Lions Sports Update (Sept. 22)

Last week, the varsity volleyball team battled through two strong matchups. On Tuesday, the Lions traveled to Ft. Worth Country Day and, despite a sloppy start, rallied behind consistent passing and timely plays to pull out a five-set victory. On Thursday, St. Mark’s hosted DASCHE, a talented club team. While DASCHE featured athletic players, the Lions’ polish and cohesion proved decisive. Outside hitters Rohan Kakkar and Dexter Canham dominated on both offense and defense, powering St. Mark’s to a straight-set win.

This week, the Lions face Trinity Valley on Tuesday before hosting Episcopal High School (Friday, 5 p.m.) and St. John’s (Saturday, 10 a.m.) from Houston.

On Friday, the Lions traveled to Addison for a hard-fought contest against the TCA Trojans, earning a gritty 31–29 victory. The defense shouldered a heavy load, playing over 100 snaps but stepping up at crucial moments. Safeties Mac Saye and Jack Levy led with 23 tackles apiece, Saye adding three pass breakups (including the game-sealing play) and Levy recording a tackle for loss. Ford Robinson, Tobias Pulido, Marshall Bagley, Jax Blalock, and Spencer Hopkin each contributed over 10 tackles, while Reid Smith forced a fumble on a sack. The defensive line applied steady pressure, with nine players recording multiple QB hurries and several batting down passes.

On offense, the line paved the way for David Dickson’s 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Blaize Schumacher connected with Archer Wilburn three times for 85 yards, setting up scoring drives. Wilburn also made a major impact on special teams, returning a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and adding a 25-yard punt return. Kicker Henry McGill was perfect, going 4-for-4 on PATs and drilling a crucial 37-yard field goal to tie the game in the third quarter. The Lions, now 3–1, return home to face John Paul II this Friday at 7 p.m.

The Lions hosted three matches last week against Dallas United, St. Stephen’s, and John Paul II.

On Thursday, St. Mark’s outlasted Dallas United 14–11. After a sluggish first quarter kept the game close, the Lions surged in the middle frames to take control. On Saturday morning, the Lions made history by hosting the first-ever SPC water polo match against rival St. Stephen’s. Despite another slow start, St. Mark’s again dominated the second and third quarters en route to a 14–11 victory.

Later that afternoon, the Lions closed the week against John Paul II. Trailing 2–3 after the first quarter, St. Mark’s made sharp adjustments and unleashed a 16–3 run, winning 18–6 in commanding fashion. The Lions next travel to Jesuit on Tuesday, September 23, at 6 p.m.

The cross country team had a bye last weekend but returns to action this Saturday at the Jesuit Fall Classic in Oak Point, TX. The race begins at 7 a.m.

Sahil Dodda ’22 led the University of Pennsylvania cross country team to a first-place finish at the Main Line Invitational in Haverford, PA (Sept. 19). Dodda captured the individual title with a time of 19:19.6 in the four-mile race.

Lucas Blumenthal ’24, wide receiver for Washington University (St. Louis), caught four passes for 18 yards, including the first touchdown of his college career. Wash U has opened the season 2–0.