Damascus High School

JSpiegelman

149d ago

In 2025, Montgomery County sent six teams into the state tournament, including Damascus in the 2A, Sherwood in the 3A, while Northwest, Blair, Churchill, and Richard Montgomery advanced in the highest class. Of these teams, both Sherwood and Churchill advanced to the championship game, with neither bringing home the title. With last spring marking the first time since 2021 no MCPS team won a state softball title, the question is, will any hoist the big trophy in 2026? Here are the ten teams from MCPS most likely to win the big game: 1. Damascus The Hornets’ 2025 season started very mercurially. Their 4-2 record to start the season included scoring double-digit runs in each of the wins, highlighted by a 19-0 opening day rout against Seneca Valley on opening day, but the squad gave up double-digit runs in each of the losses. After the rocky start, Damascus finished their season on an 8-1 run, including six additional double-digit offensive performances. The Hornets outscored Southern, Centennial, and Hereford 39-5 from the regional semifinals to the state quarterfinals, before a one run loss in the semifinals against Stephen Decatur. Damascus looks so good this coming spring because, after only losing senior Josie Hoffacker, they will return first-team all-MCPS nominee Brook Sell, Marymount University commit Kailyn Sheahin plus all-Met honorable mention Ana DiGiandomenico. This spring looks very bright in Damascus. 2. Churchill The Bulldogs opened their last campaign with a 3-3 record, including scoring 19 runs in a road game against Watkins Mill and a home game against Whitman, while also surrendering 20 on the road against Walter Johnson. From there, Churchill turned up their play, working towards a 10-7 regular season record. The team was one of the only of any sport in the state to play six playoff games, requiring a regional quarterfinal match all the way to the state championship. Churchill outscored opponents 41-5 in the first five playoff games, before an unfortunate end in the 4A championship, falling to Leonardtown 5-0. The loss of Villanova softball commit Maggie King will hurt this year’s squad, along with four other seniors, but they are set to be led by first-team all-division nominee Kai-En Hsu and honorable mention Jacqueline Le. 3. Walter Johnson The Wildcats opened their season dropping their first game, but they quickly turned it around with a seven game win streak. This impressive stretch started with a 26-0 blowout on the road against Gaithersburg, followed by a 20-3 win over Churchill and a 20-4 win at Whitman. However, the stretch quickly switched course, with Walter Johnson going on to lose four of their next five. After outsourcing Einstein and Springbrook 29-0 in their final two regular season games, WJ would fail to make it past the regional semifinals, as Churchill got their revenge in a 7-0 loss. Despite the unfortunate end to their season, the WIldcats look to be in prime position going into this season. After losing four seniors, they will return Ella Reynolds, the all-division player of the year and Emory University commit, along with two seniors and three sophomores who all made the division’s first team. 4. Northwest The Jaguars opened their season on a fourteen game win streak that included a 19-2 road win against Magruder, a 19-4 road win against Gaithersburg, and a 20-run shutout victory over Blake, also on the road. After this, Northwest dropped their final two games of the season, losing to Damascus and Churchill. After eliminating Frederick, Urbana, and Richard Montgomery from the playoffs, the Jaguars fell in their state semifinal game against Leonardtown, the future 4A state champions. While this year’s team will be without six members of last year’s state semifinalist team, head coach Mike Horton will look to bring his team back to the state bracket in the coming months. 