working on qualifying to make. With two remaining matches on the schedule and our gritty and ever-improving play on the courts, the Dons are a team nobody hopes to see in the playoffs.
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VARSITY
Gearing up towards the end of the regular season the varsity dons are fighting for a playoff spot. Sitting at 3-4 in conference the next few games are crucial for the team to make the playoffs. The Dons had big wins over St. Mary’s and John Carroll the last couple weeks with a close loss to Gilman the other day. The guys continue to fight and are working hard along the way.
Junior VARSITY
As we roar into May, spring is in full bloom and this year's JV squad is 8-1 sitting on top of the MIAA standings, tied with Spalding and Calvert Hall for first place. Coached by alums Jake Barwick '17, Matt Lewandowski '85, John Blatchley '88, and Dod Poe '90, this group has a throwback style you will love to watch...pressure defense, scrappy ground ball play and up-tempo offense, always hunting transition opportunities. JV games are Mondays and Thursdays @ 4pm. We have 3 tough road tests to close out our regular season @ Severn, @ St. Paul's, and @ Calvert Hall. If we get the job done, we will host a semifinal on the newly resurfaced Hargaden Field Thursday May 9. Face off is 4pm. Come on out, climb on the bandwagon, and cheer us on. RDR!
FROSH
Loyola Blakefield's lacrosse team has demonstrated exceptional skill in a 15-4 victory over Towson High School. This win boosts their confidence as they approach the season's close. The Dons' ability to control the game's pace and dominate on both offense and defense was evident, with key players stepping up to ensure a decisive win. As Loyola Blakefield looks forward to their final game of the season against Calvert Hall, the stakes and the anticipation are high. This game is not only about concluding the season but competing against a rivial team. Beat The Hall!
SCHEDULES & MORE:
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BASEBALL
Middle School baseball started the year with a win over Dumbarton 4-3. Gilman downed the young Dons 6-1. We bounced back with a comeback win over St Paul's 15-9. The Dons have been led by 8th graders Gavin Wilcox, Cam Pappas and Quinn Frey. The Middle School Dons have 4 games left in the season.
LACROSSE
7th grade team continues to dominate with a 3-0 record. They play extremely well as a team and have been able to shut out two of their opponents the last two games.
The 8th grade started the year off with a good win over McDonogh. The final score was 12-4 and the Dons jumped out to 6-3 lead by halftime. Loyola scoring was highlighted by Cooper Lewis’s 1 goal and 4 assists, while Wyatt Wein added 3 more goals. The other 8 goals were shared between Sam Abbruzzese, Herbie Aloi, Evan Baehr, Dashiell Campsen, Owen Myers, Evan Socha, and Jacob Williams.
On April 10th, the Dons played Boys’ Latin away. It was a close game that saw four different lead changes in a classic BL-Loyola match up, and despite a man-up opportunity with two quality shots at the end, the Dons came up short 8-7. Cooper Lewis led the Dons in scoring with 3 goals and 1 assist. Wyatt Wein has 1 goal and 1 assist. Evan Baehr, Brody Blatchley and Robert Thomas all added a goal and Jacob Williams rounded out the scoring with an assist. Defensively, notable performances came from LSM Nick LaRocco who helped on the wings of faceoffs, and close defenders Zach Bickel, Makana Takasaki, and Liam Gunkel.
One week later, the 8th grade Dons headed over to Gilman for a game with the Greyhounds. Fresh off the BL loss, the boys were ready and won 8-4. Gilman fought hard but they were no match for Evan Baehr’s 3 goals and 2 assists. Cooper Lewis added a goal and an assist, while Herbie Aloi, Brody Blatchley, Isaiah Brown, and Dashiell Campsen all tallied a goal each. In addition to good team offense, the Dons defense also played exceptionally well holding Gilman to only 4 goals. Carson Hewitt was big in the goal and quick to turn a save into a transition opportunity.
Last, the Dons travelled down to Severn on a rainy Friday to do battle and came back with a big win over the Admirals, 14-3. Loyola dominated both sides of the ball that day and goalies, Nick Yeagy and Billy Novotny, were stellar between the pipes. We also saw our first pole goal from LSM Anderson Stappert. Cooper Lewis scored an additional 3 goals and 2 assists. Evan Socha, back from an injury, scored 2 goals and 1 assist. Evan Baehr has 2 goals, and both Wyatt Wein and Jacob Williams had 1 goal and 1 assist. Dons scoring was capped off by a goal from Sam Abbrusseze, Brody Blatchley, Wes Gibson, and Tyler Verceles.
With three games left, the 8th grade Dons hope to win out their season and beat Ridgely, St’ Paul’s and split the season with Boys’ Latin.
Track & Field
The Middle School track team completed its first meet of the season with a fine effort at McDonogh.
Led by top performances from Ben Price (8) in the long jump, Elijah Tsakalos (7) throwing the shot, Cameron Teddy (8) in the mile and 400m specialist Kaelin Ransom (7) the MicroDons kicked off the season with some impressive performances. New additions from the 6th grade are making some noise early as Alex Riopko led the Dons in the 800m run. With 27 athletes on the roster, this season group has been training hard since the end of the winter. Upcoming meets against Gilman, St. Paul’s, McDonogh, and Severn should challenge the team to top efforts.
While the goal is to train and perform at a top level, Coaches Reid and Brown describe a team that is enjoying the process and participating fully. Most athletes eagerly compete in two events per meet. With three more races left in the season, the runners, jumpers, and throwers should continue to improve.
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GET IN TOUCH
Blake Henry
Director of Athletics
Loyola Blakefield
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Loyola Blakefield
500 Chestnut Ave. Towson, MD 21204
Ph: 410-823-0601
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