Week 6 brings a few intriguing matchups, but Friday night at the Cougardome is the main event. Churchill gets its shot at the heavyweight champ, while several teams are trying to either keep pace at the top or stop a slide before it becomes a problem.
Thursday, Oct. 1
Kennedy (3-1) at Northwood (2-2): Northwood has protected its home turf this season, and the Gladiators look like a legitimately improved team after a rough 2025. The loss to Pikesville last week showed there are still some holes, though.
Kennedy has looked even better. The Cavaliers have picked up right where they left off last season and have the kind of offensive firepower that can make a defense pay for every mistake. Northwood’s best chance is to create extra possessions with turnovers and keep this game from becoming a track meet. The Gladiators will make Kennedy work for it, but the Cavaliers have too much firepower. Prediction: Kennedy 32, Northwood 14
Rockville (0-4) at Damascus (3-1): Damascus finally ran into a team it couldn’t bully last week, falling to Oakdale. Now the Hornets get a much softer landing.
Rockville has struggled to find traction all season, and Damascus should have little trouble getting its ground game rolling again. Expect the Hornets to take out some frustration from last week’s loss. Prediction: Damascus 38, Rockville 6
Sherwood (4-0) at Clarksburg (2-2): Sherwood needed overtime to survive rival Blake last week, and the Warriors will want a cleaner performance this time around. The talent gap is significant, but Sherwood can’t afford to hand the Coyotes free possessions with penalties and turnovers. If the Warriors take care of the football, this one could get ugly quickly. Prediction: Sherwood 42, Clarksburg 0
Friday 10/2
Paint Branch (2-2) at BCC (3-1): Paint Branch just got the kind of win that can change the complexion of a season, with Alijah Bah going absolutely bananas for more than 250 rushing yards against Northwest.
Now comes another physical challenge. BCC’s triple-option attack is always going to make opponents earn every stop, and quarterback Jack Conley has become increasingly comfortable throwing the ball. If the Barons have developed a legitimate passing threat to complement that grinding run game, this could turn into a shootout.
Bah should get plenty of work. The question is whether Paint Branch can keep BCC from controlling the clock. Prediction: Paint Branch 32, BCC 28
Blair (3-1) at Blake (2-2): Blake came within a whisker of knocking off Sherwood last week, pushing the Warriors into overtime. Now the Bengals have to prove that wasn’t simply rivalry-game magic.
Blair has enough versatility to make that difficult. The Blazers can attack vertically through the air or lean on the ground game when the situation calls for it.
Blake should hang around, but Blair has more ways to win this one. Prediction: Blair 38, Blake 21
Walter Johnson (2-2) at Seneca Valley (2-2): Walter Johnson ground out a win over Wootton last week, but Seneca Valley presents a considerably bigger challenge.
The Screaming Eagles have enough offensive firepower to keep the Wildcats from turning this into another grind-it-out affair. WJ will need to find a way to slow the game down and stay out of obvious passing situations. Prediction: Seneca Valley 42, Walter Johnson 14
Northwest (1-3) at Gaithersburg (2-2): Gaithersburg has quietly played solid football this season, while Northwest is still trying to figure out what went wrong.
This feels like the kind of matchup where the Jaguars can finally get things moving again. Northwest has too much talent to stay down forever, and this is a favorable spot to start climbing back toward respectability. Prediction: Northwest 49, Gaithersburg 14
Richard Montgomery (0-4) at Wheaton (2-2): Richard Montgomery’s offense has steadily improved, and quarterback Davis Bowen has already topped 1,000 passing yards. The Rockets will need him to hit some big plays if they’re going to keep pace.
That’s easier said than done against a Wheaton team that should be able to lean heavily on its rushing attack. Look for the Knights to control the line of scrimmage and eventually pull away. Prediction: Wheaton 42, Richard Montgomery 21
Magruder (2-2) at Wootton (1-3): Neither offense has exactly been lighting up the scoreboard, but Magruder comes in with some momentum after winning two straight.
Wootton, meanwhile, has lost three in a row, although the Patriots have played a significantly tougher schedule during that stretch. At this point, the bigger question may be what’s happening between the ears. If the losing streak has started to snowball mentally, another close game could get away from them. This one feels like a rock fight. Prediction: Wootton 14, Magruder 12
Whitman (2-2) at Springbrook (1-3): Whitman showed some signs of life offensively against Churchill, while Springbrook continues to search for answers. The Vikings should have little trouble controlling this one from start to finish. Prediction: Whitman 28, Springbrook 0
Watkins Mill (0-4) at Einstein (0-4): Somebody is getting win No. 1. The less encouraging part: for both teams, this may be the last realistic opportunity to get it.
Expect a low-scoring game where every possession matters and nobody is particularly interested in giving the other side extra chances. Prediction: Watkins Mill 12, Einstein 6
Poolesville (2-2) at Smithsburg (4-0): Poolesville heads to Washington County to face a Smithsburg team that handled the Falcons rather comfortably last season.
Not much suggests the rematch will go differently. The Leopards are unbeaten and should have enough on both sides of the ball to take care of business again. Prediction: Smithsburg 35, Poolesville 7
Game of the Week: Churchill at Quince Orchard. Preview/prediction can be found here.
