High School Football State Semifinal Preview and Predictions
By Damon Anderson
Wise at Churchill: Home Underdogs with Bite
For once, the Wise Pumas enter Thanksgiving weekend without the typical statewide spotlight. They’re younger, a little greener, and far less discussed than the juggernauts of recent seasons. But anyone who’s followed Maryland high school football for more than five minutes knows that labels don’t matter when it comes to Wise. They remain one of the toughest outs in the MPSSAA, fast, physical, explosive, disciplined, and steeled by a decade-long standard of dominance.
At the center of it all is senior quarterback Eric Wedge, the type of three-year starter every coach dreams of. His 32–2 record against MPSSAA competition speaks for itself. His 9–1 playoff mark speaks even louder. Wedge has grown from a steady game manager into a lethal dual threat: poised enough to carve you up from the pocket, quick enough to punish undisciplined edges, and experienced enough to take whatever the defense gives. Standing beside him is senior RB Kameron Parker, the Pumas’ leading rusher and leading receiver, an ideal companion piece for Wise’s trademark up-tempo, no-huddle offense engineered by Coach Steve Rapp. It’s the system that has terrorized the 4A for a decade, and this year’s backfield tandem runs it with surgical efficiency.
To beat Wise, you must win up front. Simple to say, nearly impossible to do. Quince Orchard and Flowers are the only teams in recent years that have consistently had the horsepower to control Wise at the line of scrimmage. For Churchill, the challenge is clear: their defensive front, without a single headline-grabbing star, must play as the cohesive, swarming, instinctive unit they’ve become. They bothered QO at times earlier this season, but they’ll need to elevate to another level entirely to disrupt Wise’s rhythm. Negative plays early are the lifeblood of slowing the Pumas; let them click into their tempo, and the dam can break in a hurry.
This marks Churchill’s second state semifinal in three seasons, and comparisons to the 2023 squad are unavoidable. That team was electrifying but top-heavy. When star RB David Avit went down, the power structure of the offense collapsed, and Wise ran away with the semifinal. This year’s group is different, deeper, more balanced, and more adaptable.
RB Noah Zhang isn’t Avit, but he’s been one of Maryland’s most dominant postseason performers. And when opponents key on him, QB Hunter Humphries and a reliable receiving corps have consistently answered the bell. Churchill’s offensive multidimensionality means Wise cannot simply load the box or shade coverage toward one weapon. If the Bulldogs play with the efficiency and decisiveness they showed last week against Blair, they can make Wise work for four full quarters.
Of course, Wise’s defense, though younger and less seasoned than last year, still packs plenty of speed and edge aggression. Glen Burnie found cracks last week, hitting chunk plays and putting up 20 points. Churchill, with its discipline and offensive structure, is far more capable of capitalizing on those same opportunities.
Wise is the toughest team Churchill has faced since Quince Orchard in early October. But Churchill is also the toughest team Wise has faced since losing to Flowers in Week 3. The Pumas are playoff veterans, but the Bulldogs are no longer the wide-eyed upstarts of 2021 or 2023. They belong here. They expect to be here. And they have a legitimate shot to flip the script.
Prediction: Churchill 24, Wise 22
A hostile home environment, a balanced offense, and an opportunistic defense give the Bulldogs a puncher’s chance, one they just might seize.
Broadneck at Quince Orchard: Third Time Might Not Be the Charm
Broadneck has spent the past several seasons running through Montgomery County, except when the Bruins run into Quince Orchard. The two teams met in the 2022 and 2024 semifinals, and both times the Cougars seized control immediately, dictating every phase of the game.
The Bruins look sharp entering this one. Their RPO-based, spread attack hummed last week as junior QB Nate Kropkowski totaled 222 yards and effortlessly toggled between run and pass options. He’s athletic, he’s poised, and he’s absolutely capable of hurting most defenses in the state.
But Quince Orchard’s front is not “most defenses.” With Kacey Gilliam, Jaheim Bond, and the deepest defensive line rotation in Maryland, the Cougars specialize in blowing up option looks before they ever materialize. If Kropkowski is going to move the ball, he’ll need to diagnose coverages and make pitch/keep/throw decisions within a heartbeat. And even then, sustaining drives will be an enormous challenge.
On the other side, Broadneck simply hasn’t shown the defensive teeth needed to hold down Will Drakeford and the QO offense. Last week, the Cougars had to claw and scrap every yard against an elite Flowers defense. If they carry that same edge and urgency forward, as they typically do in late November, this should tilt heavily in QO’s favor.
Broadneck is good. Quince Orchard is built for these moments.
Prediction: Quince Orchard 44, Broadneck 14
The Bruins might find occasional success, but QO’s physicality and balance overwhelm them for a third straight semifinal.
Perry Hall at Sherwood: Clamp Down the Gators
Sherwood earned statewide attention last week by knocking off North Point, one of the most impressive wins by any Maryland team this postseason. But history warns that emotional highs can lead to semifinal letdowns. And that’s exactly what the Warriors must guard against as hot-but-unproven Perry Hall comes to Sandy Spring.
The Gators don’t have a résumé that pops. They started 1–4 with lopsided losses to Glen Burnie, Oakland Mills, Milford Mill, and Dundalk. Since then, they’ve rattled off seven straight wins, though the quality of competition dipped significantly. Their best victories in that span came against Hereford and Oxon Hill, the latter an overtime thriller that could’ve gone either way.
But streaks are streaks, and confidence is confidence. Perry Hall plays like a team with nothing to lose and a quarterback who can surprise defenses. Joey Albrecht, a capable gunslinger with legitimate mobility, can punish defenses that fall asleep downfield or lose contain. Sherwood saw a similar approach last week and survived it well, but discipline remains essential.
Offensively, Sherwood should find room to operate. The trio of Hamrick, Lopez, and Saunders has been steady all year, and Perry Hall’s front seven has not shown the ability to stop consistent chain-moving run games. If the Warriors establish the ground game early, QB Matt Larsen will have opportunities to hit play-action shots that helped bury North Point.
Sherwood has every advantage on paper. But this is late November, and overlooking an 8-seed on a heater is how seasons abruptly end.
Prediction: Sherwood 33, Perry Hall 11
The Warriors control the trenches, manage the moment, and book their first State Final trip since 2008.