5. Wootton The Patriots’ last season kicked off with a strong win over Einstein before the team dropped three of their next four. Following the slide, Wootton won five of their next six, including a 20-4 victory against Watkins Mill on the road, a 14-11 fight against Paint Branch, and a 17-0 home blowout over Northwood. The team went on to finish with an 8-7 regular season record, before beating Kennedy and Rockville in the regional bracket to win the region title. In the state quarterfinals, the Patriots had a tough seed, and were forced to face Sherwood, where they fell 15-0. The good news is that, after losing just three seniors, Wootton will return Bryn Priolo and Emily Liu, who were selected as first-team and honorable mentions to the all-division team, respectively. 6. Sherwood Last year’s 3A runner ups were the lone undefeated team from Montgomery County, finishing with 15 wins. In those 15, the Warriors plated at least 10 runs in 12 games, and at least 15 in seven. From the regional semifinals to the state quarterfinals, Ashley Barber-Strunk’s team outscored Atholton, Reservoir, and Wootton 35-0, before taking down the Dulaney Lions 2-0, punching their ticket to the big game. However, with the season on the line, Sherwood could not come through, falling 5-3 against the Chopticon Braves, ending their season. This year’s squad will be without several key members, including first-team all-met selection Keira Schlutz and first-team all MCPS nominee Avery Anderson, but all-division honorable mention Gabby Anderson will be returning as the team looks to make it back to the top of the state for the second time in three years 7. Quince Orchard The Cougars had a 4-3 start to their most recent campaign, including a 20-3 road win against Blake on opening day, plus a 13-4 road win over Seneca Valley and a 21-run shutout against Gaithersburg at home. After this start, Quince Orchard played six of their last seven games on the road, en route to a solid 10-5 regular season record. Despite this, QO would fall to the 9-9 Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons, who were coming off a 27-23 first round win over Whitman. Despite the untimely ending to their 2025 year, the Cougars will enter this season without just two members of last year’s campaign, as they look to win their first playoff game since 2024, or potentially, their first state semifinals since 1993. 8. Clarksburg The Coyotes had an impressive regular season campaign, scoring double-digit runs in ten games while surpassing the 20 run mark in three, in a season where the team finished 13-2. Despite such strong play before the playoffs, Clarksburg dropped their first game of postseason play in a 4-3 loss to the Urbana Hawks from Frederick County. After having success in the regular season, the team will lose Sommer Witz to Shepherd University and Gabby Encinas to Frostburg State. The remaining athletes will have a couple of big holes to fill before kicking off their season at home against Churchill. 9. Richard Montgomery To kick off last season, the Rockets opened with a 5-0 record that included four straight wins with over 16 runs scored. After the incredible start to their season, Richard Montgomery went on a 1-6 run that saw a 19-18 home loss against the Blair Blazers, a 23-0 win over Springbrook, which was immediately followed by a 17-run shutout loss to Clarksburg. Despite the rough patch, RM went on a four-game win streak to end their season 10-6. RM took down Einstein and Wheaton in the regional bracket, securing them the championship, before the Rockets fell to Northwest 15-3 in the state quarterfinals. 10. Blair Last Spring, the Blazers opened with a 9-6 home loss to the Churchill Bulldogs before going on a six game win streak, including a 15-0 win over Northwood and an incredible 19-18 victory on the road against Richard Montgomery. Blair slowed down a bit, finishing the regular season 11-5, but in their regional playoff games against Northwood and Laurel, the Blazers outscored the two 32-3 on the way to a regional championship. In the state bracket, their run was cut short in a 5-0 loss against Churchill, the second of the season. Additionally, this year’s team will be without an incredible nine athletes from last year’s squad, which could pose challenges for head coach Louis Hoelman, as the team looks to get back to the state semifinals for the first time in a decade.

