Maryland High School Football Top 25 State Rankings: Aug. 31, 2026

The 2026 Maryland high school football season got underway over the weekend with private school action, highlighted by a Top 3 showdown. There’s no changes at the top as Saint Frances Academy is No. 1 in the first High School on SI Maryland Top 25 rankings of the regular season.

The Panthers, ranked No. 2 in the latest High School on SI National Power 25, had to work before pulling away from host DeLand (Fla.), 49-35, in its season opener. No. 2 DeMatha Catholic hA moved into the national rankings after a big season-opening win.

The Stags, No. 23 in the High School on SI national poll, defeated four-time reigning Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association champ Archbishop Spalding. Spalding remains No. 3 in the Maryland Top 25, followed by Our Lady of Good Counsel and McDonogh School.

After absorbing a 50-point loss in Tennessee to McCallie School, Saint Mary’s Ryken fell from No. 9 to 15th. Ryken looks to rebound Friday against No. 14 Mount Saint Joseph.

In another Top 20 match, No. 8 Saint Mary’s visits neighborhood public rival and No. 21 Broadneck. This weekend marks the start of public school competition in Maryland.

Here’s this week’s High School on SI Maryland football Top 25:

Maryland high school football rankings — High School On SI

1. SAINT FRANCES ACADEMY

Preseason rank: No. 1

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated DeLand (Fla.), 49-35

This week: at Vero Beach (Fla.), Sept. 4

2. DEMATHA CATHOLIC

Preseason rank: No. 2

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated No. 3 Archbishop Spalding, 35-14

This week: at Imhotep Charter School (Pa.), Sept. 5

3. ARCHBISHOP SPALDING

Preseason rank: No. 3

Record: 0-1

Last week: Lost to No. 2 DeMatha Catholic, 35-14

This week: vs. Saint John’s College (D.C.) at Under Armour Stadium (Baltimore), Sept. 5

4. OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL

Preseason rank: No. 4

Record: 0-1

Last week: Lost to Bishop McDevitt (Pa.), 35-21

This week: vs. Bergen Catholic (N.J.), Sept. 4

5. MCDONOGH SCHOOL

Preseason rank: No. 5

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Riverdale Baptist School, 22-14

This week: vs. Haverford School (Pa.), Sept. 5

6. QUINCE ORCHARD

Preseason rank: No. 6

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. Paint Branch, Sept. 4

7. LINGANORE

Preseason rank: No. 7

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. No. 11 Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical, Sept. 5

8. SAINT MARY’S

Preseason rank: No. 8

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at No. 21 Broadneck, Sept. 4

9. HENRY A. WISE

Preseason rank: No. 10

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. King’s Fork (Va.), Sept. 4

10. CALVERT HALL COLLEGE

Preseason rank: No. 11

Record: 0-1

Last week: Lost to Gonzaga College (D.C.), 22-21

This week: Off; next game - at Hill School (Pa.), Sept. 11

11. MERGENTHALER VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL

Preseason rank: No. 12

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at No. 7 Linganore, Sept. 5

12. BISHOP MCNAMARA

Preseason rank: No. 13

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Abraham Lincoln (Pa.), 23-6

This week: at Dundalk, Sept. 4

13. PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

Preseason rank: No. 14

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. Milford Mill Academy at Under Armour Stadium (Baltimore), Sept. 4

14. MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH

Preseason rank: No. 15

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Seton Hall Prep (N.J.), 28-21

This week: at No. 15 Saint Mary’s Ryken, Sept. 4

15. SAINT MARY’S RYKEN

Preseason rank: No. 9

Record: 0-1

Last week: Lost to McCallie School (Tenn.), 67-17

This week: vs. No. 14 Mount Saint Joseph, Sept. 4

16. OAKDALE

Preseason rank: No. 16

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. Saint John’s Catholic Prep, Sept. 4

17. LOYOLA BLAKEFIELD

Preseason rank: No. 17

Record: 1-0

Last week: Defeated Scranton Prep (Pa.), 41-34

This week: Off; next game - vs. No. 20 Georgetown Prep, Sept. 11

18. SHERWOOD

Preseason rank: No. 18

Record: 0-0

Last week: Lost to McCallie School (Tenn.), 67-17

This week: at Colonel Zadok Magruder, Sept. 4

19. NORTH POINT

Preseason rank: No. 19

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at McDonough, Sept. 4

20. GEORGETOWN PREP

Preseason rank: No. 20

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. Saint Vincent Pallotti, Sept. 5

21. BROADNECK

Preseason rank: No. 21

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. No. 8 Saint Mary’s, Sept. 4

22. HUNTINGTOWN

Preseason rank: No. 22

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at Great Mills, Sept. 5

23. WINSTON CHURCHILL

Preseason rank: No. 23

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Sept. 4

24. OLD MILL

Preseason rank: No. 24

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: at Meade

25. PATUXENT

Preseason rank: No. 25

Record: 0-0

Last week: Did not play

This week: vs. Westlake, Sept. 4

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