Below are the Top Ten rankings for MCPS football prior to the week 3 games. The week 4 preview and predictions can be seen here.
1. Quince Orchard (2-0) — LW: 1
The Cougars are officially back to making the scoreboard look like a typo. QO dropped 68 points on Walter Johnson, its most in a game since 2019, and now heads to Ashburn for another heavyweight meeting with Stone Bridge. There’s no reason to move them from No. 1 right now. The real question is whether anyone in Maryland can slow this train down before Sherwood gets its shot — or whether Stone Bridge can do something no county team has managed to do in years and knock the Cougars off their tracks.
2. Sherwood (2-0) — LW: 2
Sherwood didn’t exactly cruise past Seneca Valley, but the Warriors did what good teams do when a game gets uncomfortable: they found a way to finish it. The defense forced five turnovers, with senior OLB London Hardy accounting for two interceptions and a fumble, as Sherwood pulled away for a 21-6 win. There were some offensive concerns, particularly with Matthew Larsen and a unit that never really found its rhythm, but the Warriors keep moving forward. Rockville this week won’t tell us much; Blake is the only remotely interesting stop before the QO showdown.
3. Churchill (2-0) — LW: 3
Churchill took care of Northwest 28-13, giving the Bulldogs three wins over the Jaguars in the last four years and their biggest margin in that stretch. Hunter Humphries did plenty of work himself, accounting for 257 total yards, but the bigger story is an offense that still hasn’t quite clicked. Red-zone execution remains a problem, and Churchill can’t afford to leave points on the field if it eventually wants to challenge QO. Walter Johnson should provide an opportunity to get that engine humming before the schedule gets serious.
4. Paint Branch (1-1) — LW: 5
The Panthers responded to the QO shutout exactly the way you would want: by obliterating somebody. Paint Branch crushed Einstein 59-0, with Alijah Bah reminding everyone why he’s one of the county’s most dangerous backs by piling up 224 yards and five touchdowns on just 13 carries. Now comes Blair, followed by Northwest, and those games should give us a better idea of where Paint Branch stands once you remove QO from the equation. For now, this was a sharp and emphatic reset.
5. Northwest (1-1) — LW: 4
Northwest hung around with Churchill for most of the night but couldn’t make enough plays when it mattered, with Tank Rivers providing the highlight via a 62-yard touchdown run. Beyond that, however, the Jaguars managed just 37 rushing yards, and that’s an issue for a team built to make its living on the ground. The schedule isn’t getting any kinder, with B-CC, Paint Branch and QO still ahead. Northwest has the talent to make the playoffs again, but it needs to clean things up quickly if another 5-4 type season is going to be avoided.
6. Damascus (2-0) — LW: 9
The Hornets are making a habit of turning Friday nights into track meets. Damascus blasted Wootton 42-7, and MJ Sullivan followed up his four-touchdown opener with another four-score performance. The schedule hasn’t exactly challenged Damascus yet, but consecutive offensive explosions are enough to get the Hornets climbing. Clarksburg should be another opportunity to pile up points before next week’s matchup with Frederick County’s Oakdale finally gives us something substantial to chew on.
7. Seneca Valley (1-1) — LW: 6
Seneca Valley gave Sherwood a much better fight than the final score suggests before the Warriors’ defense eventually took over. The Screaming Eagles have enough fight and enough improvement from last year to remain in the conversation, but now they need to turn that competitiveness into wins. The traditional rivalry with Gaithersburg provides the opportunity.
8. Blake (1-1) — LW: 8
Blake got into the win column behind a strong night from quarterback Wilton Cameron, who accounted for three touchdowns in the Bengals’ victory over Whitman. The Bengals remain difficult to pin down, but there’s enough talent here to keep them in the mix. Springbrook is next, and Blake needs to keep stacking wins before the schedule gets tougher.
9. B-CC (1-1) — LW: 10
The Barons announced themselves with a 50-36 win over Blair, powered by three touchdowns from Aiah Mbayo. After a disappointing opener, B-CC suddenly has some momentum and a chance to make a much bigger statement Thursday against Northwest. Two teams that want to run the football, one field, and potentially a whole lot of carries.
10. Blair (1-1) — LW: 7
Blair’s defense had no answer for B-CC in a 50-36 loss, and now the Blazers get thrown directly into another difficult matchup against Paint Branch. The offense has shown enough to make games interesting, but the margin for error gets pretty small when you’re giving up 50. This week will tell us whether Blair can bounce back or whether that 1-1 start was a mirage.