JSpiegelman

184d ago

Entering February, Montgomery County teams have had no action for over a week, with most team’s last games dating back to January 21. With three weeks to go in the regular season, the county will enter February with twelve teams holding a winning record, including an undefeated Whitman squad and two others with just one loss, Magruder and Poolesville. In the season’s final three weeks before the postseason kicks off, here are the top storylines to watch for in Montgomery County Varsity Boys Basketball: 1. Four of Whitman’s (11-0) final games will come against teams with +.500 records, as the Vikings are set to play Sherwood and Richard Montgomery at home while they will travel to Walter Johnson and Damascus. Thus far, Whitman has only played three throughout the entire season, two of which were in the team’s first two games of the year. They took down now 8-4 Blair by 15, followed by an eight point win over 9-3 Kennedy, but competition has since slowed down. Most recent games included 27-point wins over both 0-13 Gaithersburg and 1-11 Clarksburg. Junior Max Williams and senior Bobby Zedak are both averaging 16.5 PPG for the Vikings, and will need to keep performing at a high level if the Vikings want to remain undefeated as they look to avenge two consecutive state championship losses. 2. The game of the season for Montgomery County teams is yet to take place, and it won’t come until the final day of the regular season. Magruder (12-1) is set to travel to Poolesville (11-1) in the last game of the season on February 20. Prior to that, both teams have high-stakes match ups, as the Colonels are also set to rematch the 8-4 Paint Branch Panthers at home on Friday. The Panthers handed Magruder their lone loss, coming in a 62-48 road defeat. So far, Magruder has six wins over +.500 teams. Poolesville (11-1) is riding a 10 game win streak but they have not played a +.500 team in over three weeks. Their most recent game against a team with a winning record was against the 8-4 Seneca Valley Raiders, where they won by 20 points. The Falcons are set to face Northwest (7-7) and Clarksburg (1-11) before a rematch on the road against the Raiders, which is set to tip off on Friday at 7:15. 3. Five teams, Seneca Valley, Damascus, Walter Johnson, Paint Branch, and Blair all currently sit at 8-4. Out of these five, Paint Branch has the hardest schedule, with five games scheduled against winning teams, including 9-3 Kennedy, 11-3 Blake, and 12-1 Magruder while Blake has the easiest with just three, those being 9-3 Richard Montgomery, 9-3 Kennedy, and 7-5 Sherwood. Damascus comes in second, followed by Seneca Valley and Walter Johnson. 4. The Gaithersburg Trojans, who are yet to capture their first win this season have several chances before the end of the season to avoid a totally winless campaign. After tomorrow’s game against 12-1 Magruder, they’re set to travel to Paint Branch to take on the 3-8 Panther on Wednesday. Following that game, they’ll host the 3-10 Springbrook Blue Devils on Friday, and then the 2-11 Northwood squad to wrap up their season on February 20. Both of Northwood’s wins came against 1-11 teams, as they took down Rockville at home by five points in Mid-December, and Einstein on the road by seven on January 14. 5. Four teams in the East are separated by just one game in league play, with Blake and Magruder at 4-1 while Sherwood and Paint Branch sit at 3-2. Each team will face two of the others by the end of this week with the final of the three before the season’s end. Apart from divisional games, Blake will have a three-game stretch where they play 0-13 Gaithersburg, 6-6 Bethesda-Chevy Chase, and 4-8 Wootton. Sherwood will play 3-10 Springbrook in their first game back from the week off, but they will finish their season against 11-0 Whitman, 8-4 Blair, and 8-4 Walter Johnson. Finally, Paint Branch will host 8-4 Damascus and will travel to face 9-4 Kennedy in two of their final three games of the regular season. A big shakeup could be coming in the East division before playoffs begin!

