Sherwood High School

JSpiegelman

150d 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.

Sherwood vs Gaithersburg Played tonight Sherwood 36 Gaithersburg 41

JSpiegelman

185d ago

Heading into the final month of the regular season, Montgomery County has five schools that have reached double-digit win titans, while Whitman remains undefeated at 11-0. Fresh off a week off from last week’s snowstorm, high-stakes games are starting as early as today. Beyond top-tier games, multiple teams are vying for the county’s top spot. Here are the most important storylines that are emerging from Montgomery County Girls Varsity Basketball: 1. The county’s top tier teams are playing other top tier teams. On Monday, the first day back, 9-5 Walter Johnson will travel to face 11-1 Churchill, while 9-3 Wootton will host the Whitman Vikings, looking to give the team their first loss. Also this week, Magruder will travel to Sherwood, Clarksburg will face Poolesville, Walter Johnson will go to Quince Orchard, and Wootton will face Churchill. With that said, the undisputable game of the month will happen this Wednesday, as the county’s top teams, the 11-1 Bulldogs will face off against the 11-0 Vikings. The winner is set to take the MoCo lead. 2. While the top teams will play the top teams, programs on the other end of the standings will also face off against each other. The 1-10-1 Wheaton Knights will face off against a 1-11 Northwood squad on Monday evening. Northwood will then travel to take on the 3-9 Blair Blazers while Seneca Valley faces Watkins Mill. These are just a few of the games that the bottom county teams are set to face, all of which will happen in the first week back. 3. The Einstein Titans have been killing their divisional opponents. Throughout the season, five of eight of their wins came against in-region rivals. Out of their final eight games, six will be against their regional opponents, with the other two coming against Watkins Mill and Wootton in two of the final three weeks of the season. Despite dropping three of their last five, the Titans have a great opportunity to rise up the county standings. 4. Wootton’s final eight opponents looks to cause several problems. Each of their next four games will come against teams with winning records, including 11-0 Whitman, 7-6 Bethesda-Chevy Chase, 11-1 Churchill, and 7-4 Quince Orchard. Then, after games against Northwest and Blake, the Patriots will finish their season on the road against 9-5 Walter Johnson and at home against 8-4 Einstein. As the team looks to get to double-digit wins, these final eight games may keep them from getting beyond eleven, but taking two to three of the six should be considered a win for Wootton.

JSpiegelman

185d 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!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTEhqr3clxU

