The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) is the organization that oversees interscholastic athletics for public high schools in the U.S. state of Maryland. Founded in 1946, the association operates under the authority of the Maryland State Department of Education and Maryland's 24 local public school systems.
The MPSSAA currently consists of 200 member public high schools and administers state championship competition in sports throughout the fall, winter and spring seasons. For administrative and tournament purposes, the association divides the state into nine geographic districts.
The association was founded in 1946 as Maryland developed a statewide structure for public-school interscholastic athletics. Its constitution was formally adopted on April 21, 1951. Since its establishment, the organization has continued to oversee athletic regulations, classifications and state championship tournaments for Maryland public secondary schools.
Baltimore City's public high schools became part of the MPSSAA in 1993 after withdrawing from the Maryland Scholastic Association, the longtime athletic organization that had included both Baltimore-area public and private schools.
Sponsored sports
The MPSSAA sponsors state championship competition in 26 sports.
Fall Cross country (boys and girls) Field hockey (girls) Football (boys) Girls' flag football Golf Soccer (boys and girls) Volleyball (girls)
Winter Basketball (boys and girls) Indoor track and field (boys and girls) Swimming and diving (boys and girls) Wrestling
Spring Baseball (boys) Lacrosse (boys and girls) Softball (girls) Tennis (boys and girls) Track and field (boys and girls)
Football
The MPSSAA has conducted a state championship tournament in football since 1974. From 1974 through 1987, the state tournament used the classifications Class AA, A, B and C. Beginning in 1988, the classifications were renamed Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A, respectively, with Class 4A representing the largest schools and Class 1A the smallest.
The structure of the football postseason has changed several times. From 1974 through 1984, the tournament consisted of state semifinals and championship games. State quarterfinals were added in 1985 and remained part of the tournament through 2002. Beginning in 2003, the postseason was reorganized around regional competition. The playoff format was expanded again in 2021 as part of the move to six football classifications.
The football state tournament currently consists of six classifications: Class 4A, 4A/3A, 3A, 2A, 2A/1A and 1A.
State tournament format
Each of the six football classifications is divided into four regions: East, North, South and West. At the conclusion of the regular season, eight teams from each region qualify for the postseason according to the MPSSAA point system. Two rounds of regional play reduce each region to two remaining teams.
The two remaining teams from each region advance to the state quarterfinals, producing an eight-team statewide field in each classification. The quarterfinalists are reseeded from No. 1 through No. 8 based on the regular-season point system. The winners advance to the state semifinals and championship game.
State champions
From 1974 through 1987, the MPSSAA football championships were contested in Classes AA, A, B and C.
Year Class AA Class A Class B Class C 1974 Parkdale Friendly Howard Valley 1975 Arundel Fort Hill Paint Branch Joppatowne 1976 Churchill Largo Seneca Valley Smithsburg 1977 Churchill Seneca Valley Kennedy Valley 1978 Annapolis Friendly Allegany Havre de Grace 1979 Springbrook Seneca Valley Cambridge-South Dorchester Smithsburg 1980 Springbrook Seneca Valley Allegany Snow Hill 1981 Springbrook Richard Montgomery Damascus Havre de Grace 1982 Oxon Hill Thomas Johnson James M. Bennett Snow Hill 1983 Friendly McDonough Allegany James M. Bennett 1984 Randallstown Kennedy Magruder Smithsburg 1985 Springbrook McDonough Wilde Lake James M. Bennett 1986 Gaithersburg Magruder Lackey Havre de Grace 1987 Seneca Valley Laurel Walkersville Milford Mill
From 1988 through 2019, the state championships were contested in Classes 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A. No MPSSAA football championships were held in 2020.
Year Class 4A Class 3A Class 2A Class 1A 1988 Springbrook DuVal Allegany Smithsburg 1989 Springbrook Linganore Allegany Kent County 1990 Randallstown McDonough Wilde Lake Kent County 1991 Quince Orchard Linganore Allegany Wilde Lake 1992 Gaithersburg Seneca Valley Damascus Wilde Lake 1993 Watkins Mill Seneca Valley Damascus Boonsboro 1994 North County Seneca Valley Dunbar Smithsburg 1995 Sherwood Dunbar Linganore Cambridge-South Dorchester 1996 Sherwood Damascus Wheaton Cambridge-South Dorchester 1997 Seneca Valley Wilde Lake Fort Hill Hereford 1998 Seneca Valley Friendly Urbana Oakland Mills 1999 Eleanor Roosevelt Seneca Valley Urbana Forestville 2000 Gaithersburg Calvert Urbana Elkton 2001 Bowie Urbana Hereford Allegany 2002 Parkdale Seneca Valley Hereford Bohemia Manor 2003 Damascus Linganore Aberdeen Joppatowne 2004 Suitland Northwest Potomac Dunbar 2005 Damascus Gwynn Park Potomac Allegany 2006 Suitland Friendly Edmondson Dunbar 2007 Quince Orchard Damascus River Hill Dunbar 2008 Sherwood Westlake River Hill Dunbar 2009 Old Mill Linganore Eastern Technical Catoctin 2010 Urbana Wilde Lake McDonough Dunbar 2011 Old Mill River Hill Middletown Dunbar 2012 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. River Hill Middletown Dunbar 2013 Northwest Franklin Middletown Fort Hill 2014 Northwest Franklin Frederick Douglass Fort Hill 2015 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. Damascus Patuxent Fort Hill 2016 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. Damascus Walkersville Fort Hill 2017 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. Linganore Damascus Dunbar 2018 Quince Orchard Franklin Oakdale Fort Hill 2019 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. Damascus Middletown Catoctin 2020 No championship held
Beginning in 2021, the MPSSAA expanded the football tournament to six classifications: 4A, 4A/3A, 3A, 2A, 2A/1A and 1A.
