Here is the latest from DeMatha:

• Prince George's County on Monday issued DeMatha's permit to build the Cross Center for Engineering, Arts & Robotics. We will start to see progress on the long-awaited project soon.
   
• Chris Hurst, who will succeed Bill Clark as assistant principal on July 1, is featured on the latest "Stag Symposium" podcast. Now in his 16th year at DeMatha, Chris has taught nearly all levels of math, participated in several service trips and coached basketball. In 2017, he produced DeMatha's "Year of Primes." Listen
   
• Over 200 DeMatha musicians will be traveling to Virginia Beach, Va., to participate in the annual spring music trip and festival April 18-20. On Friday April 19, they will perform at the L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center at Norfolk State University. Parents and alumni are welcome to attend. Performance times are:
  • 9:15 a.m. - DeMatha Harmonics
  • 10:15 a.m. - Voices of DeMatha
  • 11:00 a.m. - Percussion Ensemble II
  • 11:15 a.m. - Advanced Percussion Ensemble  
  • 12:15 p.m. - Sinfonia 
  • 1:25 p.m. - Concert Band II
  • 2:35 p.m. - Concert Band
  • 3:45 p.m. - Symphonic Band
  • 4:25 p.m. - Wind Ensemble
     
• DeMatha will help to raise awareness for organ donation with a flag raising ceremony in April (National Donate Life Month). Please send us names of organ donors, living or deceased, and organ recipients who we could call out during the event. Respond to Pat Smith '82 at psmith@dematha.org.

In Memoriam:

• Ann Page Ayers. Mother of David Page '86 and Julian Ayers '92. Grandmother of Julian Jr. '17, Joel '23 and Jason '28. Obituary
   
• Marie Berard. Mother of James '74. Grandmother of Michael '98, Russell '99, Kevin '06, Phillip '08 and Declan '19. Obituary
   
• Linda Day. Mother of John '84 and Michael '88. Obituary
   
• William Leon "Bo" Ellis, Jr. '77.
   
• Kevin Knott '93. Brother of Shawn '95. Father of Evan '22. Obituary
   
• Maura Jeffords. Mother of Patton '23. The funeral is Saturday April 27 (11 a.m.) at St. Peter's Catholic Church, 313 2nd St. SE, Washington, D.C.
   
• Terry Lynch. Father of Chris '06. Obituary
   
• Daniel McMahon III. Father of DeMatha Principal Dr. Daniel McMahon IV '76 and Timothy ‘78. Grandfather of Daniel V ‘05 and Lucas Farmer ‘13. Great grandfather of Troy Neel ‘27. Obituary
   
• William O'Grady. Father of Eamon '91. A celebration of life is this Saturday (2 p.m.) at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd., Oakton, Va.
   
• Carol Vander Velden. Mother of David '86. Her life will be celebrated on Sunday April 21 (11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.) at the Tran House at Hobbits Glen Golf Course, 11130 Willow Bottom Dr., Columbia, Md.

Athletics:

• Former DeMatha head football coach Jerry Franks will receive the Maryland Football Coaches Association's highest honor, the John Harvill Lifetime Achievement Award. The ceremony will be at the University of Maryland Gossett Team House on Saturday April 27, 9-11 a.m. Franks, who was inducted into the MFCA Hall of Fame in 2008, coached the Stags from 1972-81. Admission is free. Link
   
• The outdoor track team placed second last weekend at the Beach Run Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Stags' 72.5 points trailed only Hoover (Ala.) High.
   
• Senior Anthony Waterman won the 110m hurdles in a meet-record 13.77 seconds and captured the 400m hurdles (55.03); senior Caleb Barley won the shot put (55-11.75) and was second in the discus (146-1); and senior Chase Lopez placed second in the 1,600m (4:23.77). Waterman, Joshua Grisham (Sr.), Myles Dixon (So.) and Joshua Virgil (So.) were third in the 4x400m relay (3:14.24). Results
   
• The Stags will compete Friday and Saturday at the South County Stallion Invitational in Lorton, Va.
   
• The baseball team (14-3) won three games in the Southeastern Baseball Classic in Hartsville, S.C., to advance to the championship. In pre-tournament competitions, senior Tommy Dietrich won for bunting, senior Manny Hall for baserunning and junior Bud Coombs for most accurate throw from the outfield. Senior William Walker was named to the All-Academic team. DeMatha has beaten Paul VI, 5-3, and The Heights, 4-2, this week.
   
• The Stags' next four games are at Riverdale Park: today vs. Carroll (4:30 p.m.), Saturday vs. Good Counsel (1:00), Tuesday vs. John Paul the Great (4:30) and next Thursday vs. Gonzaga (4:30). MaxPreps ranks DeMatha fifth in Maryland.
   
• The tennis team (5-0-2) tied Georgetown Prep, 4-4, and defeated St. John's, 6-3. The Stags play three times next week: Monday at Sidwell Friends (4:30 p.m.), Tuesday at Bishop Ireton (4:00) and Wednesday at home vs. Good Counsel (4:00).
   
• The Washington Post featured DeMatha's quest to repeat as WCAC champion.
   
• The No. 10 lacrosse team (5-3) lost to St. Ignatius of Cleveland, 13-7, and defeated McNamara, 20-3. The Stags will play La Salle at Tierney Field in Sparks, Md., on Friday at 5 p.m. and at Landon on Tuesday at 4:30. The Fallen Heroes Game against La Salle honors former Explorer Travis Mannion and Brendan Looney '99.
   
• The rugby team (2-2) plays at Landon today at 4:30 p.m.
   
