Maryland High School Football: 5 Takeaways From Friday’s Week 1 Action

The 2026 Maryland high school football season kicked into full gear Friday evening with the start of public school play after many of the state’s private schools opened their seasons last weekend.

Here are five takeaways from Friday’s action across Maryland:

Defending State Champ Dunbar Dominates Milford Mill in Season Debut

A highly anticipated matchup of Baltimore-area powers turned into a mismatch as Dunbar, ranked No. 13 in this week’s High School On SI Maryland Top 25, defeated Milford Mill 42-7 in front of an estimated crowd of 1,200 at Under Armour Stadium.

Behind a punishing running attack, the reigning Maryland Class 2A/1A state champion Poets ran off 42 unanswered points. Kylie Holmes and Donteze Branch each scored two touchdowns.

Dunbar rushed for 432 yards Friday.

“Shout out to the linemen … we got a lot of guys,” Holmes said. “This was just a regular game for us.”

Milford Mill didn’t score an offensive touchdown, as Marques Harris’ 52-yard interception return accounted for the Millers’ only points. Milford Mill has reached five straight Maryland state semifinals, winning the Class 2A championship in 2023, and had not been held without an offensive touchdown since 2015.

Dunbar-Milford Mill Highlights Start of Grit and Greatness Invitational

The Milford Mill-Dunbar showdown was the nightcap of Day 1 of the inaugural Grit and Greatness Invitational. In Friday’s first game, John Carroll School routed Annapolis Area Christian School 56-14.

Saturday’s lineup features No. 6 McDonogh School taking on The Haverford School (Pa.), Oakland Mills playing Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and St. John’s College (D.C.) meeting No. 3 Archbishop Spalding.

Linganore Survives Mergenthaler in Championship Clash

Arguably the most anticipated matchup of opening weekend didn’t disappoint, as defending Maryland Class 3A champion No. 7 Linganore got past Class 4A/3A champion and No. 11 Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical 29-28.

Trailing 20-14, the Lancers got a pair of touchdown passes from senior quarterback David Day to junior receiver Jackson Simmons to extend their winning streak to 14 games. The Frederick County squad has won 27 of its last 28 games since the start of the 2024 season.

Linganore defeated Mergenthaler 36-27 in Baltimore to open the 2025 campaign. The Lancers benefited from a late substitution penalty against Mervo on Friday, allowing them to retain possession and run out the clock.

“This is the start we wanted,” Conner told The Frederick Post. “We had to find a way to pull it out. We knew this [Mergenthaler] team was good.”

What a Difference a Year Makes for Broadneck

There won’t be another uncharacteristic 0-3 start for Broadneck. The No. 21 Bruins held off Annapolis-area rival and No. 8 Saint Mary’s 29-28.

Broadneck’s Grayson Whitney got a hand on Saint Mary’s potential game-winning field goal attempt in the waning seconds. Whitney, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound senior, missed the 2025 season while recovering from brain surgery after falling off a golf cart.

The Bruins started 0-3 last season, including a 21-6 loss to Saint Mary’s. The Anne Arundel County power rebounded to advance to the Maryland Class 4A state semifinals for the fourth straight season.

Broadneck never trailed Friday against Saint Mary’s, which reached the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference playoffs last season. The Bruins led 21-6 after the opening quarter.

Broadneck plays at Milford Mill Academy on Friday afternoon.

Good Counsel Gets First Win Courtesy of Goal-Line Stand

The difference between victory and an 0-2 start came down to inches for Our Lady of Good Counsel. The fifth-ranked Falcons defeated Bergen Catholic (N.J.) 41-39.

Officials ruled Bergen Catholic quarterback Trey Tagliaferri did not break the plane on his sneak on the final play of regulation, giving Good Counsel its first win of the 2026 season. The Falcons lost to Bishop McDevitt (Pa.) in their season opener last weekend.

Good Counsel hasn’t started a season 0-2 in more than two decades. Bergen Catholic is 0-2 for the first time since 2004.

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