With a football program dating back to 1896, Annapolis High School has one of the longest gridiron histories in Maryland. Recently, however, that history has been filled with middle-of-the-standings teams.
But on Friday, the Panthers made a major step in altering that narrative. Annapolis knocked off former State Poll No. 11 Broadneck 27-26 to improve to 6-1. The win also vaulted Annapolis into the State Poll Top 25 for the first time since 2017, with the Panthers checking in at No. 25 this week.
Annapolis’ victory was part of a weekend filled with surprises, which also saw Loyola Blakefield and Perry Hall fall in upsets. Despite their loss, Loyola Blakefield clung to the No. 23 spot, while Perry Hall dropped out of the rankings, making room for Annapolis.
Archbishop Spalding, which had a bye, retained its unanimous No. 1 ranking, followed by St. Frances Academy, DeMatha, Riverdale Baptist, and Quince Orchard to complete the Top 5. DeMatha leapfrogged Riverdale Baptist after a dominant 35-7 win over No. 8 Good Counsel—a team Riverdale had beaten earlier in the season by 10 points.
Annapolis' last appearance in the State Poll came in the preseason rankings of 2017, fueled by an 11-2 campaign in 2016 that saw them finish No. 15. However, a Week 1 loss to Archbishop Spalding knocked them out of the rankings in 2017, and the team struggled in the ensuing years, posting a 24-42 record before this season’s resurgence.
This week, the spotlight will be on two major Top 25 matchups: No. 1 Archbishop Spalding faces off against No. 23 Loyola Blakefield, and No. 5 Quince Orchard takes on No. 21 Northwest.
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