Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) high school football Top 10:
1. Quince Orchard (1-0) — LW: 1
The Cougars remain the kings of Montgomery County after a 28-0 demolition of Paint Branch. The defense was suffocating, with Jamie White Jr. intercepting three passes and holding Panthers star Alijah Bah to just four rushing yards. Offensively, Rafferty Bankert hauled in two long touchdown passes from Carter Dailey, who took a significant step forward in his first major test. There were too many penalties, but the overall performance was still dominant. Until somebody knocks them off, there is nothing to debate at No. 1.
2. Sherwood (1-0) — LW: 2
Sherwood needed less than two quarters to put away Magruder, cruising to a 57-0 victory before taking its foot off the gas. There wasn’t much to learn against an overmatched opponent, but the Warriors did exactly what a championship contender is supposed to do: dominate and stay efficient. Last year’s run to the state final was no fluke, and this group looks hungry to finish the job. Seneca Valley will provide a much better measuring stick this week.
3. Churchill (1-0) — LW: 3
Churchill didn’t look like a team that expects to win a state championship, but it did look like a team that knows how to win. The Bulldogs rallied for a 20-19 victory over BCC behind quarterback Hunter Humphries, who overcame a pick-six to throw the go-ahead touchdown to Caleb Singer. Humphries finished with 232 yards passing and two touchdowns, but the Bulldogs’ two turnovers nearly cost them. Against Northwest this week, Churchill will need to clean up the mistakes and find the focus that was missing for stretches against BCC.
4. Northwest (1-0) — LW: 6
The Jaguars answered some of their biggest preseason questions with a gritty comeback against Blake. After trailing by four at halftime, Northwest scored 19 unanswered points and took control behind senior quarterback Eric Odina, who accounted for 263 total yards and four touchdowns. It was a strong response against a quality opponent and enough to move the Jaguars two spots. Now comes the real test: seeing whether they can carry that momentum into a Game of the Week showdown with Churchill.
5. Paint Branch (0-1) — LW: 4
Paint Branch’s offense was simply not good enough against Quince Orchard, managing just 49 total yards in a 28-0 loss. The defense, however, deserves some credit for keeping the Cougars from completely running away with things and forcing QO to work for its points. Losing to the No. 1 team is no disgrace, but the Panthers were stagnant offensively and now have to prove this was an isolated bad night rather than a sign of bigger problems. Einstein should provide the perfect opportunity to bounce back.
6. Seneca Valley (1-0) — LW: 7
Seneca Valley opened the season with exactly the kind of performance you’d want before facing Sherwood, rolling past Clarksburg 38-0. The Screaming Eagles move up one spot, but the real evaluation begins this week against a Warriors team that has much bigger ambitions. If Seneca Valley can make that game competitive, we’ll have a much clearer picture of where they belong.
7. Blair (1-0) — LW: 8
Blair moved up a spot after opening the season with a win over Wheaton. Lucas Copeland ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Malachi Rice added two touchdown passes. The Blazers now get a much tougher assignment with BCC coming to town. That game should tell us whether Blair is ready to make noise against the county’s better teams.
8. Blake (0-1) — LW: 5
The Bengals take the biggest fall of the week after Northwest erased a halftime deficit and pulled away. Blake still has quarterback Wilton Cameron and enough talent to remain relevant in the 4A North picture, but the loss reinforces the concern that this may be a step down from the program’s recent standards. Blake probably doesn’t have the horses to run with the county’s top tier, but it could still emerge as the best of the next group. The Bengals will need to show it quickly.
9. Damascus (1-0) — LW: 10
Damascus looked sharp in all three phases during a 55-18 rout of Richard Montgomery. MJ Sullivan ran for four touchdowns, while the Hornets defense forced four turnovers in a performance that earned them a step up in the Top 10. There is plenty of reason for optimism, particularly with Coach Klotz now running his offense at Damascus. The next question is whether the Hornets can back it up against better competition. Wootton should provide an early answer.
10. Bethesda-Chevy Chase (0-1) — LW: 9
BCC drops one spot after coming up just short against Churchill, but the Barons once again showed they won’t be an easy out. Quarterback Jack Conley ran for two touchdowns in the 20-19 loss, and BCC pushed one of the county’s top teams to the final possession. Now the Barons head to Blair looking to turn a competitive loss into their first win of the season.