On December 4, the Sherwood Warriors faced off against the Mervo Mustangs in the 4A/3A MPSSAA state championships, with the Mustangs claiming the state title in a 40-20 victory. The game kicked off with the Warriors electing to receive the ball first in this tight championship matchup. Sherwood focused early on running plays on the first drive, but was forced to punt after the Mervo defense held. Quarterback #5 Jaylen Solomon rushed outside the pocket and searched to find a man downfield, barely avoiding the Gladiators' pressure. The Mustangs put the first points on the board after a 25-yard touchdown to #81 Dennis Perry. The Mustangs went for two and quickly succeeded. Sherwood would be forced to punt for a second time with the first quarter ending 7-0, back in Mustang possession. Mervo opened the second quarter by moving up to Sherwood’s 4-yard line and adding to the lead with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Solomon, putting the score to 14-0 with 7:49 remaining. Sherwood needed to match the energy the Mustangs were giving, but couldn’t do so, going 3-and-out for the third time straight, punting once more. Solomon’s rushing speed was the X-factor 7 minutes into the quarter, where Sherwood allowed too many openings for Solomon's rushing ability to shine. More fuel was added to the fire, with Mervo going up 22-0 with a minute left in the half, scored by #1 Tywon Baker on an 11-yard post route receiving touchdown. The first half ended with a 22-0 dominant Mervo lead. The second half kicked off with turnover madness, where Sherwood stripped the ball out of Mervo’s running back #3 Kaden Foster, recovering the ball and gaining possession. It only took seconds for Mervo to pick off Sherwood from #22 Tyler Ford, but Sherwood was able to bring out Mervo’s punting unit for the first time of the game. Minutes later, Mervo recovered a stripped ball on Sherwood, picked up by #9 Brian Guerrero. With 6:01 left in the half, Solomon recorded a hat-trick of rushing touchdowns with a 4-yard rushing score, bringing the deficit to 28-0. Sherwood was starting to show signs of life, moving up to the Mervo 19-yard line and recording its first touchdown of the game, a 19-yard passing touchdown to #5 Tommy Hanrahan. Sherwood cut the lead down to 28-6. With 7 seconds left in the quarter, Solomon was picked off a screen pass by Sherwood defender #24 Jayden Sellman. A 50-yard return was stopped at Mervos' 3-yard line. A fumble almost handed Mervo the ball once again, but the Sherwood offense recovered. The third quarter ended 28-6 with Sherwood in possession. At the start of the fourth quarter, a one-handed catch from #0 Jefferson Serkem allowed the Gladiators their second touchdown of the game. The 2-point attempt was no good, and the score was shortened to 28-12. Momentum started to shift towards Sherwood after Solomon lost the ball on a scramble, giving Sherwood the ball back in hopes of a comeback. Sherwood moved the ball downfield to Mervo’s 2-yard line for a 41-yard gain. The lead turned into a one-score game as Sherwood cut the lead from a two-yard rushing touchdown and completed the two-point attempt. The score turned 28-20 with a one-possession game. Solomon set the standard straight, breaking multiple tackles and scoring a 32-yard rushing touchdown to prevent any comeback hopes for the gladiators. The lead grew up to 14 with a 34-20 score. Sherwood gained possession of the ball again and was forced to run a play on 4th and 1. The gladiators were just short ruled by the chain team and gave Mervo the ball at Sherwood’s 30-yard line. Mervo set the dagger into the game, scoring a 22-yard rushing touchdown and bringing the score to 40-20. Time remaining hit 0 as the Mervo Mustangs finished the game as state champions, coming victorious at 40-20.

Photo courtesy of Sherwood football Instagram. The perennial powerhouse of Montgomery County football — there’s no doubt. But the Cougars' dominance in recent years can overshadow some of the other sensational programs in the county, and one of those teams is on a tear currently. No. 1-seed Sherwood dominated the regular season — the only team it fell to was Quince Orchard, 35-28 — and playoffs. Through two games in the 4A/3A state tournament, the Warriors have scored a combined 61 points. Forty-two of those came in Friday’s state semifinal against Perry Hall, in which Sherwood decimated the Gators, 42-14. But the explosion of scoring didn’t come until relatively deep into the contest’s action. Rather, through the first 30 or so minutes of action, Sherwood faced one of the greatest bouts of adversity it has all season long. The Warriors didn't take too long to score — it relied heavily on its potent rushing attack, converting on a fourth-and-1 early and breaking off a 24-yard scamper seven minutes in. That run, coupled with another 11-yard blast up the middle, set up an easy 2-yard rushing touchdown — the Warriors’ fullback paved the way for senior AJ Lopez to find the end zone. Things continued to bounce the Warriors’ way in the early minutes of the second quarter. An errant snap glanced off the fingertips of Perry Hall quarterback Jalil Frazier and tumbled behind him. As Frazier tried to pounce on the pigskin, however, the ball popped loose and found the stomach of Sherwood’s hounding defensive line. The Warriors morphed the turnover into a score of their own. They almost immediately broke off a 43-yard rush that brought them deep into the red zone. It was Lopez once again who capped off the drive, breaking the plane for the score. Then that adversity began to emerge. At quarterback, Joey Albrecht orchestrated a sensational drive, dropping 23- and 12-yard passes into the bucket on his way down the field. A 4-yard trick touchdown pass brought the Gators within one score, 14-7. And just a minute before half, disaster struck for the Warriors. As junior quarterback Matthew Larsen rolled out of the pocket looking for an open receiver in the end zone, a Perry Hall lineman nailed him from behind. The ball popped loose and was instantly retrieved by a Gator, who took it 90 yards to the house to tie things at 14-14 before the half. But despite the momentum completely shifting in favor of Perry Hall, Sherwood didn’t let up. Instead, it poured on 28 second half points. The first touchdown came roughly halfway through the third frame — a 13-yard run. The second came with just minutes left in the quarter; it was an 11-yard run in very similar fashion. Not only was it a typical between-the-tackles rush, but they came from the same player, too: AJ Lopez, who was undoubtedly Sherwood’s premier player Friday. The Warriors tacked on another few touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a 7-yard strike from Larsen to a curl route. Sherwood ultimately coasted the rest of the way, and will play Mergenthaler in the 4A/3A state championship.

