West

West — Football standings (2026-W38)

Northwest High School 7 - 14 Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

Gaithersburg High School 41 - 0 Northwood High School

Quince Orchard High School 28 - 0 Paint Branch High School

Photo courtesy of Quince Orchard football Instagram. It was always going to be Quince Orchard. Winners of the previous 4A state title, and champions in 2021 and 2022 as well, a perennial powerhouse is an apt descriptor of the program. Friday night furthered that narrative, as the Cougars capped off an undefeated 14-0 season. Wise, who was 11-1 itself heading into the game, offered plenty of resistance — arguably the most Quince Orchard has faced all season long. But the Cougars found a way to pull it out at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, 26-21. The offenses were slow to start. Wise tried and failed on a fourth down conversion in shallow Cougars’ territory, but failed to convert. Shortly after, Quince Orchard was forced to punt from deep in its own half of the field. But it didn’t hurt them, as defensive line pressure and a hit on Wise quarterback Eric Wedge forced a popped-up ball that was intercepted. The first score didn’t come until just under four minutes left in the first quarter, when Quince Orchard quarterback Will Drakeford Jr. plunged his way into the end zone on a quarterback sneak. But when Wise needed a response, it instead gave the ball right back to the Cougars. Quince Orchard chewed off the rest of the time in the first quarter, methodically marching down the shortened field. On third-and-goal, Drakeford found Rafferty Bankert on a quick slant — his defender was rubbed off on the route concept, leaving him wide open. Suddenly, the Cougars were ahead 14-0. But the Pumas put together a solid response a few drives later, still in the second quarter. On third-and-12 from the 12-yard line, Wedge delivered a strike up the middle, leaving fourth-and-2 from the two. Wedge brilliantly converted — he was flushed out back from the pocket before finding Sergio Terrico in a tight window in the end zone. That score, making the game 14-7, held until halftime. The third quarter started with a bang. A false start on a third-and-goal opportunity from the 1-yard line didn’t deter Drakeford, who found defensive lineman Jaheim Bond in the end zone on the very next play. The response couldn’t have been more quick, as Zorian Gray-Vest returned the ball 85-yards on the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown — the score became 20-14. Another two touchdowns in relative succession came just minutes later. Another Wedge interception led to multiple Drakeford runs, the last of which a 4-yard rush into the end zone. But as it had responded rapidly on the previous Cougars’ score, it repeated that success — Kameron Parker scampered for a 65-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. It was truly the last few minutes of the game that served as the spectacle. After very little transpired for the first 10 minutes of the quarter, the Pumas had the opportunity to take a lead with two minutes left and receive the ball after a punt. It was either going to be a game-winning drive or a game-winning stop. The latter happened. Wise had to go 90 yards for the score, which was already difficult enough. But a Diego Rodriguez sack made things even more difficult. On fourth-and-16, Wedge’s pass was just short of the sticks, and the Cougars were ultimately able to kneel out the championship. Quince Orchard has lost just one game since 2021 — it’s going to take a special effort to dethrone the Cougars in 2026.

Photo courtesy of Quince Orchard football Instagram. Heading into the 4A state quarterfinal matchup in Maryland, one might perhaps be confused — both Quince Orchard and Charles Herbert Flowers were both not beaten heading into the game, yet the latter was the No. 8-seed, and the former the No. 1-seed. Make no mistake, Flowers presented an extremely tough matchup. Yet, it had to forfeit its eight wins in the regular season due to an eligibility violation. But with all that in the rearview mirror, Friday night presented a hotly contested game between two state title contenders. And it was the Cougars who ultimately prevailed, 21-10, as they continued the quest for their third 4A title in the past four years. It was Flowers that kicked off the scoring with a field goal, with the points being set up by a crucial strip sack. But Cougars’ quarterback Will Drakeford Jr. and company began to string together multiple plays of 10 yards or more on the following drive. Quince Orchard strung together outside runs with darts right over the middle of the field into the teeth of Flowers’ defense. It was the stellar rushing attack that ultimately set up Quince Orchard on the doorstep of the red zone. A 7-yard touchdown run with two-and-a-half minutes left in the opening quarter gave the Cougars a spark. Kacey Gilliam and Jaheim Bond, two of the Cougars’ most dominant defensive pieces, helped all night long to expedite Flowers’ possessions. On the ensuing Jaguars drive, a massive tackle for loss helped to give Quince Orchard the ball back. Drakeford’s biggest strength all night was far and away his rushing prowess — with five minutes left in the first half, he extended the Cougars' lead to 14-3 on a 24-yard rushing touchdown. The signal caller initially bounced outside on the run before churning in between a storm of Flowers defenders and charging into the end zone. But for as good as Drakeford’s running was, his passing left something to be desired. Cavare Durandisse, who had the strip sack earlier in the game, picked off Drakeford before the conclusion of the half and returned it for a score. Suddenly, heading into the second half, the 14-10 deficit Flowers found itself in didn’t seem so daunting. But that would be the last points it would score for the remainder of the match. Quince Orchard’s defense got involved quickly in the third quarter, nabbing an interception at the nine minute mark. And tackles for loss became a theme of the game for the Cougars, continuously finding new ways to slow down the Jaguars' rushing attack. And while the third quarter was scoreless between the two sides, the fourth quarter was not. Drakeford engineered his best series of the evening, taking 14 plays to span almost the entire length of the field, and soaking up minutes of clock in the process. After Drakeford’s second rushing touchdown of the game — a five-yard cut inside on a fake pitch — Flowers only had 1:43 to climb back from an 11-point deficit. But it was no match for the Cougars, who advanced to the state semifinal once more. Quince Orchard will match up with No. 5-seed Broadneck, with a chance to face the winner of No. 2-seed Churchill and No. 3-seed Wise in the state final.