• The golf team (2-1), which spent part of last week training at the U.S. Navy Seal Museum in Fort Pierce, Fla., defeated McNamara on Monday. The Stags have a busy week ahead: today vs. O'Connell at Westfields CC; Monday vs. Bullis and Landon at Woodmont CC; Tuesday vs. Good Counsel at Woodmore CC; and Wednesday vs. Ireton at Belle Haven CC. Tee time for the matches is 3:30 p.m.
   
• The rowing team competes Saturday in the Lake Lenape Sprints 3 in Mays Landing, N.J. On Sunday, the varsity travels to Philadelphia for the 4th Manny Flick.

Alumni News:

• Graduates of the Class of 1970 and prior are invited for a get-together at Ledo's Pizza in College Park on Friday April 19 at 3 p.m. Please RSVP to Charlie Kenny '68 at litigator1@aol.com.
   
• Members of the Class of 1980 will gather at Coconut Joe's in Edgewater, Md., on Saturday April 20 at 6 p.m. Chris Scianella '80 and his band Sister Midnight will perform later that evening.
   
• Dr. Thomas Hibbs '78 co-wrote "Encounters with the Counter-Cultural Power of Silence" for the University of Notre Dame Church Life Journal. Link
   
• Ed Baten '89, complex general manager of the luxury hotel W Philadelphia, has spent nearly three decades in the hospitality industry. He recently discussed the restorative value of "providing guests with new wellness experiences that are both fun and beneficial to the body and mind."
   
• William Sutton '99, chief strategy officer with Mowery Construction, was featured on a podcast with life and career coach Brenda McGregor. In "If Only I was Present," Sutton discusses how he balances his work and family life with physical fitness and mentoring youth. Listen
   
• Charlie Paul '14 and Caitlin Kolb (Seton '13) were married Saturday and had their reception in the Antler Room. Charlie is a grandson of Morgan Wootten; Caitlin is a granddaughter of Ray Smith. Congratulations!
   
• Cam Phillips '14 has been hired as a graduate assistant football coach at his alma Mater, Virginia Tech. Phillips is the Hokies' all-time leader in receptions (236) and receiving yards (3,027). The hiring reunites Cam with former DeMatha head coach and Virginia Tech running backs coach Elijah Brooks '02. Link
   
• Eli Klopp '18 is working in Dallas as a life scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Events & Miscellaneous Info:

• The next Red & Blue Meetup is tonight, 6-8 p.m., at the University of Maryland Golf Course. Join us for food, drinks, cigars and a great time! RSVP
   
• An alumnus is looking for a sales or account management job in the Pennsylvania areas of Altoona, Johnstown or Pittsburgh. If you have any leads, contact Tom Ponton at tponton@dematha.org.
   
• The DeMatha rowing team is sponsoring Purse Bingo in the Antler Room on Saturday April 20, 6-9 p.m. Win purses from Coach, Michael Kors, Vera Bradley and more! Tickets are $25 for 20 games (cash only and must be 18 to attend). Join us for a night of food, fun and prizes.
   
• DeMatha will host a youth baseball camp June 24-28 at Riverdale for children 6-10. The camp will run each day from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and lunch is included. Players will receive instruction in skill-development and participate in games. Cost is $450 per camper. Register here.

Stag Store Item of the Week:

• We have finally managed to get a sweatshirt with matching sweatpants here at the same time! That Gear Big Cotton Hoodie we all love now comes in a 1/4 zip (no hood) AND a slim fit pant! Each item is 80% cotton/20% polyester fleece brushed inside and out for the most comfortable feel! $45 each. Link

That is all.

Thomas Ponton '78

Executive Director of Advancement

tponton@dematha.org

240-764-2222

Postscript from the Office of Advancement:

Two DeMatha Stags (one a current student, one a graduate) recently received terrific academic news.

Kelvin Blake ’24 found out that he is getting a scholarship and grant to attend Princeton University, while Dominic Lyles ’18 is receiving a three-year, full-tuition merit scholarship to attend the American University Washington College of Law. Both plan to start in the fall.

Kelvin has a 4.5 cumulative GPA and will major in neuroscience. He is a member of DeMatha’s National Honor Society Valois Chapter, the Black Student Union and the track team. In February, he delivered a Lenten reflection during the school’s two Ash Wednesday services.

As a member of the Archdiocese of Washington Youth Leadership Team, Kelvin works with teenagers to spread the Catholic faith and help those in need. He has also served at the Our Lady of Sorrows food pantry.

He thanks his family for instilling in him “the importance of education and [motivating him] to remain persistent and hardworking.”

Academic achievement, athletics and service – three pillars of a DeMatha education –

are also a high priority for Dominic. He attended Bucknell University on a football scholarship and graduated cum laude in 2022 with a degree in international relations. He is in his second year of the Teach for America program, teaching in a school that is underserved because of systemic racism and/or poverty.

Dominic says the education he received at DeMatha is playing a crucial role in his success: “While attending DeMatha, I was pushed by my teachers and football coaches to be the best I could be in each of their respective settings, thus making me more organized, disciplined and competitive.

“Also at DeMatha, I was able to broaden my understanding of the world around me, using concepts taught in my classes to make sense of the injustices and inequity I saw. DeMatha’s culture of excellence allowed me to grow and thrive when I graduated and assisted in growing me into the man I am today.”

We are proud of Kelvin and Dominic’s myriad accomplishments, particularly their work in serving others. They are two shining examples of well-rounded DeMatha brothers. 

(Written by Mark DePrato '14 and Chris McManes of the DeMatha Office of Advancement.)