The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association MIAA football playoff picture remains unsettled entering the final week of the 2026 season. Archbishop Spalding has clinched the No. 1 seed in the A Conference, while the conference’s remaining playoff positions and the B Conference’s final berth remain in play.
Archbishop Spalding secures A Conference top seed
Archbishop Spalding defeated St. Mary’s, 34-27, last week to clinch the top A Conference playoff seed. Archbishop Spalding is 7-2 overall and 6-0 in league play and will host Loyola Blakefield on Friday to close the regular season.
St. Mary’s is 4-5 overall and 3-4 in league play and currently holds the fourth and final A Conference playoff position. St. Mary’s has completed its league schedule and will play a non-conference game against Severn of the B Conference.
Mount St. Joseph and Calvert Hall battle for position
Mount St. Joseph defeated Loyola Blakefield, 63-27, last week for its fourth consecutive win and moved into third place in the A Conference. Mount St. Joseph is 7-3 overall and 3-3 in league play and will travel to Calvert Hall.
Calvert Hall is 4-5 overall and 2-3 in league play after defeating Gilman last week to maintain its playoff hopes. A Calvert Hall win would move the Cardinals ahead of Mount St. Joseph in the standings, while Mount St. Joseph would clinch an A Conference playoff spot with a victory.
Loyola Blakefield is 6-3 overall and 2-3 in league play and needs to defeat Archbishop Spalding on the road to remain in the A Conference playoff race. Gilman is 3-6 overall and 2-4 in league play, was eliminated from contention last week and will face McDonogh in its regular-season finale.
McDonogh is 8-2 overall and 4-2 in league play after defeating Concordia, 45-7, last week. McDonogh needs a win over Gilman to clinch second place in the A Conference playoffs, while Concordia is 4-5 overall and 2-5 in league play and will close its regular season in New York against Long Island Lutheran.
B Conference final playoff spot remains open
John Carroll has clinched the No. 1 B Conference seed with an 8-1 overall record and a 6-0 league record. Mount Carmel will enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed at 8-1 overall and 5-1 in league play, while Severn has clinched the No. 3 seed with a 7-2 overall record and a 5-2 league record.
Archbishop Curley and Boys’ Latin are tied for the fourth and final B Conference playoff position, with Boys’ Latin holding the tiebreaker. Archbishop Curley is 3-6 overall and 3-3 in league play and will face John Carroll on Friday, while Boys’ Latin is 5-3 overall and 3-3 in league play and will face St. Paul’s.
All three teams in the B Conference fourth-place race still have a path to the final playoff spot, depending on the weekend’s results.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The final week will determine the remaining playoff positions in both MIAA football conferences. Mount St. Joseph can clinch an A Conference berth with a win at Calvert Hall, while Loyola Blakefield needs a road victory over Archbishop Spalding to remain in contention.
The B Conference’s top three seeds are set, but the fourth playoff position remains unresolved. Boys’ Latin enters the final week with the tiebreaker over Archbishop Curley.
Source: Original report
