Huntingtown Football Begins State Title Defense With Most of Championship Team Returning

HUNTINGTOWN, Md. — The Huntingtown Hurricanes enter the 2026 season with high expectations after capturing the 2025 Class 2A state championship with a victory over rival Northern. As defending champions, the Hurricanes know every opponent will be looking to knock them off.

The BayNet spoke with Huntingtown head coach Paul Friel, who is entering his 10th season leading the program.

Despite winning the state title, Huntingtown fielded one of the youngest teams in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference last season. Its varsity roster was made up primarily of sophomores and juniors.

“We had the younger team, and they competed like crazy all year and got better the whole time,” Friel said. “Then they ended the way they did. It was awesome.”

Many of those underclassmen return this season, giving the Hurricanes valuable experience as they begin their title defense.

Friel said the program isn’t changing its approach despite having a championship to defend.

“We’re not going to approach it any different,” he said. “You’re going to get everybody’s best game because they want to beat you. Right now, all we’re focused on is being the best athletes, conditioned players, and smart players we can be.”

Although Huntingtown graduated seven seniors, Friel believes several returning players are ready to take on larger roles.

“We had eight sophomores starting in the state championship game,” he said. “Some of those guys are going to have to step up, and we’re waiting to see who fills not only those positions but also the leadership roles. Even some of our juniors, I expect them to lead.”

While the state championship was a memorable accomplishment, Friel said there is still plenty of room for improvement.

“My goal is certainly to make it back,” he said. “But I want us to play to the best of our ability every game. We have to become more consistent. Even though we won the state championship, we were still making fundamental mistakes in the 14th game of the season. We’ve got to tighten all that up.”

Friel also praised the support the Hurricanes receive from the Huntingtown community.

“It’s great,” he said. “We get big crowds, and at a lot of away games we have more fans than the home team. Our student section is special, and I remind the players all the time how fortunate they are to have that kind of support.”

The Hurricanes expect another competitive season in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference. Among the team’s biggest matchups will be games against fellow Calvert County programs Calvert, Northern, and Patuxent as Huntingtown looks to defend its state title.

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