Easton makes its first State Poll Top 25 ranking - EVER!

In another week with almost no turnover in the rankings, there is one newcomer who warrants the headline.

Easton is off to a 3-0 start, and for the first time in the 36-year history of the Maryland Media High School Football State Poll, the Warriors have cracked the Top 25. Easton enters this week at No. 25 after climbing from the “Others Receiving Votes” category following a 49-7 rout of Kent Island.

Easton and Stephen Decatur, which sits just outside the Top 25, are co-favorites in the Bayside Conference this season. Both programs were expected to be strong, and both have been bolstered by transfers that have turned them into small-school state championship contenders.

Elsewhere, two Frederick County programs moved up, with Linganore swapping places with Wise at No. 7 and Oakdale moving past Mount St. Joseph for No. 13.

St. Frances Academy remains the undisputed No. 1, followed by DeMatha, Archbishop Spalding, McDonogh and Quince Orchard.

Among ranked teams, St. Charles made the biggest jump, moving from No. 25 to No. 22 after handling former No. 21 Patuxent. Patuxent’s loss opened the door for Easton.

This week’s schedule features a pair of matchups between state-ranked teams: No. 4 McDonogh takes on No. 18 St. Mary’s-Annapolis, while No. 17 Loyola Blakefield faces No. 23 Bullis. There are also two notable public-school matchups featuring undefeated teams, with Linganore taking on Walkersville and Oakdale facing Damascus. No. 20 North Point will also be tested by Patuxent, which fell out of the rankings this week to make room for Easton.