The Liberty football team is in one of the strongest regions in the state. For the Lions to get into the playoffs, they have to compete with the likes of Marriotts Ridge, South Carroll, Oakland Mills, and Walkersville.
North Carroll is in one of the weakest regions. Of the seven teams in Class 1A north, only one (Manchester Valley) has a winning record this season.
But with both the Lions and Panthers pulling out wins this week, they at least remained in the hunt for a playoff berth with three weeks to go in the regular season.
Liberty (5-2) is fifth in Class 2A West. It has the same records as the third- and fourth-place teams — Oakland Mills and Walkersville. And in fact, Walkersville just lost to Oakdale.
Liberty beat Man Valley, 45-28, last week. It faces Francis Scott Key and North Hagerstown the next two weeks, both of which are winless on the year. Then the Lions wrap up the regular season with their biggest rival in Century.
They've also won three in a row since losing to South Carroll, which sits in second in 2A West.
"I definitely think we're getting in a rhythm," Liberty quarterback Ben Agostino said. "After that loss, we were ready to get our season back on track. We're looking forward to the playoffs, but we've got to take it one game at a time."
The Panthers (2-5) won for the second time in three weeks on Friday, topping Winters Mill 13-3 after scoring two touchdowns in the game's final five minutes. In most regions, NC would be completely out of the playoff hunt.
But in 1A North, after MV (5-2) are Forestville (3-4), Fairmont Heights (2-5), Surrattsville (2-5), and then the Panthers in fifth.
NC plays all of its final three games at home, but has to face a pair of potential playoff teams in South Carroll and Manchester Valley. The Panthers also face FSK in the week between those two matchups.
"We're still in the playoff hunt," said NC receiver Aaron Nelson, who scored the go-ahead touchdown on Friday. "This was a must-win, and we got the win so it feels great knowing that in my senior year we could be going to the playoffs."
Injury bug
Manchester Valley was without two-way lineman Parker Reitz in Thursday's loss to Liberty, after the senior suffered a knee injury the previous week in a win over Century.
Then against the Lions, the Mavericks lost another force on both the offensive and defensive lines in Jake Eichhorst. It is unknown if the MV senior will be healthy enough to play on Friday on the road against Boonsboro.
"He's been solid for us all year," Mavs coach Tony Shermeyer said.
WM defense improves
Winters Mill lost its sixth straight game since winning its opener against Patterson Mill against North Carroll. But for the first time since that victory in Week 1, the Falcons' defense allowed fewer than 24 points.
WM had been averaging 32 points allowed per game over the five weeks prior to the loss to the Panthers.
The Falcons held NC to minus-13 yards in the first half, Kyle Fisher notched an interception, and they kept the Panthers scoreless for the first 43 minutes of the contest.
"We gave up one offensive touchdown," WM coach Matt Miller said. "Usually you're in a position like that in high school football, you'd be in a chance to win the football game."
Top scorers keep scoring
Entering last week's games, Liberty's Nick Bonomo, Manchester Valley's Ethan Bare, and South Carroll's Steven Baca and Jamar Williams ranked as the top four scorers in Carroll.
Bonomo scored two rushing touchdowns against MV to push his season total to 11. Bare and Baca also each have 11 touchdowns on the season after last week's games.
Bare found the end zone three times against the Lions, twice on the ground and once on a screen pass from Jake Gerber. Baca scored four times in SC's 49-0 win over FSK.
Williams scored his eighth touchdown of the year on a 25-yard run against the Eagles.
Ravens RISE Game of the Week
This Friday's Century-Winters Mill game has been one of three contests nominated for the Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown game of the week.
To vote, visit baltimoresun.com. The winning game receives visits from the Ravens' mascot, Poe, and several Ravens cheerleaders.
Voting closes at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
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