Four new State Champions were crowned as the football season and the first year of a new playoff format came to a crisp and positive conclusion at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. It took the heart of a champion for each of the state title winners to prevail over opponents who showed no quit until the final horn as games were more closely contested than indicated by the final score. Select the links below for complete playoff results and official State Final game stats.
Class 3A kicked the tournament off on Thursday night as Damascus suprisingly cruised past Linganore, 38-0 for their eleventh state crown. On Friday night, Northwest gave Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. a battle before Wise pulled away in the second half to win the Class 4A title 35-14, their fifth overall. Class 1A began the Saturday slate as Catoctin brought home their second state championship by outscoring Paul Laurence Dunbar, 31-8. Wrapping up the fall season in the night's finale was the Class 2A title tilt which was won by Middletown over Potomac, 34-15 for their fourth state crown. In addition, after all of the scorecards were tallied, the John H. Cox Sportsmanship Award was won by the Northwest Jaguars. Way to go! Don't forget to relive every exciting play with unlimited free viewing and DVD purchases which will also be available, under normal circumstances, within days of the original games on the NFHS Network.
The MPSSAA appreciates the efforts of the State Football Committee, led by Director Mike Calhoun and State Tournament Site Director Ryan Hines, in putting this tournament together from the start of the regionals to the end of the State Finals. A special thank you to the United States Naval Academy and their Athletic Department for the use of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for the use of their beautiful and heroic site for all three days of the tournament. This massive event could not have been nearly as successful without their superior cooperation and assistance. Congratulations also to all of the officials, coaches, and teams that participated in this year's tournament for the exciting play put on display for all of the spectators to appreciate and enjoy. Next year's tournament promises to be even better and we hope to see everyone there again!