Double overtime

The Sherwood Warriors had a big win over The Richard Montgomery Rockets on thursday night! Sherwood's defense was just too powerful for RM to handle. Now both teams moved on to the playoffs, as RM is facing off against the Seneca Valley Screaming Eagles this Thursday. To see a complete bracket picture, click here: https://countysports.zone/playoffs?season=2025-2026&sportId=v1-ujiqrbL9pIt4ONDNpe&stateId=qC5FViFvLELikus3onZVb See more from SHS vs. RMHS here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQqMqtQDoKp/?img_index=1

Photo courtesy of MCPS Athletics Instagram. For Sherwood head coach Dan Reeks, the Montgomery County Cross Country Championships always deliver an exciting spectacle — and this year’s event at Bohrer Park was no different. The course’s fast layout, energetic atmosphere, and packed crowd — including alumni back from fall break — created the perfect setting for a Saturday meet. And Sherwood was more than up to the challenge. In the boys’ 5K, Sherwood finished second overall, trailing only Bethesda-Chevy Chase. Sophomore twins Dimitrios and Ioannis Rementelas led the way, finishing first and second in the varsity race, respectively. On the girls’ side, Madeline Quirion took first place with a time of 18:30. “[Quirion’s] a senior, she's worked so hard for four years, and it all came to fruition,” Reeks said. Reeks believes it may be the first time in his 50-plus years of coaching that he’s had both a boys’ and girls’ winner in the same meet. Still, the team’s preparation and message heading into the race stayed consistent. “Our message was to follow the race plan we had established on Friday when we trained on the course,” Reeks said. “One of my co-coaches, Rich Melnick, came up with a great late race strategy that Maddy Quirion, who won the Girls' varsity race, executed to perfection. Due to Coach Melnick's strategy, almost all of our runners in all races set personal records.” Growth was a central theme for Sherwood this season, with both the boys’ and girls’ teams featuring young lineups. The boys’ squad had no seniors, and its top four racers were all sophomores. Two newcomers — Aidan Paganini and Gregory Kilby — also joined the varsity ranks. The girls’ team followed a similar pattern, even featuring one runner competing in varsity cross country for the first time. Still, Sherwood had veteran leadership to guide the youth movement. “We have a team captain who hasn't run a step all season who is one of our most valuable team members,” Reeks said. “Why? Because he has been with us for four years and knows our system. Along with that, he studies the sport and shares his knowledge with his younger teammates. That's fun.” As the years go by, Reeks has watched cross country’s popularity grow firsthand — and Saturday’s championship meet only strengthened that belief. “When you have over 900 finishers in a 25 school county meet, that means you have a lot of student involvement and athletic talent that is being totally overlooked. Cross country may be a ‘minor’ sport, but when you have that many participants, how can it be minor?”

The number one team in the county, Wootton Girls Varsity Volleyball, is reveling in success. Last Thursday, Wootton played the Sherwood Warriors on Senior Night. The Patriots swept the Warriors, stripping them of their first place rank. The Patriots are lead by senior captains, Taryn Su and Sofia Sossa. As a well rounded team, the Patriots were able to keep their composure throughout the game and keep the Warriors from gaining a significant lead. Before going into the game, both teams knew it would be competitive. "We worked really hard in practice in preparation for the game", Malia Bellamy affirmed (Junior middle for the Patriots). Last year, Wootton's Varsity Volleyball team made it to the state championship in which they fell short to North Hagerstown. Nevertheless, the team looks like a promising contender for the state playoffs again. Their next game is tonight against Einstein. Playoff season starts after they play Wheaton on October 23rd and the Patriots are excited to see how far they go.

