Quince Orchard holds off Wise to win 4A State Championship
December 6, 2025
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — For the second consecutive season, Quince Orchard and Wise faced off in the title game, and for the second consecutive season, the Cougars (14-0) knocked off the Pumas (11-2) to win the MPSSAA Class 4A State Championship at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The Quince Orchard defense held Wise to only 191 total yards, and quarterback William Drakeford showcased his speed, tallying 127 rushing yards to go along with two rushing touchdowns. He also added two additional passing touchdowns, along with 84 yards through the air.
Wise leaned heavily on the speed of their running back, Kameron Parker, who accounted for two of the Pumas’ three touchdowns on the evening. But outside of Parker’s 141 rushing yards, Wise was only able to gain 50 yards of offense for the rest of their team.
Both teams started out slowly on offense, as they would exchange punts to begin the game. Quince Orchard found the end zone first after a long run from Drakeford setup the Cougars at the 1-yard line. Drakeford would then keep the ball himself and score on the next play. Seth Rubin’s extra point gave QO a 7-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Drakeford connected with Rafferty Bankert on a 6-yard TD pass to take a 14-0 lead. Wise would cut into that lead midway through the quarter as quarterback Eric Wedge found a diving Sergio Torrico in the end zone for a 3-yard score. Kicker Moises Menjivar-Guardado added the extra point to halve the Cougars lead at 14-7. Quince Orchard would take their one-score lead into halftime.
Quince Orchard struck first in the second half as Jeheim Bond caught a 6-yard pass from Drakeford, but the extra point was missed, and the Cougars lead was 20-7. But, Wise answered back immediately as Parker returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown to pull the Pumas to within six points at 20-14.
The Cougars scored quickly on their next drive, capping the scoring with a 4-yard rush by Drakeford, and Drakeford’s two-point conversion pass was picked off in the end zone, leaving QO with a 26-14 lead.
Quince Orchard’s ensuing kickoff sailed out of bounds, and Wise would take advantage of the miscue. On the first play of the drive, it was Parker showing off his legs again, taking the ball 65 yards for a Pumas touchdown. Menjivar-Guardado added the extra point to draw Wise even closer at 26-21.
As play moved to the fourth quarter, both teams threatened but couldn’t come up with any points. The Wise defense was stifling, and only allowed Quince Orchard to move up to midfield one time, but forced two punts.
Wise had one final shot to take the lead, starting a drive at their own 10-yard line with just under two minutes remaining. The Pumas moved the ball quickly picking up 20 yards on three plays, but the Cougars defense held strong, and Wedge was sacked by Diego Rodriguez to force a 4th down and long, which Wise was unable to convert. Quince Orchard took over on downs and ran out the clock on a win.
Quince Orchard’s dominance of the 4A Class in Maryland football continues, as the Cougars notch their fourth state championship in the past five seasons, and fifth in the past seven. Wise comes up short in the title game for the second straight year, after making the championship for their third consecutive season.
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