Archbishop Spalding rallies after blown lead to beat Good Counsel for 1st win of season

OLNEY, Md. — Archbishop Spalding overcame a second-half comeback attempt by Good Counsel to claim a 45-21 victory and the visiting Cavaliers' first win of the 2026 season.

The game was a marquee early-season matchup between two of Maryland's top programs. Archbishop Spalding entered the contest 0-2 under new head coach RB Green, still searching for their first win. Good Counsel came in at 1-1.

Archbishop Spalding wasted no time taking control. Brandon Hicks intercepted a tipped pass on Good Counsel's opening drive, setting up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Brian Snowden Jr. for the game's first points. On the final play of the first quarter, Snowden kept it himself on fourth and goal, scoring on a 5-yard run to push the lead to 14-0.

Early in the second quarter, Snowden found Roger Bredenkamp for a 15-yard touchdown, extending the Cavaliers' advantage to 21-0. Good Counsel responded late in the first half when Luca Cogliandolo connected with Corey Smith Jr. on a fourth-down pass for the Falcons' first points, but Archbishop Spalding still led 21-6 at halftime.

The Falcons came alive in the third quarter. After forcing a Cavaliers fumble, Good Counsel capitalized on the short field with a 10-yard touchdown run by Paul Alston IV, cutting the deficit to 21-13. On their next drive, Zion Sesay added an 11-yard touchdown run, and after a successful 2-point conversion, the game was suddenly tied.

Archbishop Spalding answered immediately. Gabe Denius broke off a long run from midfield to set up another 1-yard touchdown plunge by Snowden, reclaiming the lead late in the third quarter. Early in the fourth, Snowden found a wide-open Bredenkamp for a 37-yard touchdown, and the Cavaliers pulled away from there for a 45-21 win.

Green said the victory reflected the character of his program.

"This tells everything how we won, up early, tied the game, high character kids coming back out at the half to finish it off. Shows a lot about our character, our kids, the coaching of our staff and just our program and how it's built," Green said.

The win gave Archbishop Spalding its first win of the season and Green his first victory as the program's head coach. It was also Archbishop Spalding's first win ever against Good Counsel.

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