Year Class 4A Class 4A/3A Class 3A Class 2A Class 2A/1A Class 1A 2021 Quince Orchard Mergenthaler Vo-Tech Northern-Calvert Frederick Douglass Dunbar Fort Hill 2022 Quince Orchard North Point Damascus Milford Mill Academy Dunbar Fort Hill 2023 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. Mergenthaler Vo-Tech Oakdale Stephen Decatur High School Dunbar Fort Hill 2024 Quince Orchard North Point Arundel Stephen Decatur High School Patuxent High School Fort Hill 2025 Quince Orchard Mergenthaler Vo-Tech Linganore Huntingtown Dunbar Patuxent High School
Championships by school
The following table lists MPSSAA football state championships won by school since the state tournament began in 1974.
School Championships Championship years Dunbar 14 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 Damascus High School 12 1981, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 Seneca Valley 12 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002 Fort Hill High School 11 1975, 1997, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Allegany High School 8 1978, 1980, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2001, 2005 Linganore High School 7 1989, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2009, 2017, 2025 Quince Orchard High School 7 1991, 2007, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025 Springbrook High School 6 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1988, 1989 Wilde Lake High School 6 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2010 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. 6 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023 Friendly High School 5 1974, 1978, 1983, 1998, 2006 Smithsburg High School 5 1976, 1979, 1984, 1988, 1994 Urbana 5 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2010 McDonough 4 1983, 1985, 1990, 2010 Middletown 4 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019 River Hill High School 4 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 Cambridge-South Dorchester High School 3 1979, 1995, 1996 Franklin 3 2013, 2014, 2018 Gaithersburg High School 3 1986, 1992, 2000 Havre de Grace High School 3 1978, 1981, 1986 Hereford 3 1997, 2001, 2002 James M. Bennett High School 3 1982, 1983, 1985 Mergenthaler Vo-Tech 3 2021, 2023, 2025 Northwest 3 2004, 2013, 2014 Patuxent High School 3 2015, 2024, 2025 Sherwood 3 1995, 1996, 2008
Schools with two or one championships are included in the year-by-year championship tables above.
Member high schools
MPSSAA member schools are organized into nine geographic districts for administrative and postseason purposes. Schools compete through a combination of multi-jurisdiction athletic conferences and leagues administered by individual local school systems.
Classifications
The MPSSAA divides member schools into classifications to promote competitive balance in state championship competition. Classifications are primarily based on actual enrollment in grades 9 through 11, with enrollment figures submitted by each local school system. Schools are generally divided as equally as possible among four classifications, with Class 1A consisting of the smallest schools and Class 4A the largest.
Classification and regional alignment may vary by sport. The MPSSAA adopts sport-specific classification and regional alignments for two-year cycles. The current alignment cycle covers the 2025–2027 academic years.
Football differs from the standard four-class format and currently conducts state championship competition in six classifications: 1A, 2A/1A, 2A, 3A, 4A/3A and 4A.
District alignment
For administrative purposes, the MPSSAA divides Maryland into nine geographic districts.
District 1 – Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties District 2 – Montgomery County District 3 – Prince George's County District 4 – Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties District 5 – Anne Arundel and Howard counties District 6 – Baltimore County District 7 – Cecil and Harford counties District 8 – Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester counties District 9 – Baltimore City
Conferences and leagues
MPSSAA member schools compete in a combination of multi-jurisdiction athletic conferences and leagues organized by individual local school systems. Several conferences include schools from multiple Maryland counties, while larger jurisdictions operate county or city athletic leagues.
Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference
Allegany County
Allegany High School Fort Hill High School Mountain Ridge High School
Garrett County
Northern Garrett High School Southern Garrett High School
Bayside Conference
Caroline County
Colonel Richardson High School North Caroline High School
Dorchester County
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School North Dorchester High School
Kent County
Kent County High School
Queen Anne's County
Kent Island High School Queen Anne's County High School
Somerset County
Crisfield High School Washington High School
Talbot County
Easton High School St. Michaels High School
Wicomico County
James M. Bennett High School Mardela Middle and High School Parkside High School Wicomico High School
Worcester County
Pocomoke High School Snow Hill High School Stephen Decatur High School
Central Maryland Conference
The Central Maryland Conference (CMC) includes public high schools from Frederick and Washington counties. The conference was formed in 2015, replacing the former Monocacy Valley Athletic League. Washington County schools subsequently joined the conference, with Clear Spring becoming a full conference member in most sports in 2023.
Beginning with the 2027–28 school year, Carroll County Public Schools are scheduled to join the Central Maryland Conference.
Antietam Division
Boonsboro High School Catoctin High School Clear Spring High School Smithsburg High School
Gambrill Division
Brunswick High School Middletown High School Walkersville High School Williamsport High School
Potomac Division
Linganore High School North Hagerstown High School Oakdale High School South Hagerstown High School
Spires Division
Frederick High School Governor Thomas Johnson High School