Urbana (4-3) vs. Oakdale (7-0): The Bears didn’t play their best football from start to finish. But his tremendous big-play ability on offense, including quarterback Evan Austin finding fellow senior Hunter Thompson on long passing plays, means that hardly matters. Last week, they overcame a number of special teams mistakes to win 41-22 against Walkersville. It was the Bears’ 12th win in their last 13 games, with their only setback being a seven-point loss to Damascus in the Class 3A state final last December. This week, they will be looking for their third straight win against Urbana and their ninth win in the past 10 games. On the other hand, the Hawks are hoping to avoid losing for the first time this season. Last week, they allowed two interceptions in the fourth quarter and ultimately lost 25-9 at home to Frederick, unable to generate enough offense to win.
Thomas Johnson (2-5) vs. Linganore (6-1): Even though star running back Ethan Arneson was out for most of the night, Linganois remained a middle-class player last week thanks to two interceptions that MJ Rowlett and Mason Furster each returned for touchdowns. They came from behind to win against Town 28-0. Arneson’s high standards held him to an astonishingly low 58 yards on 38 carries. He averaged over 200 yards per game and led the state in rushing. However, he was still able to reach 5,000 career rushing yards in three seasons as the Lancers’ starting running back. Linganois hopes to extend his winning streak against Thomas Johnson to 10 games. Meanwhile, the Patriots are looking to bounce back from last week’s 22-7 loss at home to Takarora.
Frederick (4-3) vs. Tacarola (1-6): For the first time since October 2021, the Titans enter the game riding the momentum of a win. Last week on the road, they overwhelmed Thomas Johnson 22-7, ending their losing streak at 19. It also gave coach Ryan Hines his first win as the school’s varsity football coach. This week, they will be looking for their first win since 2016 against Frederick High School. The Cadets have won the last four meetings. Last week, Frederick played his best defense of the season, throwing two interceptions and leading the Hawks to a 25-9 win on the road. Unlike previous games where they started very slow and allowed a touchdown on the first kickoff, Frederick got off to a fast start against Urbana, with junior Tirico Morgan Jr. scoring the Cadets’ first with a 72-yard end-around. He scored a touchdown on an offensive play. . This was their second consecutive victory and third in their last four games overall. It was also the second victory over Urbana in history.
Brunswick (6-1) vs. Middletown (2-5): Brunswick will once again test its mettle against a team it has historically struggled with. The Railroaders are hoping for a better performance than their last game two weeks ago, a 55-16 loss at home to Walkersville. They bounced back in style last week with a 48-14 home win over North Hagerstown. But Middletown will pose an even tougher challenge. Brunswick hasn’t beaten Middletown since 2003, when they won 31-28. At the time, the Railroaders were coached by Kevin Lynott, who is now Middletown’s athletic director. The Knights have won the last 15 meetings. They will be hoping to erase last week’s 28-0 loss to Linganore.
Walkersville (3-4) vs. Catoctin (3-4): The Cougars are looking for their first win against Walkersville since 2013. The teams have met six times since then, with about half of the games being evenly matched. Walkersville defeated the Cougars 37-0 last season. The Lions were able to stay mostly competitive last week against undefeated Oakdale, but ultimately lost 41-22 at home against the Bears’ big-play ability. Meanwhile, Catoctin got back on track with a 24-18 win over Smithsburg, giving the Cougars an 11-game winning streak against the Leopards.
Severn (4-3) vs. St. John’s Catholic Prep (3-4): I feel like the Vikings are playing their best football of the season at this point. Last Saturday, they won their second straight with a 34-0 win at Annapolis Christian in rainy and slushy conditions. Senior running back Zion Ntemi led St. John’s Catholic Prep in rushing for a school-record 307 yards. The Vikings are 1-1 in the MIAA C Conference and will face a rematch with conference rival Severn School (2-0 MIAA C) for a share of first place. The Admirals won 42-6 in their last meeting on September 29th at Severn.
MSD (6-2) vs. Melcersburg Academy (2-2): The Orioles defeated rival Modell 14-6 last Saturday, giving them their sixth straight victory and 23rd homecoming victory. It also moved into first place in the Keystone State Football League’s eight-man football standings. Zeke Ortiz was the star of MSD’s offense with 147 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while Josue Sanchez led the defense with 10 tackles. This week, the Orioles will travel 40 miles to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, to take on Mercersburg Academy. The Blue Storm lost a shootout to Delaware County Christian 68-44 last week, ending their winning streak at two.
