Here is the latest from DeMatha: |
-
Sixteen students and three chaperones arrived in France on Sunday to learn more about French contributions to world history and continue strengthening the bond between DeMatha and St. Joseph School in Château-Thierry. Their 10-day trip will include a visit to Cerfroid, the region in France where St. John de Matha founded the Trinitarian Order. Photos
-
The DeMatha Parent Organization is sponsoring a Casino Night on Saturday March 14, 6-10 p.m. in the Antler Room. Open to all DeMatha families and friends 21 and over, tickets are $60 and include food, two drink tickets and $50 in casino chips. All proceeds go towards DeMatha students and community. Online registration closes Friday March 13 at 3 p.m.
- Re-enrollment for the 2026-27 school year began this week.
- DeMatha will honor nine faculty/staff members for their 25 years of service on Saturday March 21 from 3-7 p.m. in the Antler Room. The honorees are Debbie Bender, Donna Davis, Mike Gatti, Marty Hager, Tom Hoang, Lori Loughlin, Tony MacAulay, Maureen Ritz and Sarah Stockton. The program will include dinner.
-
If you wish to attend, tickets are $25 each and can be purchased here.
- Senior Aidan Decker of the Mock Trial team was chosen as an All-Star Ballot Winner for Best Defense Witness.
-
In the latest Stag Symposium podcast, hosts Dr. Dan McMahon '76 and Mike Ptomey '98 talk a bit about poetry, movies and what Mike is teaching. It will give you insight into what DeMatha students learn in English class. Listen
| |
In Memoriam:
- Minnie Boyd, mother of Roderick '80. Her service is Friday March 13 at People's Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C.: delta tribute, 9:30 a.m.; viewing 10 a.m.; funeral 11 a.m. Burial will be at Fort Lincoln Cemetery.
- Calvin Newbill '86. His farewell will be Saturday March 21 at Westminster Church in Washington, D.C., with viewing at 10 a.m. and service at 11. The repast will begin at 8 p.m. at Simple Bar and Grill in Washington.
- Dave Schrenk. Father-in-law of Jason Parseghian '88. Service information pending.
-
Judith Scully, mother of John '80 and Jason '90. Obituary
Athletics:
|
-
The lacrosse team, which won the WCAC championship last year, opens the season against Calvert Hall on Friday, 7 p.m., at Under Armour Stadium in Baltimore. The game will honor the late Brendan Looney '99, who played baseball and football at DeMatha and lacrosse at the U.S. Naval Academy.
- Senior Shane Bonanni was named a team captain and was accorded the honor of wearing Brendan's No. 40 jersey. For more on Shane, see the epilogue below.
-
The Stags will host the Gilman School on Tuesday and St. Peter and Paul on Wednesday. Both games are at Heurich Field and will start at 4 p.m. Full Schedule
-
The basketball team defeated Glenelg Country, 63-50, and lost to Clinton Grace, 73-63, to end its season at 21-10. It marks the 66th time in the last 70 full seasons that DeMatha has enjoyed 20 or more victories.
-
The baseball team is slated to open the season at Calvert Hall on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Full Schedule
- The golf team opens up with the Gilman School on Monday at the Elkridge Club, 3 p.m. Full Schedule
- The rugby team begins play Thursday March 12 with a game against The Heights at Wilson Stadium in Landover, Md. Game time is 3:30 p.m. The Stags are coming off an undefeated (8-0) season and the first conference championship in school history. Full Schedule
- The reigning WCAC-champion tennis team plays Gonzaga at the Washington Education and Tennis Foundation tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. On Thursday March 11, the Stags have a 4 p.m. match at Montgomery Blair. Full Schedule
| |
Alumni:
- John Rickard '78 was recently promoted to senior director of business development at Indinero, a national accounting and tax firm that specializes in working with small businesses.
-
Rock cover band Lies From Granny, which includes Colin Stevens ’06, Francesco Mazziotti ’06 and Kyle Fives ’09, will be playing at Molloy's Irish Pub in Gambrills, Md., to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Saturday March 14. The band goes on at 9:30 p.m.