Photo courtesy of Winston Churchill Athletics Instagram. The regional football playoffs are well underway in Maryland, and while that opens up the field beyond just Montgomery County, it was two Montgomery County programs that found themselves toe-to-toe with one another in the second round of the 4A bracket. The contest concluded with the Bulldogs ultimately getting the best of the Rockets in a beatdown, 35-17, Friday night. It was Richard Montgomery that got things started, as Gerard Woods Jr. pounded it up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead. And then the Rockets compounded their success. Looking for a complete drive and subsequent response, Churchill quarterback Hunter Humphries telegraphed his throw to the flat. Cornerback Isisah Womack jumped in front of the pass, taking it all the way back for a score and giving the Rockets a 14-0 lead. However, that was about as much success as Richard Montgomery would have on the evening. Humphries was composed on the following drive, with play-action fakes and rollouts that allowed him easy tosses over the middle of the field. But it was running back Noah Zhang that finished the drive strong for the Bulldogs, churning his legs up the middle for a 6-yard score. A Richard Montgomery field goal with less than 10 minutes to play in the second quarter would end up being its final points of the day. Still, Churchill needed to find a way to erase the 10-point deficit. It came rather quickly. The Bulldogs could not have been quicker in responding to the field goal, marching down the field. Humphries then fooled the entire defense, faking a handoff to Zhang and keeping it himself, bumping off defenders for a 15-yard touchdown run. Minutes into the third quarter, it was Zhang who struck again. With Churchill’s fullback leading the way, Zhang went into the end zone nearly untouched, and the Bulldogs finally got their first lead of the evening, 21-17. And unlike Churchill had done over the previous two quarters, the Rockets failed to muster a response. It went the entire third quarter without a significant offensive push, and it wasn’t until the 9-minute mark of the following quarter that a team scored. But that team was Churchill, extending its lead. Humphries immediately diagnosed that his receiver beat man coverage on a streak on the left side of the field, lofting it up into the end zone for an easily caught, 27-yard touchdown. And up 11 with three minutes remaining, it was — who else — Zhang that added insurance to the already-11-point lead, breaking through a gang of tacklers for a 52-yard rushing touchdown. With the win, the Bulldogs now face undefeated powerhouse Quince Orchard.

