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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,
I recently had the opportunity to watch our swim and dive program, and wrestling programs compete in the MIAA championships. Our swim and dive team finished in third place and our wrestling team finished in fourth place. I am sure that members from both of those teams would say they are slightly disappointed with their overall finish, though we had individual champions in each sport.
Each day started early in the morning and didn’t wrap up until after 6:00pm. If you attended either event, you likely saw what I saw. Loyola athletes competing with everything they had from the start of the race or match to the end of the race or match. As individuals, they each had a small part to play for their team. I think the most impressive part of each day was how each member of both teams stayed to encourage and cheer on their fellow teammates who were still competing. They could have easily have gone home and done other things or honored other commitments. But each one of them chose to stay to the very end. They put their Loyola team first.
Competing with your brothers is the most special part of being a Loyola Blakefield student-athlete. If you ask members of any team at Loyola why they compete on our teams, most of them will say for a chance to play and compete with their brothers that go to Loyola. Yes, they want to win. But more importantly, they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to be a man for others.
Thank you to all our coaches at Loyola for their investment in our boys and building men that serve with and for others, both at Loyola and beyond.
Good luck to our winter athletes as they finish their seasons.
Roll Dons Roll,
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Upcoming Events & IMPORTANT INFORMATION |
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Team Stores
Visit our online team stores to get your Loyola Sports gear! A portion of each sale goes back to our team!
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MedStar Weight Room Workouts
MONDAY - FRIDAY | 6:30 - 7:30 AM, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Strength and conditioning workouts provided by trainers from MedStar continue in our weight room. 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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Spring Sports Varsity Athletics Retreat
Our varsity spring sports coaches and athletes will participate in an Athletics Retreat on March 1 at 8:30 a.m. The retreat will start in Knott Hall where the teams will eat breakfast, listen to a scripture reading, and hear about the theme for the retreat, which is Team First. Teams will participate in break out sessions, a practice/workout, lunch, and Mass. The purpose of the retreat is to explore how each athlete’s faith in God impacts their team as well as their own performance.
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Spring Sports Begin
Upper School Spring Sports begin on February 18 and Middle School Spring Sports begin on March 3. Check our out our Athletics page for details. The virtual preseason parent spring sports meeting is on March 3 at 8pm. A link to attend the meeting will be available in the Parent Weekly.
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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.
 Get to Know Coach Matt Hanley '07
Coach Matt Hanley, who graduated from Loyola in 2007, brings nearly three decades of playing experience to his coaching role.
Four years playing varsity at Loyola and a collegiate career at Towson deeply influenced his approach to leadership, teamwork, and the game.
He’s now in his third year coaching Loyola Blakefield’s varsity hockey team and his first as head coach, and he additionally works with youth hockey players ages three to 18.
Outside of hockey, he works in wealth management as Vice President at Seventy2 Capital, and lives in Cockeysville with his wife Claire and their two sons, Xavier (5) and Christopher (1).
How do you form leaders to serve with and for others on your team?
We develop leaders by giving every player a responsibility and encouraging them to lead by example, focusing on serving the team rather than just themselves. Leadership is about supporting others, holding teammates accountable, and lifting everyone up. We involve team captains in decision-making to help them take ownership and foster a strong team culture.
How do you develop the mind, body, and spirit of each student-athlete on your team?
Hockey is a demanding sport that requires as much mentally as it does physically. We help players develop their minds through strategic thinking, game awareness, and smart decision-making. Physically, we focus on conditioning, strength, and injury prevention to ensure they’re prepared for competition. Spiritually, we emphasize mental toughness, resilience, and teamwork to build character and stay motivated, no matter the challenges.
How is your team being built to foster a culture of champions?
We build a culture of champions by emphasizing the importance of consistent effort, discipline, and holding each other to high standards. We focus on trust, unity, and supporting each other both on and off the ice. Success comes from developing a winning mindset, making each day an opportunity to grow as a team.
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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 Varsity Dons currently have two games left to play in the regular season. The team has clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive year in the MIAA and is currently holding the fourth-place spot in the BCL.
The team has been paced with the return of Marlon Williams from injury and Jesse Legree’s great shooting performances over the past month. The Dons are excited for a deep playoff run to cap off this season.
This past week, the team had an exciting win against McDonogh (Thursday) and a close loss to St. Frances (Friday). The MIAA A Conference playoff begin on Tuesday and the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament begins the following week. This year, the team has been led by strong performances from its senior class including Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year, Mason Ellison (Delaware commit), Marlon Williams (Naval Academy Prep School commit), and Carter Palmer (Bridgewater College commit). Mason Ellison became the program’s all-time leading scorer this season.
