FREDERICK — For the first time in three seasons, Fort Hill is unranked in the preseason Maryland Football Media State Poll
The Sentinels received 39 votes in the rankings, the second-most of unranked teams in the others receiving votes category behind Westlake (46). Stephen Decatur is No. 25 with 48 points.
Fort Hill, which captured its state-record-tying fourth consecutive Class 1A state championship last fall, is the only defending state champion not ranked.
Quince Orchard (4A) is No. 6, North Point (4A-3A) is No. 14, Arundel (3A) is No. 21, Stephen Decatur (2A) is No. 25, and Patuxent (2A-1A) — which dropped to Class 1A this season — is No. 24.
Dunbar, which Fort Hill faces at home in Week 2, is slotted at No. 17.
Fort Hill had been ranked in the poll for 31 consecutive weeks dating back to Week 5 of 2022. The Sentinels thrashed then-No. 12 Oakdale, 49-21, to enter the rankings.
The Sentinels finished last year No. 25 after defeating Northern, 35-0, in the title game, despite ending the season with a 7-7 record after forfeiting five games in which an ineligible player participated.
St. Frances collected all 12 first-place votes to lead a familiar group of teams in the rankings. The Panthers routed Chaminade-Madonna, 42-13, on Saturday in a meeting of consensus Top 15-type national programs. St. Frances led 42-7 until Chaminade scored on the last offensive play, which would have halted the running clock.
WCAC defending champ DeMatha is No. 2, followed by defending MIAA A champ Archbishop Spalding, McDonogh, and Good Counsel. Quince Orchard, at No. 6, is the highest-ranked public school team.
St. Frances Academy has spent time at No. 1 every year since 2017 (excluding the COVID-19 year of 2020, when there was no media state ranking).
Private school programs hold the top five spots and 13 spots overall. The MIAA A leads the pack with six of its eight teams in the Top 25: No. 3 Spalding, No. 4 McDonogh, No. 9 Loyola, No. 10 Mount St. Joseph, No. 22 Calvert Hall and No. 23 Concordia Prep.
All four Maryland WCAC schools are in the rankings: No. 2 DeMatha, No. 5 Good Counsel, No. 13 Bishop McNamara and No. 19 St. Mary’s Ryken.
As for public school conferences, Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and the SMAC (Southern Maryland Athletic Conference) each have two teams in the Top 25.
The first regular-season ranking will be released on the Tuesday following the first public school games.