As St. John’s College High School battled DeMatha Catholic High School in the rain on Sept. 30, St. John’s defensive end Cam Spence looked to the closest end zone in between plays and saw Maryland football coach DJ Durkin.
Durkin was standing to the right of the goalposts with two assistant coaches and five-star defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, one of Spence’s best friends.
Amid a tight contest between two nationally ranked teams, Spence, along with the other Terps commits in the game, noticed and appreciated their appearance.
“It means they’re family,” Spence said after DeMatha’s 14-13 win. “They could’ve been anywhere tonight, but they decided to be here.”
Spence competed in the game alongside fellow teammate and future Terp Kasim Hill, who plays quarterback. Plus, the Cadets faced DeMatha offensive tackle Marcus Minor, who committed to the Terps on Aug. 28.
All three local commits are four-star recruits according to 247sports. They’re all ranked in the top five in either Washington or Maryland, and they’re also in the top 20 nationally at their respective positions.
In total, 12 commits in the 2017 class hail from Washington, Maryland or Virginia.
Hill enjoyed seeing Maryland defensive backs coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim at the field, as Abdul-Rahim primarily recruited him.
Furthermore, the coaches’ visit to the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex represented something special to the high school seniors.
“It feels good to have their support and have them out here cheering me on,” Hill said. “To have that backing for when I’m going to be coming up there.”
In June, Abdul-Rahim stressed how important it is to stay in contact with recruits, knowing coaches at other universities can sway players from their initial commitment. He calls and texts recruits to maintain connection, but said traveling to their games shows further dedication.
At one point in the second half, Abdul-Rahim was talking with an acquaintance and proudly pointed out Minor as “the big number 72 on the left.”
In the fourth quarter, Hill threw for the potential game tying score. DeMatha stopped St. John’s two-point attempt that would have put Hill’s team ahead, but his drive still impressed his future coaches.
The coaches didn’t speak to the players after the game, but their presence on a rainy Friday night was much appreciated.
When the seniors were debating where to attend college, their comfort with the program was key.
They thought a lot about their relationships with the coaching staff before deciding the new Terps regime could help them grow as both people and athletes.
“Seeing them … in the rain is great,” Hill said. “I can’t wait to get in there and learn what they know. This is just the start.”