JV
With one week left in the regular season the JV Basketball has a record of 11-9. The team has been practicing and playing well and coming off an overtime win at Mt. Carmel are looking forward to the playoffs!
BJ Simmons and Carmine Coles lead the way in scoring and have been supported by the strong point guard play of Mekhi Moe. Injuries and the promotion of our freshman center has forced us to heavily rely on our bench. I am happy to report that they are performing well! Despite several tough losses this year the team remains upbeat and strives everyday to improve.
Frosh
The Frosh Hoopsters continue to improve as the season winds to an end. Scoring has increased as well as the effort the boys have displayed. The Frosh Hoopsters have shown purpose over the past few weeks. An exciting 57-56 home win over St. Vincent Pallotti has been one of the highlights this season. The boys are looking for a couple more wins to end the season.
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VARSITY
The Dons wrapped up the regular season with an impressive 9-1 record and had eight players ranked in the league's Top 20 for points. Senior Ryder McClure led the league with 29 points, while fellow senior Jimmy Albanesi secured the fourth spot with 24 points. In goal, Tommy Bunte was the only netminder to play all 10 regular season games, posting a stellar 0.92 save percentage. He also led all goalies in assists with four. The Dons defeated Boy's Latin in the playoff semifinals on February 10 by a score of 7-6 in overtime, and competed in a close match in the championship game against St. Paul's, eventually falling to the Crusaders by a score of 1-2.
SCHEDULES & MORE:
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VARSITY
The indoor track team had a successful 2024-25 campaign. School records were set by Khary Adams in the 55 meter dash, Daniel McCormick in the long jump and Will Coyne in the pole vault. Will’s vault of 14’7” is also an all time MIAA record. At the MIAA championships, both Daniel and Will won a gold medal in their event. Another highlight of the championship meet was Carston Brown, Daniel McCormick, Daniel Longe and Zachary Edmondson-Deigh earning a silver medal in the 4 x 200 meter relay. The regular season part of indoor track is over but we are excited that Khary, Daniel, and Will have all qualified to Nike Indoor Nationals and will be representing Loyola in New York City in March.
Junior Varsity
The JV indoor track and field team was a young group of hard working athletes. The coaching staff is very proud of the progress that the young Dons made. Many of them earned marks to qualify for the MIAA Championships and almost everyone ran their best times at the championships. We look forward to seeing what this group will do as they move up to the varsity level.
SCHEDULES & MORE:
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Varsity
Both Varsity and JV squash made the most important stride they needed to make this year: they closed the gap between us and St. Paul’s and Gilman. While we didn’t beat either team, our matches with them were more competitive. At the JV level, we won individual matches against both teams. While the players enter every season thinking and hoping this will be a championship year, the coaches are focused on player improvement and closing the gap with the historically two strongest teams in the MIAA. That goal was accomplished.
The Varsity’s improvement can be registered in looking at matches against teams we played twice. The first match against SquashWise, one of our favorite non-conference matches of the year, wasn’t close. The second time we played them, we lost 5-2. We also improved in our playoff match against Boys’ Latin, easily defeating the Lakers, 6-1. Winners that day were Lucas Hobson (3-0), Cole Fones (3-2), Aiden Tracy (3-1), James Lancaster (3-1), James Herber (3-2), and Ashton White (3-0).
The Varsity finished fourth in the MIAA with a 4-3. Its overall record was 9-10. Kudos go out to Lucas Hobson for playing tough at #1, oftentimes playing nationally ranked players, and yet he never complained. Cole Fones was our highest ranked freshman or sophomore, and he improved as the season progressed, ending the year at #2. He will be a solid foundation on which to build next year’s team. Aiden Tracy, known for his hustle and tenacity since his freshman year, developed an ever-improving strategic game that, when combined with his attitude, made him hard to beat. Even when he lost, his opponent had to work hard for the victory. James Lancaster played #4, jumping from #12 from last season because of his off-season hard work. The players who occupied the #5 through #8 spots – James Herber, Luca Pirisino, Ashton White, and Ben Andrews jockeyed all season for their positions. They all were significantly better players at the end of the season than they were at the beginning.
JV finished third in the league at 4-2, losing a hard-fought match to eventual league champion St. Paul’s in the league semifinals. The team finished with an overall record of 12-3. Connor Doehne and Henry Poe occupied the #1 and #2 spots all season. They both played well. Their development should pay off next year for the Varsity. Charlie Compton, Hayden Shower, and Jake Smith also had good seasons. They may also contribute next season. Thirteen total players contributed to the JV this year, and all won at least one match. While winning is nice, JV is also focused on improvement and development.
Everyone is a stronger player today than they were at the beginning of the season. All this happened without losing sight of having fun and being a team.