Photo courtesy of @shotbyaidan Instagram. The Montgomery County standings race is only getting more competitive, and sitting at 6-5 on the season, Damascus boys’ basketball desperately needed a momentum boost. It got just that against Walter Johnson, and it was away from home to boot. The Wildcats were 6-3 heading into Friday’s tilt, but the Hornets emerged with the win, 58-53. Damascus imposed its will inside early on, scoring the game’s first few baskets on a tough drive to the rim and double-team hook shot. The Hornets were active on defense, too, either stripping the Wildcats or quickly transitioning their misses. Damascus even took a heady charge early on, providing it with some stellar momentum. It was ultimately a 9-0 run to start the game for the Hornets before the Wildcats' Will Kreisle netted a 3-pointer nearly three minutes into the game. That quickly became Walter Johnson’s calling card: shots from beyond the arc. The Wildcats deployed a five-out system, driving and kicking to try and manufacture some open shots. And while many of the shots were open, just two others went in throughout the course of the quarter — that served as the team’s lone points. Damascus continued to keep Walter Johnson at bay throughout the second quarter. It didn’t rush any of its shots or offensive sets, carefully setting screens and picks to open up midrange opportunities and drives. The Wildcats closed the gap to three points at the half, getting some trips to the line late, while Damascus missed some of its opportunities from the charity stripe to close the period. Walter Johnson earned the first points of the second half, getting a second chance bucket off an odd-man fast break. Just a minute later, the game was tied at 30 apiece after a hook shot from Jake Forburger. The next three minutes were almost completely dominated by Damascus. The Wildcats simply became stagnant on offense and had trouble breaking apart the Hornets’ half court zone. In all, it was a 6-0 run for the away squad. But by the end of the third quarter, things were knotted once more at 39 apiece — the Wildcats had found another way to battle back. But they simply couldn’t compete with Damascus’ 19-point fourth frame. Incredibly, it took over two minutes into the quarter before either team notched a point — the first came from a Tony DeStefano paint shot. But Jayden Thompson spinning layup soon tied things with just over five minutes left. So what separated the Hornets? A rapid 5-0 run ensued over the following minute, while the Wildcats’ outside shooting struggles and missed layups handicapped them. An Ethan Ray spinning layup with three minutes left to play nearly sealed the game for Hornets — the dagger felt like it was soon to come. But Walter Johnson’s defense suddenly came alive, rejecting Damascus layups that had easily gone through the net earlier in the game. A Thompson fast break layup cut the Hornets’ lead down to two with 1:41 left to play. It was ultimately Ray that delivered on Damascus’ game-sealing buckets; a midrange fadeaway and a heavily-contested reverse layup under the hoop. The Hornets will look to take the momentum from Friday’s win into their Tuesday contest against 2-9 Northwood.

