

Briar Woods junior TE Mark Birmingham committed to play football at Duke on Saturday (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post.)

There was no changing Mark Birmingham‘s mind on Saturday. Not the narrow Duke defeat he witnessed in Durham. Not the fact that the loss came against Virginia Tech, a school closer to home for the Briar Woods junior tight end and one of several high-profile Football Bowl Subdivision schools that had offered Birmingham in the past year.

So as the Duke coaches wound down following the game, in walked Birmingham to deliver some comforting news — he was ready to commit to the Blue Devils.

“Duke had what I wanted academically and athletically, and everything I wanted in a school,” Birmingham said in a Sunday phone interview. “When I got back to the Duke campus this weekend, after seeing a couple other schools for the second time around, it just felt right. I knew that’s where I wanted to spend my college years.”

Birmingham is the third junior to commit to the No. 25 Blue Devils, joining highly touted Benedictine wide receiver Scott Bracey and Charlotte Christian running back Elijah Deveaux in what’s shaping up to be the type of recruiting class that could rival those typically reeled in by the basketball team.

“I never really had a timeline for when I was going to commit,” Birmingham said. “I just felt that, as soon as I knew where I wanted to go, there was no reason to wait any longer.”

At 6 feet 4, 230 pounds, Birmingham fits the new trend of receiving tight ends, using his solid hands and ability to turn in more yards after the catch to garner more than 15 offers from the likes of Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin. At Duke, Birmingham stands to fit in with the team’s frequent use of two tight ends in its offense.

“I have a lot of faith in Coach [David] Cutcliffe and Coach [Zac] Roper,” Birmingham said. “They have revived that program and it’s easy to tell when you watch one of their games, they are doing something very special and that’s something I want to be a part of.”

Birmingham has been a key piece for Briar Woods the last two years, helping the Falcons win the 2012 state championship and again reach the title game last season. This year, Birmingham has caught 23 passes for 480 yards and six touchdowns entering this Friday’s game against Broad Run in the second round of the Virginia 5A North region playoffs.

NUMBER CRUNCH: 17-0

Final record of Whitman’s girls’ soccer team, which capped its undefeated season with a 1-0 win against Howard in the Maryland 4A soccer state championship Saturday.

BREAKFAST LINKS

– For the third straight meeting, No. 7 DeMatha overcame a halftime deficit to beat No. 8 Gonzaga. The Stags’ 21-14 victory on Sunday advanced them to the WCAC championship, where they will face No. 1 Good Counsel, which beat McNamara 58-18 in Sunday’s other semifinal.

– Lake Braddock’s Alex Corbett and Kevin Monogue finished first and second at the Virginia 6A state cross-country championships on Saturday.

– Madison swept past Osbourn Park for the Virginia 6A North region volleyball crown, while Briar Woods and Loudoun County pulled off comebacks to win the 5A and 4A North region titles, respectively.

– Antoine Brooks scored two touchdowns to help DuVal down No. 13 Wise in the Maryland 4A South region playoffs.

– A fourth-down touchdown pass from Tirri Jones to Delontae Moore lifted Ballou past Wilson to earn a spot in the DCIAA Turkey Bowl.

– Calvert defeated Fallston, 1-0, for its first Maryland 2A girls’ soccer state title behind a goal by Sydney Watson.

PHOTOS FROM THE WEEKEND

VIDEOS FROM THE WEEKEND

WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY

Maryland 4A state volleyball championship, 8 p.m. at Ritchie Coliseum

Severna Park will take on Northwest with the title on the line.