Photo courtesy of Churchill Bulldogs Football Instagram. With the Montgomery County standings tight and the state playoffs rapidly approaching, every win matters. On Thursday night, two formidable opponents squared off, each looking to make a statement in the final standings with both programs sitting at 7-1. What first appeared to be a game the Bulldogs would run away with quickly turned competitive. The Panthers rebounded, but it was too little, too late — and Churchill emerged as 20-18 victors. Bulldogs quarterback Hunter Humphries had a solid evening, completing 9 of 17 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He got the offense rolling early, connecting on throws of 18, 24, and 14 yards — the last one a touchdown to Nolan McHugh — to give Churchill an early six-point lead. The score came on a wide-open play-action shot to the end zone, catching Paint Branch’s defense completely flat-footed. But the Panthers answered right back, knotting the score at six apiece. Running back Alijah Bah found the end zone — and he’d go on to score all three of Paint Branch’s touchdowns Thursday night. With the game even, Humphries continued to pick apart Paint Branch’s secondary, consistently gashing it for chunk yardage. His deep ball was on point, including a 25-yard completion down the right sideline to AJ Wiseman. But just when it seemed the Bulldogs’ offense was unstoppable, Paint Branch swung the momentum with a sensational four-play goal-line stand — stuffing three quarterback sneaks in a row. Still, as the first half wound down to under a minute, Churchill struck again. After making several key catches earlier, Wiseman hauled in a 25-yard touchdown to put the Bulldogs ahead 13-6 at halftime. The third quarter was marked by offensive struggles on both sides. Each team opened with a three-and-out, and Paint Branch threw an interception — yet Churchill couldn’t capitalize, going three-and-out immediately after the turnover. Finally, Acque Ashwood broke through to give Churchill some breathing room. On a sweep to the left sideline, he turned on the jets, staying glued to the boundary and outpacing the entire Paint Branch defense for a 67-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing Panthers drive, the ball went right back to their most dangerous weapon — Bah. He ripped off a 25-yard carry that brought Paint Branch to Churchill’s five-yard line, and a few plays later, powered his way into the end zone on a toss play. Despite all the explosive plays Churchill had throughout the game, the Bulldogs couldn’t produce offensively when it mattered most. A three-and-out handed the ball back to Paint Branch, trailing 20-12, with five minutes remaining. The Panthers did exactly what they needed to — almost. Bah again carried the load, driving the offense downfield and winding the clock under a minute. He appeared to score on a 12-yard rush, but it was called back. Three plays later, he muscled his way into the end zone from the 1-yard line. That set up a dramatic two-point conversion — a toss to Bah, the same play that had worked earlier. But this time, Churchill’s defense held strong. The Bulldogs secured the stop, the 20-18 victory, and an 8-1 record, while Paint Branch now sits at 7-2 heading into postseason play.

Ba injured. Taken away in ambulance.

Photo courtesy of Lauren Sheintal Sports Photos. Quince Orchard, the perennial crowning jewel of Montgomery County football, looked to be running away with things once again. It was a much-heralded matchup against undefeated Sherwood, marking a hotly-contested game consisting of two unbeaten teams. But the Cougars got the upper hand early. Despite some occasional early pressure and a sack from the Warriors, Quince Orchard Will Drakeford operated relatively cleanly from the pocket. This was emphasized in his two touchdown tosses to a favorite target of his, tight end Diego Rodriguez. But the barrage didn’t stop there. The Cougars’ special teams play also got the best of Sherwood early, as Rico Jackson ran back a kickoff for six. By the third quarter, Quince Orchard led 21-0, and it appeared as though the powerhouse would steamroll to another relaxing victory. Until it didn’t. Sherwood quarterback Matthew Larsen suddenly got the hot hand. With just under four minutes left in the third frame, he uncorked a deep ball to the left side of the field, hitting his receiver in stride for a 46-yard touchdown. Then, to start the fourth quarter, a play-action fake opened up the middle of the field, and Larsen hit his man in stride for a 59-yard score. The game was starting to unravel at the seams for Quince Orchard. And it all came to a head just a minute later on Sherwood’s stellar game-tying drive, which featured an 18-yard pass, 12-yard run and 25-yard opposite field dish for a touchdown. And with eight minutes left, the score was knotted. On the ensuing drive, Quince Orchard’s rushing attack took command, with multiple slices up the middle chewing both yardage and clock. Jaheim Bond ultimately broke free approaching five minutes left in the game, taking a carry with multiple Sherwood defenders on his back and dragging them down deep in the red zone. He punched it in just one play later, nearly untouched. Searching for a response, Larsen instead threw an interception that was returned all the way back to Sherwood’s 15-yard line. And much like last time, it took just one more play for the Cougars to punch it in — J.J. Williams was the recipient of this handoff. Sherwood tacked on one more score to end the contest, but it didn’t have much time to do much else with less than two minutes on the clock, leaving Quince Orchard perfect on the season.

Can't wait for this one!

On Friday, December 6th, the Cougars and Pumas traveled to Annapolis to battle for the 4a state title. Both teams had dominant run games, two touchdowns for the Cougars back and Maryland commit, Iverson Howard. On the other hand, Temple commit Decarlos Young had over 100 yards of his own. Neither team's passing game was on point in this game, with both quarterbacks missing over 5 open receivers. As the Cougars won with a final score of 24-13, they are back in familiar territory, winning their third title in the last four years.

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