Football Beats Good Counsel to Advance to WCAC Championship

Gonzaga battled past Good Counsel on Saturday, earning a 31–28 win in the WCAC Semifinals and securing a spot in this Sunday’s championship game against #1 seed DeMatha. The Eagles entered the postseason as the #2 seed, hosting their first home playoff game since 2016.

The win over the Falcons improved the Eagles’ record to 3–0 at the newly dedicated Buchanan Field at Reyda Stadium and marked the seventh home playoff victory in school history (1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2011). The Eagles fell behind 14–0 after the first quarter but battled back behind big plays from all three phases. Quarterback Jason Lindsay ’27 scored on a one-yard run, the defense got on the board with a 34-yard interception return by defensive back Jackson Waddy ’28, and tight end Brayden Marko ’26 hauled in a five-yard touchdown to give Gonzaga a 21–14 lead. After Good Counsel tied the game on a touchdown pass, defensive lineman Carter Meadows ’26 blocked a 33-yard field-goal attempt to keep it 21–21 at halftime.

Gonzaga controlled the second half as the home crowd came alive. Midway through the third quarter, kicker Quinn Maguire ’28 drilled a 41-yard field goal. Early in the fourth, wide receiver Lincoln Shelton ’27 converted a key third down to set up Lindsay’s second touchdown pass of the day—a 12-yard strike to running back Asheton Burton ’27—to make it 31–21.

With under four minutes remaining, the defense delivered a goal-line stand punctuated by captain Walker Littelton ’27, who finished with 15 tackles. The Falcons scored late, but linebacker Luke Hodgkinson ’27 secured the win by recovering the onside kick. Below are some great photos from student photographers Caleb McHugh ’27 and Ryan Strike ’27.

With the win, the Eagles are now ranked #5 by The Washington Post, while undefeated, defending WCAC champion DeMatha—who defeated St. John’s in the other semifinal—remains #1. Click here for the full rankings.

Gonzaga now looks to build on its postseason momentum and add another championship moment to program history. The Eagles’ last WCAC Semifinal win came in 2018 over St. John’s, when the #4 seed Eagles won at Military Road and went on to claim the title over #2 seed DeMatha on the unforgettable Hail Mary from Caleb Williams ’21 to John Marshall ’19.