I think if it is easy to try and distort the picture. McDonogh has a great amount of talent. However the reason that McDonogh is such a great team is because of the commitment, preparation, and team philosophy. It was not long ago, they were nothing. What changed was coaching. The same coaching did exactly the same thing at Mt. Hebron a public school prior, beating everyone for years. No one could beat them. Getting kids to buy in is to the key.
The kids at Bryn Mawr are the same. On a pure talent basis, St Anthony's is better. Yet Bryn Mawr made them look like they did not belong on the same field. Bryn Mawr was completely prepared, played as a team, and executed. Bryn Mawr was down 3 1 and then scored 11 Straight Goals. How often does that ever ever happen.
The coaching at both McDonogh and Bryn Mawr is better. The teams are more prepared. Most important is that the kids buy in to the whole team philosophy. Watching what happened in Maryland two years in a row, I think that you could add five more top players on St Anthony's and they still would not get it done for the above reasons. Last year they were dismantled by a very young McDonogh team. St Anthony's gave up something like 9 straight goals. Two years in a row the same exact thing happened. There was clear finger pointing and no one seemed to know what to do both years.
I agree that McDonogh is an incredible team. That has happened over time and for all of the above reasons. Bryn Mawr to me is even more amazing for all of the reasons that you point out. The league these teams play in is also an advantage. On any day any team can beat the other. Evidence of Bryn Mawr escaping with a one goal win.
