Montgomery County Football Top 10 (MCPS only, prior to week 5 games):
1. Quince Orchard (4-0) — LW: 1
The Cougars were not fazed by the new-look Seneca Valley offense, blanking the Eagles for the sixth straight year in a 35-0 statement. Carter Dailey threw all five touchdowns, giving him 12 on the season. The next two weeks could be the toughest stretch of the regular season, but at this point the question is less whether QO can survive the gauntlet and more how convincingly the Cougars can get through it.
2. Sherwood (4-0) — LW: 2
Good teams find ways to win, and Sherwood certainly did that against Blake. The Warriors were shut out for the first 3 quarters before finally finding life late, with Matthew Larsen connecting with Kaleb Brown on 4th and long before Jason Washington scored two plays later. Frankie Saunders put Sherwood ahead in overtime, and the defense finished the job by stopping Wilton Cameron on a failed two-point conversion. The fight and resilience were impressive, but a one-point overtime escape against a low ranked Blake team raises some questions. The offense will need to find more consistency against better defenses.
3. Churchill (4-0) — LW: 3
Against a tough Whitman squad, the Bulldogs left no doubt with a 34-14 win that clinched a third Congressional Cup in four years. Hunter Humphries continued his nearly flawless season with 194 passing yards and two touchdowns, while James Le added 66 rushing yards and two scores. Churchill has looked very solid outside of the season opener, but the Bulldogs will need to find another gear this week if they plan to keep pace with QO.
4. Bethesda-Chevy Chase (3-1) — LW: 6
For the second straight year, the Barons reminded Wheaton that there are levels to the county hierarchy with a convincing 35-0 win. B-CC piled up 247 rushing yards, led by Aiah Mbayo with 103 yards and a touchdown, while Jack Conley accounted for 103 total yards and three scores. The Barons have a legitimate chance to emerge from a competitive 4A North region as the top team, but Paint Branch now stands directly in the way. If both teams play to their potential, this should be a good one.
5. Blair (3-1) — LW: 7
As expected, the Blazers made quick work of Einstein in a 62-6 rout. Malachi Rice completed all six passes for 181 yards and four touchdowns, while Lucas Copeland needed just four carries to rack up 160 rushing yards and two scores. The loss to B-CC remains the blemish, but Blair is still firmly in the 4A North race. Now comes a much more meaningful test against Blake.
6. Damascus (3-1) — LW: 4
The Hornets were brought back to earth in a hurry by Oakdale, suffering a 30-3 defeat in the Game of the Week. Damascus had been unbeaten and riding plenty of momentum, but the loss exposed the gap between the Hornets and one of the region’s elite teams. There is still plenty of season left, but Damascus has some work to do if it wants to get back into the conversation with the county’s top teams.
7. Seneca Valley (3-1) — LW: 5
The Screaming Eagles ran into the QO buzzsaw and were shut out 35-0, ending a three-game winning streak in decisive fashion. The loss showed that Seneca Valley still has some ground to cover before it can challenge the county’s elite, but this remains a team that has made real progress and looks capable of making noise against everyone else on the schedule. A trip to Bethesda to take on Walter Johnson is next.
8. Paint Branch (2-2) — LW: 10
Paint Branch has completely flipped the script against Northwest, winning the series for the third straight year after never beating the Jaguars during their first 25 years. Alijah Bah was back to vintage form, piling up 245 total yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 win. The Panthers needed a statement after the loss to Blair, and they got one against a depleted Northwest team. Now comes the real test: a hungry B-CC squad with the 4A North race hanging in the balance.
9. Northwest (1-3) — LW: 8
Eric Odina threw for 194 yards and a touchdown, but the Jaguars still dropped their third straight game and now find themselves in real danger of falling out of the Top 10 for the first time in years. Northwest has not been able to turn solid individual performances into wins, and the margin for error is getting thinner. A trip to Gaithersburg offers the Jaguars a chance to stop the slide before it becomes something bigger.
10. Blake (2-2) — LW: 9
Blake came within inches of pulling off the upset of the season before falling to Sherwood 14-13 in overtime. Wilton Cameron and Brendon Kelly nearly delivered the Bengals a signature win, but the offense could not finish the job in the overtime. There is no time to dwell on it, either, with Blair coming to Colesville this week in another opportunity to prove Blake belongs in this group.
