The 2026 Maryland high school football season got underway over the weekend with private school action, highlighted by a Top 3 showdown. There’s no changes at the top as Saint Frances Academy is No. 1 in the first High School on SI Maryland Top 25 rankings of the regular season.The Panthers, ranked No. 2 in the latest High School on SI National Power 25, had to work before pulling away from host DeLand (Fla.), 49-35, in its season opener. No. 2 DeMatha Catholic hA moved into the national rankings after a big season-opening win.The Stags, No. 23 in the High School on SI national poll, defeated four-time reigning Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association champ Archbishop Spalding. Spalding remains No. 3 in the Maryland Top 25, followed by Our Lady of Good Counsel and McDonogh School.After absorbing a 50-point loss in Tennessee to McCallie School, Saint Mary’s Ryken fell from No. 9 to 15th. Ryken looks to rebound Friday against No. 14 Mount Saint Joseph. In another Top 20 match, No. 8 Saint Mary’s visits neighborhood public rival and No. 21 Broadneck. This weekend marks the start of public school competition in Maryland. Here’s this week’s High School on SI Maryland football Top 25:High School On SI1. SAINT FRANCES ACADEMYPreseason rank: No. 1Record: 1-0Last week: Defeated DeLand (Fla.), 49-35This week: at Vero Beach (Fla.), Sept. 42. DEMATHA CATHOLIC Preseason rank: No. 2Record: 1-0Last week: Defeated No. 3 Archbishop Spalding, 35-14This week: at Imhotep Charter School (Pa.), Sept. 53. ARCHBISHOP SPALDING Preseason rank: No. 3Record: 0-1Last week: Lost to No. 2 DeMatha Catholic, 35-14This week: vs. Saint John’s College (D.C.) at Under Armour Stadium (Baltimore), Sept. 54. OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSELPreseason rank: No. 4Record: 0-1Last week: Lost to Bishop McDevitt (Pa.), 35-21This week: vs. Bergen Catholic (N.J.), Sept. 45. MCDONOGH SCHOOL Preseason rank: No. 5Record: 1-0Last week: Defeated Riverdale Baptist School, 22-14This week: vs. Haverford School (Pa.), Sept. 56. QUINCE ORCHARD Preseason rank: No. 6Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: vs. Paint Branch, Sept. 47. LINGANORE Preseason rank: No. 7Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: vs. No. 11 Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical, Sept. 58. SAINT MARY’S Preseason rank: No. 8Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: at No. 21 Broadneck, Sept. 49. HENRY A. WISE Preseason rank: No. 10Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: vs. King’s Fork (Va.), Sept. 410. CALVERT HALL COLLEGE Preseason rank: No. 11Record: 0-1Last week: Lost to Gonzaga College (D.C.), 22-21This week: Off; next game - at Hill School (Pa.), Sept. 1111. MERGENTHALER VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL Preseason rank: No. 12Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: at No. 7 Linganore, Sept. 512. BISHOP MCNAMARA Preseason rank: No. 13Record: 1-0Last week: Defeated Abraham Lincoln (Pa.), 23-6This week: at Dundalk, Sept. 413. PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR Preseason rank: No. 14Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: vs. Milford Mill Academy at Under Armour Stadium (Baltimore), Sept. 414. MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH Preseason rank: No. 15Record: 1-0Last week: Defeated Seton Hall Prep (N.J.), 28-21This week: at No. 15 Saint Mary’s Ryken, Sept. 415. SAINT MARY’S RYKEN Preseason rank: No. 9Record: 0-1Last week: Lost to McCallie School (Tenn.), 67-17This week: vs. No. 14 Mount Saint Joseph, Sept. 416. OAKDALE Preseason rank: No. 16Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: vs. Saint John’s Catholic Prep, Sept. 417. LOYOLA BLAKEFIELDPreseason rank: No. 17Record: 1-0Last week: Defeated Scranton Prep (Pa.), 41-34This week: Off; next game - vs. No. 20 Georgetown Prep, Sept. 1118. SHERWOOD Preseason rank: No. 18Record: 0-0Last week: Lost to McCallie School (Tenn.), 67-17This week: at Colonel Zadok Magruder, Sept. 419. NORTH POINT Preseason rank: No. 19Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: at McDonough, Sept. 420. GEORGETOWN PREP Preseason rank: No. 20Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: vs. Saint Vincent Pallotti, Sept. 521. BROADNECK Preseason rank: No. 21Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: vs. No. 8 Saint Mary’s, Sept. 422. HUNTINGTOWN Preseason rank: No. 22Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: at Great Mills, Sept. 523. WINSTON CHURCHILL Preseason rank: No. 23Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Sept. 424. OLD MILL Preseason rank: No. 24Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: at Meade25. PATUXENT Preseason rank: No. 25Record: 0-0Last week: Did not playThis week: vs. Westlake, Sept. 4Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow