On October 10, varsity football took its first loss of the season against state powerhouse Quince Orchard, 35-28. Sherwood gave QO its hardest test of the season, putting up the most points against the Cougars since 2023. Early in the second half, QO got out to a 21-0 lead, but the Warriors came storming back with three passing touchdowns by junior quarterback Matt Larsen. Sherwood marched back to make it 28-21 and closed the deficit to seven late in the fourth quarter.

“In the first half, we stalled completely. At half we adjusted and came out in the second half and executed really well, establishing the run, which opened up huge plays down the field,” said Larsen. However, a late turnover killed the Warriors’ comeback chances, resulting in their first loss of the season in a hard-fought defeat.

The valiant effort demonstrated that Sherwood has the opportunity to compete with anyone in the state. “It was a well-fought loss; we battled hard and fought back and showed a lot of grit and fight,” added junior wide receiver Caleb Hollowell.

The players have no reason to hang their heads as the loss puts the Warriors at an impressive 6-1 record and a plus-195 point differential as they’ve blown through much of their competition thus far. Sherwood is starting to gain recognition as one of the best teams in the state, thanks in large part to their defense. Before the QO game, the defense was allowing a staggeringly minuscule 3.8 points per game.

  “The defense has been our strong point this year and continues to get better,” said Coach Pat Cilento. Cilento’s arrival seemed to have marked a turning point in the program, with a run to the state semifinals last season and with this year’s team looking poised to make noise again at the state level. Despite the success, Cilento added that the players must continue to get better every day and avoid complacency with playoffs just a couple of weeks away.

The Warriors will compete in the Class 4A/3A playoffs this season, a change from the past two seasons, which were both in 3A. Right now, Sherwood is tied for second place in the 4A/3A South Division with Oxon Hill, trailing Potomac, who sits at 6-0.

Sherwood has two regular-season matchups left: Damascus tonight, and finishing the season with Richard Montgomery on October 30. Damascus has struggled as of late with a 43-0 loss to Oakdale and a 28-7 loss to Westminster. Damascus always seems to have a team that can compete, and when they host Sherwood, it should be a challenge for the Warriors. Last is RM, who sits at 4-2 right now, with a high-powered offense putting up over 33 points a game. RM has the potential to be dangerous in what should be an intriguing matchup in the final week of the regular season.