1-0

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Last night Damascus felt the same hammer that crushed South Carrol last week as they got pounded by the Owls 35-7 on Homecoming Eve. The number 5 ranked Hornets struggled on both sides of the ball as the O and D lines of Westminster absolutely took care of business. Picking apart Damascus' secondary with their aerial assault and manhandling them with their ground attack the Owls will clearly be looking to soar into the rankings this week.

Originally Damascus won but due to errors from a coach who didn't know how to count points there was a mutual agreement for 2-2

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Photo courtesy of Victor O'Neill Studios After six games, Damascus field hockey remains atop the North division in Montgomery County with a 3-0 record, and has assumed a 5-1 record overall. On Saturday, the Hornets only added onto that dominant resume, defeating division opponent Northwest in controlling fashion, 8-0. It didn’t take long for Damascus to assert its presence. Quickly establishing possession in their attacking end, the Hornets drew a penalty and capitalized on the ensuing shot just under two minutes into the action. But things had only just gotten started. A turnover on the following faceoff granted Damascus a prime counterattacking opportunity, and it had numbers to show for. Though the possession resulted in a giveaway deep in Jaguars territory, it set up a long sequence of attacking events in the offensive zone. Eventually, the Hornets’ sheer power and technique with the ball proved too much for Northwest to handle. A Damascus attacker charged right through the teeth of the defense before spinning with the ball in her possession and unleashing a point-blank shot on net. Though the attempt was saved, it was quickly corralled by another Damascus attacker and shoved into the back of the cage. By the end of the first quarter, the Hornets had already stacked together four goals, and looked to be the dominant force it was made out to be. It was clear that Northwest needed a response, and quickly, if it wanted to salvage any hope of a comeback. Instead, things turned more sour. The Jaguars struggled to make inroads in the offensive end. Any time a pass was attempted to the flanks to spark an attack, a Hornet midfielder was there to swipe the ball away and head in the other direction. Meanwhile, multiple Jaguar defensive fouls gave Damascus repeated looks at the cage, and it continued to pepper the outmatched Northwest goalkeeper with shots on penalty corners. Almost four minutes into the second frame, the Hornets finally broke through for its first score of the quarter. By halftime, the game was already 7-0 and out of the reach of Northwest, who has only captured a win over Gaithersburg this season — an 8-0 victory on opening night. Meanwhile, looking ahead for Damascus, contests against Whitman and Einstein in three and four weeks time, respectively, should serve as massive measuring sticks heading into what should be a tightly contested postseason landscape in Montgomery County.

Game was played September 29th

The Damascus Hornets swarmed Richard Montgomery 43-26 in front of a full house at The Hive. The Hornets capitalized on their ranking edge (Damascus ranked 47th in Maryland vs. Richard Montgomery at 129) . While the Rockets leaned on Dylan Webster, who threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns, and Tristan Trebules, who rushed for 48 yards and a score, Damascus put together a dominant offensive performance of their own—totaling 43 points. Though detailed player-by-player stats for the Hornets haven’t been released yet, their high-scoring output and control of the game speak volumes about their balanced execution on offense and effective field strategy.

