Five Football Games to Watch: Week 7

Sherwood at Blair

Montgomery County's lone undefeated 4A teams square off in a high anticipated contest this weekend.

The Blazers from Blair have won a couple of closely contested games to remain undefeated. In Week 3, Blair won a shootout against Northwest 40-36, while in Week 5 the team got past Paint Branch with 28-21. The most consistent part of the team's performances has been its offense, which has averaged a little over 38 points a game.

Meanwhile, Sherwood's closest game came in Week 1 against B-CC, which was a 27-10 decision. Since that game, the Warriors have beaten their opponents by an average of 38 points. As is to be expected, Sherwood's offense has been prolific, scoring more than 50 points three times, including last week when the Warriors won 76-20 against Northwood.

Despite both teams starting fast, a loss could hurt either team's path in the playoffs. Sherwood is one of three undefeated teams in the 4A North region with Howard and Bel Air, while Blair is being chased by one loss teams Quince Orchard and Richard Montgomery in the 4A West region.

Blair hosts Sherwood this Friday at 6:30 PM.

Walkersville at Oakdale

Frederick County's remaining undefeated squads square off this weekend when Oakdale hosts Walkersville.

Oakdale beat Linganore 36-0 last week, snapping a five game losing streak against its rival. The shutout was the Bears third in four games, as both Cape Henlopen (Del.) and Urbana were unable to score against Oakdale. The Bears will look to do what it did last year when they topped Walkersville 34-13.

Walkersville, which reached the 2015 MPSSAA 2A state title game, also comes into this game boasting a strong defense. The Lions have allowed just 14 points all season. From Weeks 2-6, Walkersville posted consecutive shutouts while scoring at least 27 points in each game.

Walkersville travels to Oakdale this Friday at 7:00 PM.

Northwestern (Baltimore City) at Reginald F. Lewis

Much like Walkersville vs. Oakdale, this contest features two teams battling to be the final undefeated team in a school district- Baltimore City.

Lewis has enjoyed its start under new head coach Elwood Townsend, who previously coached Frederick Douglass to two MPSSAA state final appearances. The Falcons have breezed through its first six games, recording five shutouts and going north of 30 points in their past five games. This season has represented a major turnaround for Lewis, which won just four games last season.

Northwestern has also begun the year brightly, starting the season 5-0. After a close 18-12 win over New Era in their opener, the Wildcats have routed its last four opponents by a combined score of 162-28. Much like Lewis, Northwestern also has a new coach in Sean Markley. Markley coached Forest Park last year, but when the two schools combined athletic programs for the 2016-17 academic year after Forest Park's building got closed for renovations, he took over the football program.

Northwestern battles Lewis this Friday at 3:45 PM.

Cambridge SD at Kent Island

Kent Island looks to remain undefeated when it hosts Cambridge SD, which stands at 5-1, this weekend.

The Bucs won a close one against North Caroline 21-14 in Week 3, but haven't been tested since, recording two shutouts outscoring their opponents 132-8 over its past three games. Even though Kent Island hasn't lost yet, a loss could drop them into a four way tie with Queen Anne's, North Caroline and Elkton at the top of the 2A East standings.

Cambridge's lone loss came against North Caroline in Week 2. Much like Kent Island, Cambridge hasn't had a tough game since, eclipsing 40 points in each game while not allowing more than 20. Cambridge will be looking to avenge last season's defeat against Kent Island, which was a 33-0 decision.

This game is scheduled to take place this Friday at 7:00 PM.

Largo at Oxon Hill

Undefeated Oxon Hill plays host to 5-1 Largo in this Prince George's County battle.

The Clippers are in the midst of a turnaround season, and aren't showing signs of slowing down, already eclipsing their win total of four from 2015. The team got by a tricky CH Flowers team on the road last week by a final score of 12-7. Besides that game, Oxon Hill has been dominant, winning its five other contests by an average of 30.8 points.

Largo is also enjoying a strong 2016, currently holding a 5-1 mark. The Lions recovered from a Week 2 defeat against Surrattsville and have reeled off four straight wins. The team will look to continue to win as Largo is a member of the highly competitive 2A South region. Despite its strong start, if the season were to end today, the Lions would miss the playoffs due to being in a five way 5-1 tie, and having the lowest point average. A win over a 3A team like Oxon Hill could help the Lions jump from the bottom of the tiebreaker, to towards the top.

The Clippers host Largo this Saturday at 2:00 PM.
October 14th, 2016By: Wick Eisenberg

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