DeMatha Catholic High School quarterback Beau English is a three-time Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champion. His father, Donny English played football at Air Force, and Beau knew playing football was something he wanted to do at a very young age. What he's done at DeMatha didn't come out of nowhere.
"I’ve really been in love with football since as far back as I could remember. My dad played football at the Air Force Academy, he always knew I was going to play football and I always had an interest in from a young age. I started playing flag football at the age of three and then started playing tackle at the age of five so the love [for the game] just kind of took off from there," he said.
For the rising senior, growing up in the DMV area has been great on and off the field. On the field, however, he loves the talent that the area produces.
"I’ve lived there all my life and really, for one thing, it’s just such a talented area for football players. Playing with some of the best athletes in the country, just having that in my area has just really made a better football player," he said. "Going against a great caliber of guys and letting them sharpen my skills and I sharpen them a little bit, being around such great athletes is great for me."
Last season for DeMatha, in their championship run, he completed 100 passes on 160 attempts (63 percent), and threw for 1,570 yards. He also rushed for 197 yards and five touchdowns, working out of a largely option Stags system. His season ended with a 48-17 victory over Good Counsel to win the WCAC.
"I really feel comfortable from anywhere on the field," he said. "I try to be a complete quarterback, as complete as I can. Whatever the coach asks me to do, inside the pocket, outside the pocket, I feel like I should be able to execute it."
As far as the recruiting process is concerned, English said that he has enjoyed it so far and has interest in many schools. He's received two scholarship offers, from Navy and Robert Morris. He likes Maryland a lot, though the Terps haven't offered him and already have a quarterback, Kasim Hill, lined up for next year's class. He also likes Virginia, Boston College, Cincinnati and a few others, he said.
"I've always kind of wanted to stay home," English said. "I really love this area not just from a football standpoint but a life a standpoint. I really love being in the DMV. Staying home or staying close to home, at least, is a big thing for me, and I'd like to be able to stay in Maryland."
While he said he doesn't plan to visit Maryland (he lives close, anyway), he will be participating in the Terps' seven-on-seven team passing camp in June. How he does there will go a long way toward determining whether or not Maryland eventually offers him a scholarship. English's junior season was over by the time new Maryland offensive coordinator Walt Bell arrived in College Park in the winter, but it's likely Bell (and Maryland's entire coaching staff) will see plenty of English and DeMatha this year. The Stags have two of the top three players in Maryland in four-star end Chase Young and athlete Anthony McFarland, and the Terps have offered scholarships to DeMatha players as far out as 2019.
As far as his lasting legacy at DeMatha, he wants to make history.
"I just love playing for DeMatha and carrying this tradition that we have," English said. "It's a storied program, and just to be able to keep it going the way we have the past three years is pretty amazing to me. So I'm pretty proud of that. I just think I want to leave, I just want to be a part of some great teams that we had there and we want to be the first freshman class in history to win four straight championships."