Mervo Claims Maryland 4A/3A State Championship Behind Jaylin Solomon’s Six-TD Explosion

A year after heartbreak, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical delivered a dominant title performance as Jaylin Solomon powered the Mustangs past Sherwood with one of the greatest championship outings in Maryland public school history

Mervo celebrates its 2025 MPSSAA Class 4A/3A state championship after is 40-20 win over Sherwood. / Derek Toney

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND - Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical is back on top. The Mustangs won the Maryland Class 4A/3A state football crown with a 40-20 victory over Sherwood at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. 

Jaylin Solomon accounted for 332 yards and six touchdowns for the Mustangs, ranked No. 12 in the latest High School on SI Maryland state Top 25. Sherwood (No. 17 in Maryland) got two second half touchdown passes from junior quarterback Matthew Larsen.

Here's five takeaways from the opening game of Championship Weekend for Maryland public school football:

Redemption for Mergenthaler

A year to the day after a would-be game-winning two-point conversion in overtime failed, Mergenthaler dominated for most of their return to the state capital Thursday. The Baltimore City school led 22-0 at halftime, and 28-0 midway in third before Sherwood got within striking distance in the fourth. 

The Mustangs (12-1 overall_ answered with two scores in less than three minutes to secure their 12th consecutive win. Mergenthaler lost to North Point, 21-20, last year. 

“I promised myself that I wasn’t going to feel the same feeling…I took that with me through  camp, the first week to week 13,” Mervo senior running back Kaden Foster, who rushed for 116 yards. “We got it done.”

Jaylin Solomon capped his first varsity season with a masterful effort

Foster said the Mustangs were a better passing team compared to last season as Solomon threw for more than 3,200 yards and 37 touchdowns entering Thursday. The junior did a pretty decent impression of Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson with 194 yards and two scores in the air with 138 and four touchdowns rushing.

Solomon had 375 yards on the ground through Mervo’s first 12 games. He often extended plays Thursday with his elusiveness.

Mervo offensive coordinator Tavon Smith said he started incorporating Solomon’s legs midway in the season.

“He threw the ball and he was patient, and then we saw the explosion," said Smith. “He earned his name.”

With Mervo’s lead down to 28-20, Solomon darted out the pocket and slipped away from a would-be defender for a 32-yard touchdown run with 6 minutes, 58 seconds left in regulation. He tightroped down the sidelines for a 14-yard score with 4:16 left to put the game out of reach.

He accounted for 73-percent of Mervo’s total offense (456 yards) Thursday.

“Everybody played a part (in the offense), even the coaches,” said Solomon. “We had too long of a season, too much time putting a team together in the offseason, too much work in the early morning, late night..when you do that on the field, you do not want it to go to waste.”

Warrior-esque comeback falls short for Sherwood

Dominated through the first 30 minutes, Sherwood came to life. Matthew Larsen’s touchdown throws to Tommy Hanrahan and Jefferson Serkeem, and Frankie Saunders’ 2-yard score and 2-point run brought the Warriors to within 28-20 with 7:49 remaining in the regulation.

Sherwood (11-2) went for an onsides kick and Mervo recovered near midfield. Fifty-one seconds later, the Mustangs scored.

“They’ve been resilient,” said Warriors coach Pat Cliento. “They faced a lot of adversity, and we were able to overcome a lot of that. Tonight, we just ran into a very good team.:”

Client elaborated on the onsides kick with less than eight minutes still to play.

“It wasn’t so much the onsides kick, we were scared to kick it deep to their guys,” said Cliento. “They had the right guys back there and we were just trying to do anything we could to get the ball back.”

Sherwood could be awakening its championship echoes

Thursday was Sherwood’s first state championship game since 2008 when legendary coach Al Thomas guided the Montgomery County school to the Class 4A title. The Warriors went back-to-back (1996 and 1995) under Bob Milloy, the winningest coach in Maryland high school football history.

The Warriors, who dethroned 2024 4A/3A state champ North Point in the quarterfinal round, started nine underclassmen Thursday and have 38 letter winners scheduled to return next year.

“We put in extra work like we did last year and the year before that, but it’s still not enough,” said Larsen. “It’s going to take a heck of a lot of work to get back here and a heck of a lot more to win. So, see you back here next year.”

Mervo solidified its place among Maryland’s elite programs

With a third Class 4A/3A state title in five seasons, Mervo joins Fort Hill (four), Paul Laurence Dunbar and Quince Orchard (both three) to win three championships since the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) expanded to six football classifications in 2021.

The Mustangs, whose only loss came against Class 3A state finalist and No. 6 Linganore in the season opener, defeated rival Dunbar en route to the Baltimore City league crown. Mervo has played in four of the five 4A/3A state championship games.

Mustangs coach Patrick Nixon said it’s time to put respect on Mergenthaler football.

“We did feel disrespected at times throughout the year…I know what kind of coaches and players we have,” said Nixon, who’s also the school’s athletic director. “I don’t feel like we always get the respect coming from Baltimore City, a lot of people always talk about Dunbar, but you know, we’re here.”

Mervo defeated Dunbar in week seven at Morgan State University for its first win over the 13-time state champions since 2019. Dunbar, which plays Charles E. Lackey in Friday’s Class 2A/1A final in Annapolis, had won 46 straight Baltimore City league contests.

The Mustangs, who won 4A/3A titles in 2021 and 2023, outscored their 2025 opponents, 502-109 (168-33 in postseason). 

Nixon said Thursday was “a legacy game.”

“I feel like this is the best Mervo team we’ve ever had and I’ve had some really good teams and really talented players,” said Nixon, who’s 126-38 in 16 seasons at Mervo. “They were able to overcome obstacles that, sometimes, we put in front of ourselves…I don’t really feel like we have a weakness, we’re solid in every position so I’m proud to say they’re the best team we’ve ever had here.”