For 30 years, Churchill football didn’t have to worry about how to plan for a major game with Thanksgiving in the middle of the week.

Now, they’ve had to do it twice in three years. This time, they hope to keep the season going long after all the turkey leftovers are gone.

Two years ago, Churchill made it to the state semifinals for the first time since 1984. They fell to Broadneck, but are now back in the semifinals and preparing to face Wise at 7 p.m. Friday. If Churchill wins, they will advance to the 4A State Championship for the first time since 1995.

This week, Churchill invited alumni to come support them. Parents also put together a breakfast, which they hope will become a tradition as long as they keep making it back to the semifinals.

“It’s easier than expected, because there really are no distractions, because school is pretty much out,” coach Joe Rydzewski said of planning around Thanksgiving. “The kids really do just focus on football. Sure, there might be a little distraction in the middle of the week, but it sets up where you can get a good week of practice in.”

The team, Rydzewski says, has an underdog mentality. They aren’t a regional powerhouse like Quince Orchard, which is playing in the other semifinal. And they don’t currently have any players committed to play in college, as Wise does.

“We tell them they are underdogs every single day,” Rydzewski said. “All of our kids at Churchill are very, very concerned about where they are going to college, and it’s not for football.”

Churchill also had a significant number of injuries at the start of the season. They are still without some key players. Senior captain Ian Larson is out for the season with a back strain. Junior linebacker James Le is back, but only in a limited capacity as he recovers from a torn ACL.

In their place, they’ve had other players step up. Noah Zhang, Rydzewski said, is the heartbeat of the team. The running back and linebacker, who is 5-feet-7-inches and 170 pounds, never wants to leave the field. They are also led by quarterback Hunter Humphries, who had six touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ quarterfinal win.

Churchill’s only loss of the season came to Quince Orchard on Oct. 3. Rydzewski said his team knows that Wise will be a challenge on Friday. But they’ve also known all season that they have the potential to win against anyone, and now they just need to prove it once again.

“We’re going to have to take care of the football, find ways to stop them,” Rydzewski said. “Which I mean, sure, we just got to stop them. No way, it’s so difficult with how fast they go, how many plays they run, how big they are, how fast they are everywhere — defense, offense, special teams. We’re going to need a few breaks.”

High School Football: Quince Orchard vs. Broadneck

Quince Orchard will host Broadneck in the 4A semifinals at 3 p.m. Friday. It’s a rematch of last year’s semifinals matchup, which the Cougars won 48-13 on their way to winning the state championship.

Last week, Quince Orchard defeated Flowers 21-10 in the quarterfinals. Quarterback Will Drakeford had two rushing touchdowns in the win.

The Cougars have not lost a game since 2023.

High School Football: Sherwood vs. Perry Hall

The Warriors are back in the 4A/3A semifinals for the second consecutive year. Sherwood will host Perry Hall at 4 p.m. Friday.

Sherwood’s one loss of the season came against Quince Orchard in week six of the regular season. In the quarterfinals, the Warriors beat North Point 19-7, with quarterback Matthew Larson throwing three touchdowns.

If they win, it would be Sherwood’s first trip to the State Championship since 2008.

NCAA Men’s Soccer: Maryland vs. Connecticut

Maryland men’s soccer, the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, keeps rolling. After getting a bye in the first round, the Terps beat the University of North Carolina on penalty kicks on Sunday. Montgomery County native Albi Ndrenika played 93 minutes in the win.

Next, the Terps will host Connecticut at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ludwig Field.

NCAA Football: Clemson vs. South Carolina

It’s rivalry week for college football, and Damascus native Ryan Linthicum will be in the midst of it as Clemson travels to South Carolina at noon Saturday. Linthicum had a breakout year in 2024 and is on the Rimington Trophy watchlist, an award given to the most outstanding center.

This is his last year of eligibility, but his career may not be over when Clemson’s season ends. Draft experts say he could be a late pick in next year’s NFL draft.