Both Coach Lacy and Coach Brown would like to thank the players for all their hard work, their families for their support, both of the program and their sons, and the greater Loyola community. If teams are judged by improvement from day 1 to day last, there’s no question all 24 players and both teams finished the season as champions.
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VARSITY
Varsity swimming concluded its season with MIAA swimming Championships. The Don’s placed 3rd overall. The Dons had great efforts from Sophomore Spencer Belbot, winning the 500 freestyle. Senior Harry Belbot was runner-up in the 200 and 100 freestyle. Junior Liam McQuaid placed 3rd in the 500 freestyle. Senior Matt Cattaneo placed 3rd in the 100 back and 2nd in the 50 free. The 400 freestyle relay team clinched 2nd place. The relay was lead by Harry Belbot, Sal Anello, Dom Feracci, and Spencer Belbot.
Junior Varsity
JV Swimming concluded its season with earning second place at MIAA Championships. The Don’s were lead by freshmen Aiden Price, Finley Mitchell, and Max Balto. Junior Jack O’Hara scored in the 50 freestyle. Dilon Junior Mack scored in the 100 freestyle. Junior Gavin Halsey scored points for the Dons in both of his events.
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Varsity
The Varsity Wrestling team finished their dual meet season with a record of 18-4 and are currently ranked as the #5 team in Maryland. We defeated local rivals Curley, Boys Latin, McDonogh, and rival Calvert Hall for the 20th straight season.
Most recently, the team competed at the MIAA Tournament. The team finished with 8 place-winners which included four finalists and 2 MIAA Champions – Junior Jayden Jackson and Senior Luke Randazzo. It was Jayden Jackson’s 3rd MIAA title and Luke Randazzo’s first after finishing 2nd last year.
Congratulations to the Varsity wrestlers who put it all on the line this weekend. Private schools in Maryland have the most talent and depth in the entire state and the competition was fierce. The team finished with 10 place-winners and a program record THREE STATE CHAMPIONS! The champions included Luke Randazzo, Jayden Jackson, and Tyler Verceles! The coaches were very impressed with the heart and determination displayed by everyone on the team and we couldn’t be more proud of everyone.
Junior varsity
The JV wrestling Dons are coming down the season's home stretch, with the Maryland Independent State Tournament approaching this weekend.
Recently, at the Patterson Mill Husky Open, the JV Dons had 5 finalists, with 3 Freshmen bringing back the gold- Landon Sansone, Makana Takasaki, and Evan Socha.
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Basketball
8TH GRADE
The 8th-grade basketball team finished the season with a 3-7 record. Hard-fought contests against strong talent within our league challenged our team to keep their heads up all season. They worked on their skills throughout the year, demonstrating perseverance and mental toughness in every game. Man-to-man defense was the key that kept us competitive, and it was never more evident than during our game in the Performance Gym. Down big early, the Dons kept their composure, battled back to tie the game, and narrowly lost a hard-fought contest. I couldn’t be prouder of this group of players for their effort and teamwork, which grew stronger as the season progressed.
A special thank you to Coach Showe, as well as Sam Racicot and Aiden Coady, for keeping the table and score under control throughout the season.
7TH GRADE
The 7th grade basketball team finished the season with a 5-4 record. It was an absolute honor to coaches these young men. This team did not have a super star, it had 12 super stars that played as a team. This team showed that you do not need to have the most talent but if you have that brotherhood, you will succeed. On Feb 4th against Boy’s Latin, we had our chicken and cheers game. The performance gym was packed and loud. Loyola played very hard for four quarters. At the end loyola lost 60-53. The boys should be very proud of themselves. They put on a show in front of their school. I can’t wait to watch these young men grow here at loyola and I see them doing BIG things throughout their careers on and off the court.
Thank you to Sam Racicot, Aiden Coady, and Finn McFaul for their help this season at the table keeping the score book and clock. I would also like to thank the parents and the student body for coming out and supporting this team!
Swimming
The middle school swim team ended their season with an undefeated record. The team, led by Coach Brown, grew as a group with team practices and meets. The Don’s victories were part of a team effort. Congratulations to all the 8th graders as they will move up to compete with JV or varsity next season.
Wrestling
The Middle School Wrestling team schedule culminated in a tri-meet against St. Paul’s and St. Ignatius. The boys wrestled extremely well under the big light! The coaching staff was pleased with the determination and toughness all our wrestlers demonstrated this year.
We have many 8th graders who will provide depth to our JV and Varsity wrestling teams. We are hopeful our seventh graders return to the mats next year. Great job this year by our coaching staff, Steve Truitt, Jack Kenny, Tyree Williams, and Christian Anderson.
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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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