Field Hockey is just around the corner, and its a sport that can be very exciting and intense. Which teams in MCPS will have the most success this season? In this preseason power rankings, I rank the top ten field hockey teams in the county. The top two teams were one win away from facing each other in the state finals last year, so the midseason matchup between the two will be a must-watch! Now let’s get to the list: Churchill (14-2) - The Bulldogs made it all the way to the Class 4A State semi finals before losing to Broadneck. It started the season 5-0 before dropping its first game. After that, the Bulldogs won eight straight games, securing five shutouts in the process. Five players received All-County recognition including seniors Jenna Pigott and Claire Gallagher. They return the other three All-County players in midfielders Junia Whang and Callie Lee, and defender Leah Offutt. They have the pieces in place to make another run to the semifinals and hopefully beyond. Whitman (14-2) - The Vikings have won four straight county championships. And it too made it to the 4A State semifinals before losing to eventual champion Crofton. Before losing to Crofton however, they were in the midst of a nine game winning streak that saw the Vikings shutout every opponent - including a dominant 10-0 win over Clarksburg in the first round of states. They lose seven seniors, including five who received All-County accolades - Kelsey Allen, Maya Raphael, Sophia Cheng, Mia Kanczuker, and Nisha Chakravarty - and Sadie Bastianelli, who was an All-Division member. They do however return rising junior Emma Foscarini; a midfielder who was a first team All-County select. The spotlight will be on Foscarini this fall as she tries to lead the Vikings to another run in the postseason. Damascus (12-2) - The Swarmin’ Hornets hope to go farther than it did last season (loss in the regional final), especially considering the strong start that they had (9-0). Their defense was one of the best in the county allowing less than a goal per game (before their defeat in regionals) and recorded eight shutouts. They lose nine seniors total, including first team All-County forward Madison Slayton and All-Divison members Sarah Jankowski and Marlene Nusraty. The good news however, is that three All-Division players are back for this fall season - forward Mary Miller, midfielder Maddie Powell, and defenseman Katie Miller. Despite the losses of nine seniors, the Swarmin’ Hornets are still in excellent position to reach states. Blair (10-4) - After a first game loss to Whitman, the Blazers won 9 out of its next 11 games, including a seven game win streak that were all shutouts. It won the regional title over Einstein before losing to Broadneck in the state quarterfinals. Seven players received accolades including three seniors - forward Carmella Beach, midfielder Eloisa Somodevilla, and goalie Keelin Pegg were All-County members. The rest of the four were all juniors and are coming back for their senior seasons. Forward Eva Schwartz, midfielder Ruth Wajda-Gotwals, and defenders Lilah Coleman and Juliet Craig will look to lead the Blazers to another successful campaign. Rockville (10-4) - The Rams rode a successful campaign all the way to the Class 3A state quarterfinals. The 3A regional champions were led by 11 seniors including captains Erin Kelly, McKenzie Chavez, and Grace Litzenberg - who was a first team All-County select. Not only will their leadership be missed, but also their experience, as they each played all four years. Finding the next group of leaders will be one of the stories to watch for this Rams team. Walter Johnson (9-5) - WJ had a nice end to its regular season, winning four out of its last five matches. It defeated Richard Montgomery in the first round of regionals, but ultimately fell to Whitman in the regional final. Ten seniors depart including four All-County/All-Division players in Gillian Rosenstock, Hidi Altman, Jackie Fuller, and Fran Sabbioni-Blanc. Defender Abby Bruskin is back for her senior season and will look to lead the Wildcats past the regionals this year. Quince Orchard (9-5) - After having a tough beginning to the season (1-2), the Cougars hardly skipped a beat after. Over its final nine regular season games, QO went an impressive 9-2, scoring 4 goals per game and allowing 1 per game (five shutouts). They lose six seniors, including four who were selected to the All-County Team - Hannah Wagner, Gabbie Spano, Ellie Wonnacott, and Faith Pleisse. All-County second team goalie Natalie Goury and Sophia Fenzel returns for her senior season. Having a returning veteran is always a welcome, especially when it provides insurance in goal. Goury recorded seven shutouts during the season. And despite having a new coach in Antonio Velasquez, and with players having to adjust to a new system, QO was able to have a winning season. Heading into year 2, it should be another successful campaign. Richard Montgomery (9-3) - The Rockets began the season 4-0 before hitting a road block that saw it lose three out of its next four. But, it was only a small bump, as they ended the regular season on a four game win streak. Unfortunately, the season came to an abrupt end when it lost to Walter Johnson in the first round of regionals. The Rockets were led by a group of veterans that included 12 seniors. Seniors Emma Pryor, Shelby Roth, and Catherine Nguyen were selected to the All-County team. And seniors Tara Amin, Abby Grandin, Pryor, Roth, and Nguyen received All-Division honors. All twelve departures will surely be missed, and it will be interesting to see who steps up in terms of leadership. Einstein (8-6) - The Titans made it to the regional final before losing to Blair. After starting the year 1-2, Einstein rallied to four straight victories and recording three shutouts in the process. They hit a road block during the final stretch, but finished with a winning record and was one game short of making states. Four seniors depart including defenders Cady Emerson (1st Team All-Division) and Maya Gutierrez-Flores (1st Team All-County. Gutierrez-Flores’s efforts on the defensive side earned her MCPS Defensive Player of the Year. Goalie Lena Fleschner and defender Lucy Stenger return for their senior seasons. Both were awarded first and second team All-Divison, respectively. B-CC (7-6) - The Barons had a nice run in the middle and end of the season, going 6-2 in its final eight games. Its season did come to an unfortunate end in the first round of regionals, losing to Whitman. They lose a total of thirteen seniors, including four who received All-County and All-Division honors - Jamie Lee, Abby Schrader, Roxana Stayeas, and Elisha Robinson. How to replace a loaded group of veterans and leaders will be a major challenge, but it will be both interesting and exciting to see who that next group will be down the road.

