The next chapter of Montgomery County’s best public high school football rivalry comes Friday night when Northwest hosts Quince Orchard in MCM’s Game of the Week.
Quince Orchard (7-0) is ranked sixth in the D.C. Metropolitan Area, while Northwest (6-1) holds the 20th spot, according to The Washington Post.
Quince Orchard and Northwest have dominated the county over the last decade. Since 2011, almost every year, either Quince Orchard or Northwest has made the 4A State Championship Game, with 2015 the lone year neither made it.
The two schools, separated by four miles, have developed a bitter rivalry due to both programs’ consistent success and proximity.
The rivalry picked up traction in the mid-2010s when Northwest rattled off three-straight upset victories over Quince Orchard in the regional championship game. Northwest eventually won the state title in 2013 and 2014.
Since then, the teams have met every year in the regular season, and nearly every year in the playoffs.
Quince Orchard recently won its 37th straight game, throttling Richard Montgomery, 43-7. For many years, this game decided the fate of two undefeated teams. However, Churchill’s shocking 15-7 win over Northwest last Thursday sends the Jaguars into bounce-back mode.
Despite the Jaguars’ recent blemish, they’ve pushed over the majority of their opponents, with the only other close game resulting in a gutsy win over Bethesda-Chevy Chase.
On the other side, Quince Orchard nearly fell to Virginia’s Stone Bridge in week three, but prevailed in the final seconds with a game-winning touchdown. Additionally, the Cougars shut out five of their seven opponents.
Quince Orchard has won its last five over Northwestern, including playoff wins in both 2021 and 2022. The Cougars proceeded to win state titles after those wins.
The Jaguars’ last win over the Cougars came in 2019’s state semifinal matchup, which also marks the last time the Cougars lost a game. The Jaguars wound up falling to Henry A. Wise in the state championship game.
Quince Orchard is led by head coach John Kelley, a three-time state champion. Northwest’s leader is first-year head coach Bucky Clipper.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Northwest High School.