-
Joel Ayers '23 of Marywood University was named Atlantic East Conference Baseball Player of the Week. Press Release
-
Jaden Winston '23 of Manhattan University was named to the All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference third team and to the All-Defensive team. He is the Jaspers' leading scorer (15.3 ppg) and scored his 1,000th career point this season. Press Release
-
Bud Coombs' '25 baseball career at the University of Maryland is off to a blazing start. He is batting .600 (6 of 10) with two home runs, three doubles, five RBIs and five runs scored. He has also walked four times for an on-base percentage of .714. Bud also plays football for the Terrapins. More
- Congratulations to all DeMatha alumni who are finishing undergraduate degrees this spring! If you are interested in teaching or school leadership, our one-year Teaching Internship program can be a great place to get experience in the classroom and decide whether teaching is something you'd like to pursue further. Twelve current faculty and staff members began their careers as teaching interns, and many others have moved on from the intern year at DeMatha to teach, coach and lead in schools around the country.
| |
Events & Miscellaneous Information:
- Come join us for the rowing team's annual Purse Bingo fundraiser in the Antler Room on Saturday, 6-9 p.m. For $30, you can play 20 games for a chance to win a purse from Coach, Michael Kors, Vera Bradley and more. Concessions, refreshments and several raffles will also be available. Doors open at 5, and you must be at least 18 to attend. Flyer
-
The DeMatha lacrosse program is sponsoring a mattress sale on campus Sunday March 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check out premium mattresses, adjustable bases, sheets and luxury pillows in all sizes, styles and comfort levels. Partial proceeds will support Stags lacrosse. More Info
-
The next Red & Blue Meet-Up is March 12, 6-8 p.m. at Molloy's Irish Pub (1053 MD-3) in Gambrills, Md. Come join your fellow DeMatha alumni as we gather to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (a few days early)! Register here.
-
Sean Smith-Moore '09, son of faculty member Pat Smith '82, and brother of Joe Smith '07, Nathan Smith '12, Matthew Lotersmith '12 and Daniel Smith '24, was diagnosed with a rare cancer, Ewing sarcoma, in May 2025. Since then, he has been undergoing treatment to which he has responded well. He has been a mental health therapist at the Veterans Administration in North Chicago, Ill., since September 2024. Sean has been able to continue to work while undergoing treatment by utilizing a donated leave program within the federal government. If you or anyone you know works in the federal government and may be open to donating any amount of leave time to Sean, please reach out to him via email at ssmith1023@gmail.com. Your well wishes, thoughts and prayers are also more than appreciated.
-
The 31st-annual Brent Crowell Golf Classic for DeMatha hockey is Monday March 16 at Crofton (Md.) Country Club (10 a.m. shotgun start). All money raised benefits the Stags hockey program and honors Brent Crowell '90, a former DeMatha lacrosse and hockey player who lost his life in 1991. For more information and to register, click here.
-
DeMatha will be hosting a reception on Thursday March 26, 6-8 p.m. at Rosie O'Grady's (148 W 51st St.) in New York. All alumni, parents and friends of DeMatha are welcome. We will have the bottom section of the restaurant reserved. If you live in or around New York and would like to attend, please shoot Ben Fleri '11 an email at bfleri@dematha.org.
| |
That is all.
Thomas Ponton '78
Executive Director of Advancement
tponton@dematha.org
240-764-2222
| |
Senior Shane Bonanni is keenly aware of his family lineage. He is the son of Mike ’93 and the grandson of Ben ’68. It was that family tradition that drew him to DeMatha. "I grew up listening to my dad and grandad talking about the school," he said. "And they spoke about how DeMatha still applies to their lives today. So, for me, it was a seamless decision to become a Stag."
However, that decision came with some consequences. The commute from his home in Kent Island would be long, and he really did not know anyone when he started. Looking back, Shane sees the glass half full. "I had to adjust. The commute forced me to be strategic, organized and disciplined in terms of getting my work done," he said. "As for making friends, it took some time, but my closest friends are now here.
"In addition, DeMatha is a very diverse place, and the school has given me the social skills so that I now feel I can interact with anyone."
Shane has a career 3.8 GPA at DeMatha. He is the vice president of the National Honor Society and the senior representative of the Student Government Association. He will attend Clemson University in the fall, where he intends to major in business. He said he felt a sense of brotherhood and tradition at Clemson, which reminded him of DeMatha.
Shane also is following his father's footsteps when it comes to playing lacrosse. He is a starting defensemen on this year's squad, which opens play tomorrow night at Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore. The lacrosse program annually honors the late Brendan Looney '99, and Friday's 7 p.m. game vs. Calvert Hall will continue that tradition.
Brendan didn’t play lacrosse at DeMatha but did so at the U.S. Naval Academy, playing alongside his brothers Steve '01 and Billy '02. He wore No. 40 for the Midshipmen. Shane was selected by his DeMatha coaches and teammates to wear No. 40 in Brendan's memory this season. It is an honor he does not take lightly.
"It means a lot for people to think of me so highly," he said. "I promise I will play every game with everything I got."
We are most confident Shane will live up to his word as it is clear he knows exactly what legacy is all about.
| |