Back to school commercials are starting to show up which means it’s only a matter of time before hallways and classrooms are filled with students again. But it also means Friday Night Lights aren’t far out! The cornerstone of high school sports, football brings entire communities together cheering on their respective schools, filling them with a sense of pride that only the people around them can understand. Here in Maryland, and in Montgomery County, that is no exception. From getting polls on a few coaches across the county, I have compiled a Way-Too-Early rankings of the top 10 teams in MCPS. 1. Quince Orchard (13-0) - QO has been Montgomery County’s power for the longest time, and that doesn’t seem to end anytime soon. Coming off a 13-0 season in which it scored 39.7 ppg and allowed 6.7 ppg, the Cougars won its sixth state title in school history and its third in four years. Although they do lose their top rusher in Iverson Howard, they return senior WR Mason Mizzer so he’ll be a reliable target for whoever takes QB’s TJ Jackson’s role. The defense loses a few guys but does return DLs Kacey Gilliam and Jahiem Bond. It should be another fun and exciting season for HC John Kelly and the Cougars, who have averaged 11 wins during his 11 seasons at the helm. A week 2 matchup at Paint Branch will set the tone early. Speaking of Paint Branch… 2. Paint Branch (9-2) - The Panthers will look to continue their success of last season in which they had an unbeaten regular season, but had an abrupt end to their year in the first round of states. Rising junior RB Alijah Bah (1,299 yards, 21 TDs) will lead the offensive charge, and top two receivers Michael Boateng and Joshua Biando return. On defense, Kaden Chapman returns on a unit that allowed 11.4 ppg, but does lose a few key players. They open their season at home against Quince Orchard and later in September face Northwest, who they beat for the first time in school history last year. 3. Sherwood (10-3) - QB Matthew Larsen threw for 1,612 yards and a 17-9 TD-INT ratio as a sophomore last year, leading the Warriors to the state semifinals. They fell to defeat three times, but they were to the top teams in the state. Leading rusher Ryan Johnson is back for his senior season, and although they lose their top three receivers, Preston Hamrick – who averaged 11.6 yards per catch as a sophomore – will be a reliable option for Larsen. On defense, the losses Michael Robles (7 sacks, 13 TFLs), Jaden Nix (6 ints), and Khalil Wilson (5 ints) will hurt, but senior Jefferson Serkfem (64 tackles and 17 TFLs) will no doubt be up to the task of leading this unit. Mark your calendars for September 26, as the Warriors will play host to rival Blake, an always exciting matchup. Last time they hosted the Bengals, they suffered their first defeat to them since 2019. It should be a raucous environment. 4. Northwest (9-3) - Rising senior QB Jayden Vongprachahn-Nelson (1,355/13-2 td-int) will look to lead the Jaguars to another successful campaign and perhaps lead his team to its first state title since 2014. It won’t be an easy task as they lose their top rusher and top two receivers from last year. Which skill players step up this season will be interesting to watch. Nearly everyone on defense departs, but they do return junior Eric Odina (2 sacks in 1 game) and Corky Lynch (2 ints). Do it all athlete Aaron “Tank” Rivers will surely have an expanded role this year. They host Paint Branch in late September and travel to Quince Orchard in October. 5. Bethesda-Chevy Chase (8-4) - Coming off its best season in years, the Barons will look to continue their success under second year head coach Matt Schwartzback. They return top rusher Gabe Eisler (766 yards/5.6 avg/9 tds) and two of last year’s top four receivers in Andre Ekani and Nathan David who both will look to step up and be a reliable passing option for whoever starts at QB. The defense saw three players record double-digit TFLs last season, and now all three of them depart. Deandre Blakeney was productive as a sophomore (4.5 TFLs) and Eisner was impactful as a DB (3 INTs). How B-CC continues to build with a boatload of seniors departing will be fascinating to watch. 6. Blake (9-3) - The big question will be at QB, as Kirby Matson departs after starting the past three seasons as the leader of the offense. Receivers Kai Cooper, Zaire Richardson, and Joey Faunteroy also graduated so it will be a very different offense this fall. The defense held opponents to 11 ppg and they return three starters from last year who received All-Division recognition. The defense figures to be the strength this year as the Bengals and head coach Bryon Marshall will determine who takes over at QB. Watch for WR/CB Tatum Bell. 7. Blair (8-4) - The Blazers bounced back after a 3 win campaign in 2023. RB Junior Rodriguez was their top offensive contributor as he tallied 695 yards on the ground with 13 tds. He returns. Jayden Parker is also back for his senior season as the WR had 266 yards (9.9 avg) with 4 tds. Jacob Zirin seems like the player to replace Dylan Rinaldi at the QB position. The defense loses four players who made All-Division a year ago so it will be interesting to monitor who steps up this year. An early matchup at B-CC will be something to watch out for (the Barons knocked the Blazers out of the regionals). 8. Seneca Valley (7-4) - The Screamin’ Eagles had an impressive season and will look to continue that and go even further after losing in the regionals to Northwest. 9. Damascus (7-4) - Much like Seneca Valley, Damascus is one of the more storied programs in Maryland that seems to have consistent success year in and year out. They will look to have better success in the postseason after losing early in the regionals. 10. Churchill (7-5) - The Bulldogs struggled early (1-3) but were able to regroup and finished their season winning 4 out of their last 5 games. Losing QB Vasi Hallas will be tough, for fortunately RB Noah Zhang is back (491 yards/5.6 avg) to carry some of the load. The majority of their receiving corps is gone as well, so it will be an opportunity for many to take advantage. On defense, David Skopec was a force as a sophomore last year (3 TFLs/3 sacks). Zhang was also a factor on the defense (2 sacks). The Bulldogs will look to carry their momentum from the end of last year into this fall.

