For the first time in history, the same high school simultaneously holds the No. 1 ranking across all three major local football polls: the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, and Maryland Media State Poll.
Archbishop Spalding (3-0) achieved this milestone after a 45-0 victory over Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) last weekend. The Cavaliers collected 10 out of 12 first-place votes, surpassing former No. 1 St. Frances Academy (2-1), which fell to national powerhouse Orange Lutheran (Calif.).
Previously, Spalding had held the top spot in both The Baltimore Sun and Washington Post rankings. This week, the team leaps from No. 3 to No. 1 in the State Poll.
Good Counsel checks in at No. 3, followed by DeMatha and McDonogh School to round out the Top 5. There was little movement among the rest of the Top 10, and 24 preseason Top 25 teams remain ranked. St. Mary's Ryken, which toppled then No. 14 Mount St. Joseph, is the lone newcomer to rankings.
Due to the overlapping coverage areas of The Sun and Post being limited to Anne Arundel and Howard counties, only schools from these counties have had the potential to be No. 1 in all three rankings.
In the 34-year history of the Maryland State Poll, a total of 397 weeks, schools from Anne Arundel and Howard counties collectively have held the No. 1 ranking for only 10 weeks. Wilde Lake, from Howard County, held the top spot for the last six weeks in 1991. North County, from Anne Arundel County, spent two weeks at the top in 1993. River Hill, from Howard County, finished as No. 1 in 2008. Now, Spalding, from Anne Arundel County, joins this elite group.
Before this week's rankings, the closest any team had come to holding all three No. 1 spots at the same time was River Hill in the final ranking of 2008. That year, the Hawks finished No. 1 in both the Maryland State Poll and the Baltimore Sun rankings but placed second behind Sherwood in the Washington Post rankings.
Spalding won’t have much time to enjoy its new No. 1 ranking as it faces a serious challenge this week from No. 5 McDonogh School, which also holds a 3-0 record. The Spalding-McDonogh clash highlights a week full of marquee showdowns. No. 3 Good Counsel faces No. 7 Riverdale Baptist, No. 11 Dunbar plays host to No. 14 Fort Hill, No. 21 Arundel takes on No. 12 Broadneck, and No. 18 St. Mary’s Ryken takes on No. 13 Bishop McNamara. On the national front, St. Frances Academy travels to Texas to take on national Top 10 Duncanville.