For years, fans in the D.C. area have clamored for a matchup between the area’s top public and private schools.
With DeMatha and Freedom (Woodbridge) each taking care of their business this past week, local crowds will finally get what they wish for, with the No. 1 Stags taking on the No. 3 Eagles, the top public school in our rankings, Friday in Woodbridge at 7 p.m.
Of course, the area got an early dose of cross-state matchups in the second week of the season, which largely defined the shuffled rankings this week. On Saturday, No. 5 Quince Orchard escorted South County out of the Top 20 with a 33-0 shellacking. After a loss to Norfolk-area school Maury on Friday, No. 12 Wise drops several spots. With a trip to California, Friendship Collegiate had the toughest test of any D.C. program as it faced one of the nation’s top-ranked teams, St. John Bosco — and held its own for a quarter, trailing 7-6, before an eventual 48-12 loss.
Perhaps the week’s most surprising result came from Stone Bridge. The Bulldogs, long considered Northern Virginia’s most consistent program, took a rare spill out of the rankings with a loss to Martinsburg (W.Va). St. Mary’s (Annapolis) also fell out after its first loss since 2021, making way for three public schools (Paint Branch, Fairfax and Westfield) to join the rankings.
Elsewheres, Good Counsel and St. John’s stay put with bounce-back weeks.