The softball offseason is upon us, with awards and championships being handed out to the game’s most deserved winners and teams. In Montgomery County, several schools had great seasons, but these four stand out. They all won their regional titles and carried that success into state semifinals/finals appearances, with one making its first state title in program history. Here is a 2026 lookout for four of Montgomery County’s top softball teams. Churchill: After reaching the program’s first state championship, how do the Bulldogs look to continue that success? They were led by one of the best pitchers in the county in Maggie King, who won back-to-back MCPS Softball Player of the Year titles. Freshman catcher Kai-En Hsu was also a big contributor, as she led the team in RBIs, which earned her First-Team All Division honors. She was also impressive on the mound, being the No.2 starter behind King. Originally slated to start in center, she volunteered as catcher as it was a position of struggle early in the season. Her efforts of learning a new position took the Bulldogs to the “next level,” as head coach Andrew Sonnabend described it. Along with King, Churchill loses ⅔ of its outfield with Ceci Bernstein and Zoe Kospsidas departing. They also lose four-year varsity player and captain Natalie Gumagay, so her leadership and experience will certainly be missed. But Hsu returns for her sophomore year (will probably be the ace), as do rising seniors Leah Sonnabend and Jacqueline Le, who was an honorable mention for All-Division. Netah Shekel and Aysha Gilmetdinova are star basketball players who contributed to the softball team as freshman last year, and will be worth keeping an eye on. “I think that both of them, they can really show that they're not just basketball players who play softball, but indeed just athletes,” said coach Sonnabend. With the success of 2025 now a part of Churchill softball history, the Bulldogs will look to continue its ascent and add its first state championship banner. Damascus: The Swarmin’ Hornets made it all the way to the state semifinals in search of its fifth state title, but unfortunately fell to Stephen Decatur. The good news is that much of the production that was shown on the field returns as infielder Josie Hoffacker is the team’s lone departure. Though her contributions offensively and defensively will be missed, the return of All-County members Ana DiGiandomenico, Amaya Hammond, Brooke Sell, Katelynn Doyle, Kailyn Sheahin and Aislinn Sell (2A/3A Division Pitcher of the Year) will have Damascus in a good position to make another run. “We will look to build on our success by continuing much of what worked for us this year both offensively and defensively,” said head coach Liz Gall. “Additionally, we continue to emphasize having fun and growing our mental game while working hard to be successful.” That approach has so far worked as they have two regional championships, one county championship, and two state semifinal appearances in two years under Gall. Despite making the move to Class 3A, Liz Gall looks to return to the semifinals and beyond and deliver the Hornets’ its fifth state championship. Sherwood: After winning the state final last year, Sherwood once again had an outstanding regular season with hopes of making it a repeat. Though they fell just short of back-to-back titles, they remain a forced to be reckoned with as the eight time state champions are always a threat to go a major run. They do lose First Team All-MET infielder Keira Schultz, outfielders Avery Anderson and Rylie Friend, but do return Reagan Corb and Gabby Anderson who were All-Division honorees. In total they lose six seniors, but head coach Ashley Barber-Strunk looks for the returnees to take the next step in leadership. “It is now their time to lead, prove what they can do and come back to see what we are capable of.” Rising seniors along with Corb include Faith Goolsby, Sydney Gould, and Sophia Salcedo. “The goal is to build each day once the team is made and to just get better little by little and if we can do that, we can do anything!” Northwest: The Jaguars went on an incredible 14-0 run before losing their first game of the season. They won the regional title and county championship and made it to the Class 4A state semifinals before losing to Leonardtown. Senior Yasmin Qassis was recognized as the 4A West Division Player of the Year. Fellow seniors Aubrey Cammuso, Erin DeLand, and Callie Tomaszewski also got All-Division recognition. Despite the losses, Northwest does bring back star quality players including rising sophomore Nala Johnson who struck out over 100 batters in her freshman season. Ali Porter is back for catching duties so the battery will look to continue the success from last year. Both received All-Division honors. Outfielder Lucy McNulty is the other impact player who received All-Division recognition. The Jaguars will look to build on last year’s success and make a run to its second state championship victory.

A few first-round matchups are already in the books 📖, but here’s our final boys lacrosse rankings 🥍 before the playoff action heats up 🔥. Plenty of shakeups in spots 6–10 🔄, but the top two remain rock solid 💪 1. Severna Park 2. Urbana 3. Kent Island 4. Fallston 5. Sherwood 6. Whitman 7. Stephen Decatur 8. Damascus 9. South River 10. Broadneck

Spots 1 & 2 are holding strong, but the rest of the lacrosse rankings are starting to shake up — just in time for playoff season! 👀🔥 1. Severna Park 2. Urbana 3. Fallston 4. Kent Island 5. Sherwood 6. South River 7. Annapolis 8. Whitman 9. Stephen Decatur 10. Damascus

Game rained out. No make up.

Been a month but I believe it was 12-6 Damascus

100-0!!? Who verified that score?? lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RxJ_PBJuLs