n Linganore (7-1) at Urbana (4-4): The Hawks continue their rugged stretch to close the regular season. Over the last two weeks, they have faced Frederick and unbeaten Oakdale, and now they face one of the top teams in the state in Linganore. Urbana coach Dean Swink sheepishly thanked the schedule makers after last week’s 42-22 loss at Oakdale, during which they overcame a 14-0 deficit and held a one-point second half lead for all of one play. If nothing else, Urbana will be a battle-tested team in the Class 4A-3A playoffs. The Hawks have not had much success against Linganore in recent years. Last season’s 28-13 win snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Lancers. Linganore is looking for its fifth straight win to close the regular season, including a 47-6 victory over visiting Thomas Johnson last week, and the chance to earn one of the top seeds in the 3A West playoffs.
n Middletown (3-5) at Walkersville (4-4): Since lining up in the same backfield together for the first time on Sept. 29, Walkersville running backs Da’Marques Ross and Jordan Bennett have combined to produce more than 800 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns over the span of four games. The duo will be tested this week against Middletown’s typically strong run defense. Two weeks ago, the Knights limited the top rusher in the state, Linganore’s Ethan Arneson, to 58 yards on 13 carries. These teams are no longer in the same region for the playoffs. Walkersville has remained in the Class 2A West, while Middletown has moved down to the 2A-1A West. The Knights have totally dominated this rivalry for nearly two decades now. They have won seven in a row over Walkersville and 20 of the last 25 meetings.
n Oakdale (8-0) at Tuscarora (1-7): The Bears are looking to finish off the second unbeaten regular season in school history and earn the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Class 3A West playoffs. The only other time they finished with a perfect record in the regular season, they went on to win the Class 2A state championship in 2018. Last week, they quickly erased a one-point deficit in the second half against Urbana on their way to a 42-22 home win. It was the first time they had trailed in the second half of a game since the Sept. 1 season opener at reigning 2A state champion Milford Mill. It also continued their recent dominance against Urbana, as they have won three in a row and eight of the last nine. This week, Oakdale is looking for its eighth straight win over Tuscarora, which is looking to generate some momentum heading into the 4A-3A West playoffs.
n Brunswick (6-2) at Catoctin (3-5): Brunswick is looking to cap its best regular season since 2010 and earn one of the top two seeds in the Class 1A North playoffs with a win. Last week, the Railroaders kept the game competitive against Middletown before falling 19-14 on the road. They have won three in a row against their chief rival, Catoctin, including back-to-back meetings toward the end of last season. There is a chance they could meet again in the regional playoffs this season. The Cougars are a pretty banged-up bunch at the moment, as injuries have piled up. Last week, they weren’t able to offer much resistance in a 48-0 home loss to Walkersville.
n Sidwell Friends (3-3) at St. John’s Catholic Prep (3-5): The Vikings played a better game and closed the gap last week against MIAA C Conference rival Severn School. But they still fell short against the Admirals for the second time this season. The final score of this game was 35-16. Now, St. John’s turns it focus to ending the season on a strong note. The Vikings will finish with a pair of home games, starting with this week’s game against Sidwell Friends, which snapped a two-game losing streak last week with a 42-0 home win over Central Virginia.
n Thomas Johnson (2-6) at Frederick (5-3): The Cadets are hoping to pin down the top seed in the Class 4A-3A West regional playoffs with a win. It would be their third in a row overall and sixth in a row over Thomas Johnson. Last week, Frederick cruised to a 47-0 win over Tuscarora, while TJ fell at Linganore 47-6. The Patriots are looking to snap a five-game losing streak as they gear up for the 4A-3A West playoffs.
n Delaware County Christian (4-2) at MSD (7-2): There has been no shortage of contributors during the Orioles’ current seven-game winning streak. Last week, in a 38-22 road win in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, Dwayne Collins II rushed for 124 yards and pair of touchdowns, Mark Gwynn III returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score, and quarterback Ortiz tossed a pair of touchdowns to Jayden Orsi-Pedersen. This week, they are hoping to secure the No. 1 seed for the upcoming four-team Keystone State Football League playoffs with a win over Delaware County Christian, which is coming off a 34-12 loss at Model Secondary School for the Deaf.
