Owings’ Northern Patriots Eye Return To State Championship Game

OWINGS, Md. — The Northern High School Patriots are coming off a successful 2025 season that ended with a trip to the Class 2A state championship game against rival Huntingtown High School. Northern finished the season with a 9-5 record and now enters the fall looking to build on that postseason run.

This season marks Thomas Abel’s second year as Northern’s head coach. Abel told TheBayNet, “It’ll be my second year at Northern. It’ll be my fifth year as a head coach and my 13th season overall.”

Looking back on last season, Abel said one of the biggest adjustments was implementing a new culture and process throughout the program.

“We changed some of the things that we did — how we prepared, how we lifted, how we attacked academics, and how we practiced,” Abel said. “It was a lot for those guys, and I think that showed early. We had some success in our first few games, but once we got into the middle of the season and started playing veteran teams like Patuxent and Calvert, you start running into teams that are well-oiled machines. For us, it was about getting good at what we were good at, finding our niche and building from there.”

Although the Patriots fell short in the state championship game, Abel said the team’s resilience was the accomplishment that stood out most.

“The biggest thing to me is they didn’t quit,” Abel said. “Resiliency is important to me. Grit, toughness, physicality, and accountability are the things that impressed me the most. They could have packed it in halfway through the year, but they kept fighting. To win five games in a row and then play in the state final was a big deal for them. It gives us a lot of momentum and a lot to build on.”

As the Patriots prepare for the upcoming season, Abel believes the biggest lesson learned was the importance of consistency.

“I wouldn’t say there were necessarily lessons learned,” Abel said. “It was more about making our process consistent. How we lift, how we work out, how we approach academics, and how we practice have all become routine after a full year. The next step is making everyone accountable for their own actions. We want to become a player-driven team rather than a coach-driven team, and I think that’s what’s going to pay the biggest dividends this fall.”

Experience is another reason Abel is optimistic about Northern’s chances this season.

“I see other teams saying they were young and didn’t graduate many players,” Abel said. “We return 44 players, and 30 of them either played or started, so they have meaningful varsity experience. We’re going to be a veteran team. We’re going to be polished and seasoned, and we’ll also have a lot of kids from the junior varsity who are ready to contribute right away.”

Northern’s expectations remain high entering the season.

“We want to compete every day,” Abel said. “We want to beat the top teams. We want to compete with Huntingtown, Patuxent, and Calvert. We want to play sound football, and, most importantly, we want to make it back to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Dec. 6. That’s our ultimate goal.”

Abel believes fans will notice a different Patriots team this fall.

“I think they’re going to see a more physical team, a bigger team, and a stronger team,” Abel said. “They’re going to notice the difference our offseason strength and conditioning program has made. They’re also going to see a team that’s very precise and consistent. We don’t want to make mental mistakes. We want to be the team that plays disciplined football every week.”

The Patriots are embracing what Abel describes as a “bully mentality” as they look to build on last season’s success. After reaching the state championship game in 2025, Northern hopes to return to that stage while establishing itself as one of the premier football programs in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference.

Fans can follow the Northern Patriots on Instagram at @nhspatriotsfb and on X at @NHSPatriotsFB.

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