2026 Maryland High School Football Playoffs: Projected MPSSAA First-Round Matchups

The road to the Maryland high school football state championships is taking shape.

With the regular season complete, projected Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) playoff pairings have been assembled across all six classifications, setting the stage for the opening round of the 2026 postseason.

The projections include several of Maryland's traditional championship contenders, including defending Class 4A champion Quince Orchard, perennial power Wise, Fort Hill, Linganore and Milford Mill Academy.

Quince Orchard (9-0) is projected to open its pursuit of a third consecutive state championship against Richard Montgomery in the Class 4A West Region.

Wise, meanwhile, faces a more difficult path after forfeiting four victories because of a student-athlete residency violation. The Pumas dropped from the No. 1 seed to No. 4 in the Class 4A South Region and are projected to face Eleanor Roosevelt in their opening game.

Flowers moves into the top seed in the region, setting up a potential semifinal showdown with Wise if the Pumas advance.

The MPSSAA is scheduled to release its official playoff pairings Monday at 2 p.m., with game dates and kickoff times expected to be established Sunday.

As of Saturday night, five schools had withdrawn from postseason competition and are not included in the projections. Additional withdrawals could affect the brackets before they become official.

The regional playoffs will determine the eight teams advancing to the state tournament in each classification. Teams that win their regional semifinal games will qualify for the state quarterfinals.

Below are the projected first-round pairings for all six classifications, organized by region.