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.

Wheaton scored 2 goals in the first half and won 2-0. Goals were scored by Ceasar Lopez and Melvin Romero.

Due to rain - this game has been moved to 10/10 @3:30pm

Photo courtesy of Montgomery Community Media. Sherwood football has only given up seven points through three games this season. Meanwhile, it has put up 124 points on offense. This attacking barrage reared its head once more Friday, as the Warriors took down Rockville in dominant fashion, 49-0. Sherwood is now 3-0 on the season. It wasn’t long until Sherwood found their groove. On its first drive of the evening, quarterback Matthew Larsen lofted a 21-yard pass into Ram territory, setting the Warriors up for a red zone opportunity just minutes into the contest. Just plays later, the first score of the game came courtesy of Rocky ***, who found a soft spot in the zone with Larsen rolling out to his right. But the 14-yard touchdown was just the beginning of the onslaught. Sherwood didn’t always need deep, go-route passes to gain yards, instead leaning on short strikes — a 31-yard screen set up the Warriors in the red zone on their very next possession. The drive was promptly capped off with a similar concept on the opposite side of the field for a 13-yard score. *** continued his stellar evening later on a 40-yard reception, taking a bump after reeling the pass in on a go-route and plowing in for the score. His reception put Sherwood up 28-0 in just the second frame, effectively putting things out of reach. Rockville needed a response, and quickly, if it wanted to salvage the contest before halftime. But things went in the opposite direction. Adrian Hamilton read the Rams’ quarterback perfectly, executing a sideline-stepping pick-six to put the Warriors up by five scores. But there was still time to play in the second quarter, and Sherwood utilized the time to its advantage, with Caleb Hollowell taking a quick-hit pass 14 yards in for the score. A 1-yard touchdown rush late in the contest wrapped up what was a comprehensive, well-rounded performance from both sides of the ball for Sherwood. It will next take on Blake this Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Warriors took down the Bengals, who are also currently 3-0, 24-0 last year — this time around could serve as a much more competitive skirmish.

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.

The Sherwood Warriors won the class 3A state title this past month, defeating Chopticon 8-3. It captures its sixth state title in school history, and its fourth in five years, during which they won three straight from 2021-2023. For seniors Jason Seils, Ryan Rey, and Jacob Bagania who have been a part of two championships, it’s the perfect way to go out. “They were the engine that drove our team,” said head coach Sean Davis. And indeed they were, as each of them made massive contributions to the team all season long. Seils, a right handed pitcher, had a 9-0 record with a 1.38 ERA and struck out 43 batters in 45 ⅔ innings. Rey had a single season school record .988% fielding percentage with 56 assists, 24 putouts, and only one error while manning the infield. And Bagania, the MVP of the team, had a .426 BA with a .613 OBP with 14 RBI’s and 26 stolen bases. He also walked 28 times this season, making it a single season record. His 26 stolen base mark is also a school record. All three of them, along with the three other seniors including Ty Hames, are going to continue their careers in college. Hames was their power guy, earning a .532 SLG with 28 RBIs and 16 doubles. But it wasn’t just them that made the Warriors so dominant this season. It was the wide array of talent from all players from all classes, including freshman. “If you’re young and you can help the team win, you’re going to be up on varsity right away.” That, combined with the culture that has been built during the fifteen years coach Davis has been at the helm, has been what has made this team the powerhouse it is today. There’s a certain tone that the upperclassmen show towards the young players, and that’s by welcoming them into the Sherwood family. “I really just think it’s buying in culture… there’s never been a tone of ‘all the older kids are gonna pick on or haze or treat the younger kids poorly,’” coach Davis said. “They welcome them into the wolfpack, they welcome them into the brotherhood.” How the class of 2025 has grown throughout the years has really stood out to coach Davis, not just through physical growth, but also mental maturity. And the way they interact with his son is also a joy to watch. “The way they act with him and to see just how good of people they are and caring they are, it was awesome to watch.” Sherwood baseball during Sean Davis’ time there has been to six state titles in twelve years, winning four. During this past season, they had a regular season record of 17-3, scoring around 7 runs per game while allowing 1.5 runs. Their regular season also included eight shutout games, with four of the eight coming during a six game winning streak down the back stretch of the season. During that winning streak, they scored an average of ten runs per game while allowing 0.5 runs per game, with 2 being the highest they allowed. They carried that hot streak into the postseason, striking down their opponents with a swift hammer fist that had been displayed all season long, defeating the previous three 3A champions in River Hill, Chesapeake, and Chopticon during their playoff run, solidifying themselves as one of the most dominant baseball empires in state history. And it’s no coincidence that this current run of dominance is due to the bonds and relationships that have been built within the clubhouse among all the players and coaches. “I tell the guys that the teams that generally care about and love each other, those are the ones that succeed.” He explains how he had groups from the past that might’ve been more talented, but that this one was the “tightest” he had ever had. “When you have that, it does translate to the field, and they’re darn hard to beat.”

