Heading into Friday’s matchup at St. Mary’s, McDonogh coach Hakeem Sule said he still hadn’t seen his team play a complete four quarters, despite a winning record.
The No. 3 Eagles delivered on his wishes. They scored in every quarter and rolled past the No. 6 Saints, 41-0, in a shutout that left no doubt. Senior quarterback Braeden Palazzo tallied five touchdowns — four passing and one rushing, with three coming before halftime.
“We just stuck to the game plan,” Palazzo said. “The offensive line was firing off, receivers were getting open for me and I was able to hit them. They were able to make plays to get me those touchdowns.”
Palazzo opened the scoring on the Eagles’ second drive, rolling right and firing cross-body to a streaking Carlos Ferguson in the end zone. He added another midway through the second quarter, punching it in from the 1-yard line with 5:42 left.
With three seconds remaining in the half, Sule kept his offense on the field instead of settling for a 33-yard field goal — the gamble paid off. Palazzo lofted a wheel-route pass to running back Mason Graham, who coasted up the right sideline to give the Eagles (4-1) a 21-0 halftime lead.
The senior connected with Ferguson in the first minute following halftime with a 62-yard touchdown. It was the junior receiver’s fourth touchdown of the season — a team-high.
“We’d been working together during practice, seeing what’s on film, how we look, and what’s going to be open,” Ferguson said. “We played together as a unit tonight and we just fed off each other’s energy.”
Palazzo capped his night with a 4-yard strike to tight end Caden Cashman midway through the fourth quarter. Freshman Basil Oshegbo provided the exclamation point, breaking free for a 44-yard touchdown run in the final minute. Rather than attempt the extra point, Sule let the clock wind down to close out the conference rout.
The senior quarterback now has 12 passing touchdowns this season, and recorded his second rushing score Friday.
Palazzo, who also plays long-pole defense in lacrosse, grew up in Carroll County. Once the opportunity to attend McDonogh came with urging from former Westminster Wildcats teammates, he said he seized it without hesitation.
Sule has watched Palazzo transform from a 170-pound freshman into a 215-pound senior who commands the huddle with his presence. The senior said he bulked up by eating as much as he could, lifting four days a week in the offseason and throwing three times a week, while lacrosse in the spring kept him in shape.
Once a quiet kid still learning the position, Sule said he now sees the field with confidence, steadies the offense and, when plays break down, uses his legs to keep drives alive.
“He’s the first and only voice in the huddle and he’s getting it done,” Sule said. “He’s probably as tough as they come, even with small injuries, he plays through them.”
The Eagles’ defense was also able to intercept a pass and recover two fumbles in the second half to shutout the Saints (3-2).
The win followed McDonogh’s 48-29 victory over Loyola Blakefield a week earlier. In that game, the Eagles built a 35-3 lead before allowing 26 points the rest of the way — a lapse that left Sule still searching for the full four-quarter performance.
“We were preaching it all week in practice,” Palazzo said. “After last week we felt like we were great until the fourth quarter and then we started giving it up a bit.”
“We got to be flawless, we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot. We have to be more disciplined and do everything better to get rolling and win that championship.”
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