After Calvert Hall dropped St. Frances from its football schedule in May, citing safety concerns for not playing the nationally ranked Panthers, the Cardinals later filled the hole in their calendar with Concordia Prep.

The No. 3 Cardinals are a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference contender. Concordia Prep, formerly Baltimore Lutheran, is a C Conference contender in its second year back after dropping its program for a year and a half.

Both are 4-0, but Calvert Hall just beat three-time defending Class 4A state champion Wise while Concordia beat defending C Conference champion Annapolis Area Christian.

On Twitter earlier this week, St. Frances linebackers coach Ben Eaton Jr. questioned how the Cardinals could drop St. Frances for safety reasons and then add a C Conference team.

“Concern for player safety was cited as the reasoning by the opponent,” Eaton tweeted about Calvert Hall dropping St. Frances. “In place of that A conference contest, an A conference school (who recently defeated a perennial state power) has filled the opening from the forfeit with a C conference opponent.

“There is an acknowledged disparity in the level of competition between A conference athletic teams and C conference athletic teams, hence the separation....how does this somehow work? Looking for legitimate answers...thanks.”

Calvert Hall scheduled the game at the request of Concordia Prep coach Josh Ward, a Calvert Hall graduate, who suggested it to Cardinals coach Donald Davis. The Saints were scheduled to play Friends, which did not field a team this fall, so both were free tonight. They’re scheduled to kick off at Calvert Hall at 7 p.m.

Calvert Hall director of communications and marketing Danielle Hladky addressed the safety question via email.

“Friends School dropped football late this summer. At the same time, the MIAA allowed the ‘A’ conference teams to pick up a game in place of the St. Frances game,” Hladky wrote. “Concordia Prep reached out to Coach Davis asking if Calvert Hall would play them. Coach Davis and Coach Ward both believe the teams are competitively matched. Cardinals coach Donald Davis agreed to the game.”

Earlier this week, before Eaton’s Tweet, Davis was asked about the matchup, because there are many connections between the coaching staffs and the players at the two Towson schools located only about two miles apart. Five former Calvert Hall players and five former Calvert Hall coaches are now at Concordia Prep.

“I think they’re really good,” Davis said. “Some of their skill guys are every bit as good as in our league. Their running back is good. Their big players are really good; they’re just really young kids.”

Ward said he expected a reaction when he scheduled the game, but that he doesn’t believe safety is a problem.

“I’m not worried about the safety of my players [facing Calvert Hall],” said Ward, who assisted at St. Frances in 2016. “I wouldn’t play kids in this game that shouldn’t be playing in this game.

“Donald is a big supporter of my program and I think he knows we’re not going to be in the C Conference for long. I think he was just trying to help me out and trying to grow MIAA football.”

A post from the St. Frances football Twitter account commended Concordia Prep for taking on the Cardinals: “Hats off to @ConcordiaprepFB for competing with @CHCFootball1845.”

katherine.dunn@baltsun.com

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