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The Good Counsel football team hopes the sixth time is the charm.

With its string of five consecutive losses to DeMatha in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game, the Falcons get another shot at redemption when the league's preeminent powerhouses do it again at the United States Naval Academy on Saturday.

The run of championship futility includes a surprising 34-7 rout a year ago, after Good Counsel blew out the Stags in the regular season. To finally earn their first WCAC title under head coach Bob Milloy, the Falcons will have to shutdown DeMatha tailback Marcus Coker for four quarters.

Not just in the cliché sense.

They shut him down for three quarters last month en route to a 21-3 lead, but Coker exploded for three touchdowns runs in the final 12 minutes, giving the Stags (11-0) the shocking, come-from-behind win.

"The main thing is we missed a lot of tackles," said Falcons defensive end Troy Gloster afterward. "All the scores were on big runs."

Coker has been punishing defenses, rushing for 1,583 yards and 20 touchdowns. He rambled for scoring runs of 17, 38 and 63 yards in the regular-season meeting between the two teams.

"They're the defending five-year champions and they beat us one time [this year], so we're obviously the underdog," said Falcons coach Bob Milloy. "They're the Yankees and we're the Phillies, but we're looking forward to it."

Since that loss, the Falcons have allowed 10 or fewer points in five straight wins, including a 35-6 shellacking of third-seeded Bishop McNamara on Friday.

Defensive tackle A.J. Bowman (52.5 tackles, 6 sacks) and Gloster (46) have led the way, and bruising middle linebacker Chris Pitsenberger returned for the playoffs after a three-week injury layoff.

That defense will be challenged by Stags quarterback Dan Tapscott, who has thrown for 1,293 yards and 11 scores as a complement to Coker.

Offensively, Good Counsel should mix the running of tailback Wes Brown and fullback Mike Nittoli (648 yards, 11 touchdowns) and the passing of Zach Dancel.

"I expect the same thing: hard-fought, tough, outstanding football," DeMatha coach Bill McGregor said. "The DeMatha-Good Counsel tradition has been great football."

No. 2 Good Counsel (10-1) at No. 1 DeMatha (11-0)

Washington Catholic Athletic Conference final

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2 p.m.

Last meeting: DeMatha 24, Good Counsel 21 (Oct. 9, 2009)

-Good Counsel Falcons

Last playoff appearance: 2008 (sixth straight)

Best finish: J. Dallas Shirley Bowl (1996)

Head coach: Bob Milloy (10th year, 79-21 record; 37th overall, 344-103-1)

Leading rusher: Wes Brown (154 carries, 1,238 yards, 17 TD)

Leading passer: Zach Dancel (66 of 112, 1,097 yards, 9 TD, 3 int.)

Leading receiver: Louis Young (25 catches, 434 yards, 3 TD)

Leading defenders: DT A.J. Bowman, DE Troy Gloster, DB Louis Young

Points scored: 355

Points allowed: 115

-DeMatha Stags

Last playoff appearance: 2008

Best finish: WCAC championship (2008, 17th under McGregor)

Head coach: Bill McGregor (28th year, 269-36-3 record)

Leading rusher: Marcus Coker (157 carries, 1,583 yards, 20 TD)

Leading passer: Dan Tapscott (77 of 136, 1,293 yards, 11 TD, 2 int.)

Leading receiver: Ryan Burbrink (21 catches, 405 yards, 4 TD)

Leading defenders: DT Darian Cooper, DE Quintin Deadrick, LB Austin Phillips

Points scored: 414

Points allowed: 113