With only two games left in the regular season, a clear playoff picture is still not in view for the county. The heavy preseason favorites, two-time reigning state champions Quince Orchard and perennial contender Northwest, have remained atop the county from the start, but below them, multiple teams are still fighting for coveted home field advantage.
QO, Northwest continue to dominate MCPS
In two of the past three years, Quince Orchard and Northwest have played each other in the Final Four of the MPSSAA 4A playoffs, and so far this year, this is a possibility yet again. Both teams started the season 6-0, with a potential season altering matchup between the two on Oct. 20. The Cougars opened their season with an emphatic 33-0 win over Virginia powerhouse South County. Just two weeks later, QO faced their biggest threat in over five years. Stone Bridge HS of Ashburn, Virginia traveled to Gaithersburg- and with eight state championships between the two teams- played QO in a highly anticipated non-conference game. Down 21-7 at halftime, the Cougars mounted a fourth quarter comeback to defeat the Bulldogs 29-22 and extended their winning streak to 33 games. QO stands currently at #6 in the Washington Post rankings.
Northwest did not have the same level of competition early in the season, but have been dominant in the games they’ve won. The Jaguars won their first two games, scoring 47 points in each, and with the exception of one game against Richard Montgomery, have allowed less than 15 points a game. Late in the season however, the Jaguars have slowed down. Northwest, currently #12 in the Washington Post ranking, fell to Churchill 15-7, and will have to make some adjustments before a pivotal matchup against QO.
Is Churchill a legitimate threat in 4A?
Churchill opened their season with a convincing 27-7 win over Seneca Valley, who made the 4A/3A regional finals last season, but failed to repeat this type of performance against some of the stronger teams in their schedule. The Bulldogs were blown out 35-0 by QO, failing to put points on the board for the first time since a 41-0 loss against Blake HS at the beginning of last season. The next week they traveled to Urbana and squeezed out an 18-15 win against a good, but not as talented as last season, Hawks team. Aside from these three games, Churchill has looked strong on both sides of the ball, defeating B-CC, Whitman, and Wootton with a combined score of 89-7.
On Oct. 12, against a more experienced Northwest team, the Bulldogs shocked the county with a 15-7 win on their senior night. Holding a team that has averaged 36 points a game so far to just one touchdown shows an improvement from their defense of last season. With RM and Walter Johnson ahead, the Bulldogs will need to show they can continue to be good on both sides of the ball if they want a real chance to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Walter Johnson off to best start since 2019
The Wildcats, not typically considered to be a powerhouse in the county, have started their season 7-0, and will likely have a high seed in the regional playoffs. After a close 21-14 win over B-CC in the first week of the season, they have controlled every game since. In the past two weeks, they have scored over 40 points twice, but just last year, failed to do this more than once.
One concern for the Wildcats will be their performance against a higher level of competition. For the past two years, they have had a harder slate of games, facing QO, Seneca Valley and Northwest. With the change in divisions and schedules this year, WJ has an easier strength of schedule, easily defeating teams like Paint Branch and Wheaton. However, in their final game of the regular season, the Wildcats will take on Churchill in a game that might decide each team’s playoff seed.
Gaithersburg, Blake setting themselves up for a chance
After a 3-6 record last season—and a change in their schedule—Gaithersburg has leaped out to a 6-1 record, with their only loss coming from the hands of QO. In the playoffs last year, the Trojans upset WJ in the first round, advancing past the quarterfinals for the first time since 2015. This year, with a stronger record, and what seems like a better team, Gaithersburg has the capability to break through the first round once again.
It’s Oct. 14, and the Blake Bengals have still not dropped a game this season. Currently 7-0, Blake has the opportunity to earn a top seed within the 3A/4A bracket. The Bengals advanced to the regional finals last year, but were defeated by Dundalk HS from Baltimore County. Typical top seeds within Blake’s region, Sherwood and Springbrook, have already fallen to the Bengals this season, posing the team as a real threat to come away with the regional title this year.
Written by Ari Fine of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo Courtesy of Herald-Mail Media