All Four Calvert County High Schools Have Reached A State Football Championship This Decade

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Southern Maryland football has exploded in success during the 2020s, with each of Calvert County’s four public high schools reaching a state championship game during the decade. Calvert, Huntingtown, Northern and Patuxent have established themselves among Maryland’s top football programs, giving traditional powers from Montgomery, Frederick and Anne Arundel counties a run for their money.

Patuxent Panthers

Patuxent High School’s football program has emerged as one of the premier programs in Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) play.

The Panthers began their rise in 2022, finishing 11-3 and advancing to the Class 2A/1A state championship game before falling to Dunbar 22-13. Patuxent followed that season with an 11-2 record in 2023 but lost to Dunbar again in the state semifinals, 36-29.

The 2024 season became one of the best in program history. Patuxent finished 14-0, defeated rival Calvert twice — once in the regular season and again in the playoffs — and finally got past its longtime postseason nemesis, defeating Dunbar 8-6 in the state championship game. The victory secured the program’s second state title.

The Panthers followed that performance by going 10-3 in 2025 and winning another state championship, marking the first back-to-back titles in school history.

Patuxent now enters the 2026 season looking to build a dynasty and establish itself as the gold standard of SMAC football.

Northern Patriots

Northern High School has become a perennial contender in the SMAC and consistently competes with some of Maryland’s top programs.

The Patriots won the Class 3A state championship in 2021, finishing 11-1 and defeating Linganore 28-23. In 2022, Northern went 8-2 but suffered a playoff upset against St. Charles, 22-15.

The 2023 season saw the Patriots finish 8-5 while making a deep playoff run to the state semifinals before losing to Linganore 56-20. Northern followed with a 7-5 record in 2024 and reached the quarterfinals before falling to Arundel 21-14.

The Patriots enjoyed another successful season in 2025. Despite finishing 9-5, Northern advanced to its first Class 2A state championship game, where it faced rival Huntingtown. The Patriots came up just short in a 24-21 loss.

Northern hopes to return to the state championship game in 2026, but doing so may require getting past rival Huntingtown.

Calvert Cavaliers

Calvert High School’s football program has steadily improved throughout the decade and has become one of the state’s most notable success stories.

The Cavaliers finished 6-5 in 2021 and advanced to the second round of the Class 2A/1A playoffs before losing to Gwynn Park 28-0.

In 2022, Calvert took a major step forward, finishing 10-3 and reaching the state semifinals before falling to Dunbar 46-7.

The 2023 season was one of the best in recent program history. Calvert finished 12-2 and reached the Class 2A/1A state championship game, where it faced Dunbar. After being eliminated by the Poets the previous season, the Cavaliers hoped for a different result but fell in a defensive battle, 8-0.

The 2024 season started strongly before Calvert lost three consecutive games and finished 6-5. The Cavaliers still reached the second round of the playoffs, where they lost to Patuxent 37-12.

Calvert rebounded in 2025 with an 8-2 regular-season record and just one regular-season loss. However, the Cavaliers were upset by Lackey in the playoffs, 20-14.

Now, Calvert enters the 2026 season hoping to make another deep postseason run and return to the state championship game.

Huntingtown Hurricanes

Historically, Huntingtown High School has been one of the most dominant programs in Southern Maryland football.

For years, the Hurricanes were considered the standard-bearers of Calvert County football. However, their position atop the county has been challenged by the rise of the other local programs.

Huntingtown finished 10-2 in 2021 and reached the Class 2A quarterfinals before losing to Milford Mill Academy 14-7.

The Hurricanes went 7-5 in 2022 and experienced an inconsistent season but still made a playoff run to the quarterfinals before losing to Kent Island 34-11.

In 2023, Huntingtown finished 10-3 and advanced to the Class 2A state championship game, where it fell to Decatur 21-13. The Hurricanes returned to the championship game in 2024 and faced Decatur again, but the Seahawks prevailed once more, 13-12.

Huntingtown finally broke through in 2025. The Hurricanes finished 11-2 and reached the state championship game for the third consecutive season. This time, they defeated rival Northern 24-21 to capture the first state championship in program history.

With a title now in hand, Huntingtown enters 2026 with the challenge of defending its championship against a talented field of Class 2A contenders.

Looking Ahead

As the 2026 season approaches, each of these programs will have a target on its back. Opponents across Maryland will be looking to knock them off and take their place among the state’s elite.

Southern Maryland football continues to prove that it can compete with — and defeat — programs from every corner of the state. Just as importantly, these schools continue to develop athletes who go on to compete at the NCAA Division I level and pursue opportunities beyond high school football.

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