Class 4A

East

1. Broadneck (7-2) bye

7. North County (2-7) at 2. Annapolis (7-2)

6. Glen Burnie (3-6) at 3. Dundalk (6-3)

5. Meade (4-5) at 4. Bowie (4-5)

North

1. Bethesda-Chevy Chase (7-2) bye

7. Northwestern-PG (1-8) at 2. Wheaton (7-2)

6. James H. Blake (4-5) at 3. Laurel (6-3)

5. Montgomery Blair (4-5) at 4. Paint Branch (5-4)

South

1. Flowers (8-0)

7. Bladensburg (0-9) at 2. Suitland (7-2)

6. DuVal (3-6) at 3. Parkdale (5-4)

5. Eleanor Roosevelt (3-6) at 4. Wise (4-4)

West

8. Richard Montgomery (1-7) at 1. Quince Orchard (9-0)

7. Walter Johnson (2-7) at 2. Winston Churchill (8-1)

6. Gaithersburg (4-5) at 3. Seneca Valley (6-3)

5. Clarksburg (5-4) at 4. Northwest (4-5)

Class 4A-3A

East

8. Arundel (1-8) at 1. Old Mill (8-1)

7. Leonardtown (3-6) at 2. Crofton (7-2)

6. Severna Park (3-6) at 3. Severn Run (7-2)

5. North Point (5-4) at 4. Great Mills (7-2)

North

1. Mergenthaler Vo-Tech (8-1) bye

7. Digital Harbor (0-8) at 2. Kenwood

6. Perry Hall (1-8) at 3. Woodlawn (4-5)

5. Dulaney (2-7) at 4. Parkville (3-6)

South

1. Sherwood (8-1)

7. Albert Einstein (2-7) at 2. Oxon Hill (6-3)

6. Springbrook (2-7) at 3. Walt Whitman (6-3)

5. Potomac (5-4) at 4. John F. Kennedy (6-3)

West

8. Thomas Wootton (1-8) at 1. Marriotts Ridge (7-2)

7. South Hagerstown (2-7) at 2. Urbana (5-4)

6. Thomas Johnson (2-7) at 3. Magruder (4-5)

5. Tuscarora (3-6) at 4. Frederick (3-6)

Class 3A

East

1. Towson (9-0) bye

7. Patapsco (3-6) at 2. Aberdeen (8-1)

6. Overlea (4-5) at 3. City College (7-2)

5. Poly (5-4) at 4. Edgewood (6-3)

North

1. Milford Mills Academy (8-1) bye

2. Franklin (8-1) bye

6. Centennial (1-8) at 3. Westminster (6-3)

5. Atholton (2-7) at 4. New Town (4-5)

South

8. James M. Bennett (1-8) at 1. Guilford Park (9-0)

7. South River (2-7) at 2. Stephen Decatur (8-1)

6. Chopticon (3-6) at 3. St. Charles (8-1)

5. Reservoir (4-5) at 4. Chesapeake-AA (7-2)

West

1. Oakdale (9-0) bye

2. Linganore (8-1) bye

3. Damascus (6-3) bye

5. Northwood (4-5) at 4. North Hagerstown (4-5)

Class 2A

East

8. North Caroline (3-6) at 1. Largo (8-1)

7. Fairmont Heights (3-6) at 2. Gwynn Park (8-1)

6. Crossland (4-5) at 3. Wicomico (7-2)

5. Parkside (5-4) at 4. Douglass-PG (6-3)

North

8. Lansdowne (2-7) at 1. Bel Air (7-2)

7. North Harford (3-6) at 2. Eastern Tech (6-3)

6. C. Milton Wright (3-6) at 3. Winters Mill (6-3)

5. Manchester Valley (4-5) at 4. Carver Vo-Tech (5-3)

South

1. Huntingtown (10-0) bye

7. La Plata (0-9) at 2. Westlake (6-3)

6. Thomas Stone (2-7) at 3. Northeast-AA (6-2)

5. McDonough (2-7) at 4. Northern-Calvert (5-4)

West

8. Mount Hebron (1-8) at 1. Oakland Mills (8-1)

7. Long Reach (2-7) at Howard (7-2)

6. Poolesville (3-6) at 3. River Hill (5-4)

5. Glenelg (3-6) at 4. Wilde Lake (5-4)

Class 2A-1A

East

1. Easton (9-0) bye

7. Hammond (2-7) at 2. Lackey (5-4)

6. Southern-AA (2-7) at 3. Kent Island (5-4)

5. Queen Anne's (2-7) at 4. Calvert (5-4)

North

1. Elkton (9-0) bye

7. Joppatowne OR North East-Cecil (0-9) at 2. Harford Tech (5-4)

6. Joppatowne OR North East-Cecil (0-9) at 3. Hereford (5-4)

5. Rising Sun (3-6) at 4. Fallston (4-5)

South

1. Dunbar (8-1)

7. Surrattsville (1-8) at 2. Sparrows Point (5-3)

6. Edmondson-Westside (3-4) at Forest Park (5-4)

5. Chesapeake-Baltimore County (4-5) at 4. Central (5-4)

West

8. Owings Mill (1-8) at 1. Century (7-2)

7. Randallstown (4-5) at 2. Walkersville

6. Liberty (5-4) at 3. Williamsport (7-2)

5. Middletown (6-3) at 4. South Carroll (6-3)

Class 1A

East

8. Washington (2-6) at 1. Perryville (7-2)

7. Colonel Richardson (2-7) at 2. Snow Hill (6-3)

6. Bohemia Manor (3-6) at 3. Cambridge-South Dorchester (5-4)

5. Kent County (4-4) at 4. Patuxent (3-6)

North

8. Catoctin (0-9) at 1. SEED School (6-2)

7. Brunswick (1-8) at 2. Boonsboro (6-3)

6. Western Tech (2-7) at 3. Loch Raven (5-4)

5. Francis Scott Key (2-7) at 4. Pikesville (3-6)

South

1. Havre de Grace (5-4) bye

2. Douglass-Balt. (4-4) bye

6. Reginald Lewis (1-7) at 3. Lake Clifton (3-5)

5. Green Street Academy (1-7) at 4. Patterson Mill (3-6)

West

1. Fort Hill (9-0) bye

7. Clear Spring (1-8) at 2. Smithsburg (7-2)

6. Northern Garrett (1-7) at 3. Mountain Ridge (6-3)

5. Southern Garrett (4-5) at 4. Allegany (5-4)

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