With the 2025 boy’s lacrosse season in the books, it’s time now to start looking towards the offseason in Montgomery County. Five teams each won their respective divisions, with one doing so for the first time in its school’s history, while another just continues to dominate. In this article, I will give a brief outlook into the offseason for each division winner, highlighting top players departing/returning, and get an overall feel as to where things stand now and moving forward. I also spoke with the head coaches from each team to get further insight. With that, here is the offseason lookout for Montgomery County Boy’s Lacrosse. Whitman: https://www.countysports.zone/forums/post/hQGn-nXycJy3wU9mO-tb4/ Northwest: https://www.countysports.zone/forums/post/UexeTwJDUcoq66T1qMVqk/ Einstein: https://www.countysports.zone/forums/post/lHS70aAUs1_DF96aeb9eu/ Sherwood: https://www.countysports.zone/forums/post/y3BqVfP6LPDsvxJzvcnJ7/ Rockville: https://www.countysports.zone/forums/post/Ij3vIXKYt-XDmbbxq4fsS/

Sherwood just continues to dominate. The Warriors won their fourth straight regional title, and finished with a record of 16-2. They did lose in the quarterfinal round of states, but that should not take away from the fact that this team year in and year out produces some of the best lacrosse in Montgomery County. And leading the charge was midfielder Andrew Cavanaugh, whose 53 goals, 26 assists and 79 points earned him a second straight USA Lacrosse All-American honor. He was also named the Montgomery County Player of the Year and was selected to the first team All-County club. “He’s one of our best players to ever come through our system.” said Sherwood head coach Matt Schneider. Cavanaugh will continue his athletic career at Towson University. “Players like him show what our program can do; it can help younger players when they see players like him head off to a D1 program.” Five other players joined him for the All-County team: Chase Althouse (116 GBs -top five in MOCO; 241 FOW), defenseman Tommy Hanrahan (team leading 37 forced turnovers) and Eddie Barnes (13GB/14FT), and attackers Andrew Bergesen (44 assists and 96 points were top five in MOCO) and Jack Heagy (a USA Lacrosse Academic All-American). Goalie Stephen Northern, Carter Al-Hassani, and Vaughn Teeter were named to the All-Division team, along with the above-mentioned players. Cavanaugh, Bergesen, and Heagy depart, but everyone else returns. Having a returning goalie also helps, and Northern will certainly provide the team someone they can rely on. The defense also figures to be a strong suit with Althouse, Hanrahan, and Barnes leading the way; though Schneider plans to have Althouse contribute more offensively than last year (30 goals his freshman year). Schneider will also look towards Daniel Walsh, Teeter and the rest of the returning young players to continue their development. Recent success suggests that the Warriors are in very good hands not only this year, but in the future as well.