It was a dark week for the Top 20, with a pristine slate ruined only by Episcopal’s loss to Trinity Episcopal of Richmond on Sunday. As a result, these classifications include only a hint of movement. Episcopal drops four spots to No. 18, moving up one spot to Battlefield, Bishop McNamara, Georgetown Prep and Damascus.
St. John’s is the other beneficiary in the rankings, as it trades places with DeMatha after a resounding 39-17 win in sloppy conditions over Mission Viejo (Calif.), which entered the game ranked by MaxPreps as the 48th best team in the country . The change is not a slight one for DeMatha, which won 41-3, but rather a recognition of the most impressive victory for a home team yet. However, the road doesn’t get any easier for the Cadets, who will travel to Ohio this weekend to take on MaxPreps national No. 20 Washington.
Still, after a month of football, the upper echelon of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Good Counsel, St. John’s and DeMatha) lacks a clear favorite. That should crystallize in two weeks, when the No. 2 Falcons play the No. 3 Cadets and the No. 4 Stags face No. 12 Gonzaga. If the Eagles, who host No. 9 Friendship Collegiate on Friday, also win this week, that group should be even more crowded.
Elsewhere, a rising Walter Johnson program joins the bubble in place of Paint Branch after beating the Panthers on Thursday. Lake Braddock is the other participant in the week’s bubble after a 4-1 start that includes wins over Colgan, Westfield, West Potomac and Fairfax.