Continued lopsided high school football games cause some to call for stronger mercy rule

Teams in Maryland, Virginia lose by as many as 79 points in first week

In the first week of Maryland and Virginia high school football, there were some notably lopsided scores.

In Maryland, fourteen teams lost by at least 42 points. One suffered a 70-point defeat, while another was beaten by 55. In Virginia, a team lost 79-0 in a game called during the third quarter. Three other clubs in that state lost by more than 60 points.

Most states have implemented a "mercy rule" in recent years to attempt to curb such excessive scores. In Maryland and Virginia, the clock continues to run during out-of-bounds plays and other traditional stoppages when the score difference is 35 points or more. The clock still stops during time outs and injuries.

However, that rule, first implemented in Maryland in 2017, applies only in the second half. Some are calling for the faster clock to be used in the first half when teams get down by 35 or more points.

In Hampton, Va., on September 6, Granby High took a 72-0 lead in the first half over Kecoughtan High. The game was called in the third quarter with the score, 79-0. That same evening in Germantown, Md., Northwest High jumped to a 56-0 lead in the first half en route to a 70-0 win over Watkins Mill High.

"That's when you need to see a therapist. There should be stronger mercy rules in high school football games where the clocks continue to run all the time, even during timeouts, in those types of games," wrote one user on Reddit. "The clock should run all the time in the first half when teams get leads of 35 points or more."

Team up 98-0 passes for TD on final play

Last year in a playoff game, Phoebus High in Virginia beat Jamestown High, 104-0. The score was 84-0 at halftime, and the losing coach refused to concede then. Phoebus scored a touchdown on a pass on the game's final play, a decision the team's coach said he didn't feel good about but succumbed to pressure from players and fans.

Marc Davis, sports director of Virginia TV station WTKR, wrote that Phoebus did not play "dirty" or "set out with the intent of nationally embarrassing their opponents." But he said the system that pits weak teams versus strong ones in the playoffs "might need a little bit of retooling."

Some question why athletic directors and coaches schedule weaker teams against really strong ones, especially in the first game of the season when squads are usually still working on mastering playbooks. Coaches and ADs of powerhouse programs often say that it is hard to find teams to play against, especially in more rural areas and among private schools. Others note there can be financial incentives for weaker programs to agree to play much stronger ones.

Despite Maryland and Virginia high school football games having mercy rules, many contests continue to be wildly lopsided.Photo byPhoto by Tim Mossholder / Unsplash

Lopsided high school football games

Here are some of the more lopsided high school football games in recent years. The most lopsided game in high school football history is believed to be a 256-0 victory by Haven, Kansas, over Sylvia in 1927.

Year ..... Score ..... Winning team ..... Losing team
2021 ..... 106-0 ..... Inglewood, Calif. ..... Morningside, Calif.
2023 ..... 104-0 ..... Phoebus, Va. ..... Jamestown, Va.
2019 ..... 104-0 ..... Hilo, Hi. ..... Waiakea, Hi.
2019 ..... 103-0 ..... Riggs, S.D. ..... Spearfish, S.D.
2020 ..... 97-0 ..... Magnolia West, Tx. ..... Caney Creek, Tx.
2022 ..... 96-0 ..... IMG, Fla. ..... West Toronto, Can.
2023 ..... 90-0 ...... Mansfield Timberview, Tx. ..... Sunset, Tx.
2022 ..... 85-0 ..... Gunter, Tx. ...... Lone Oak, Tx.
2023 ..... 84-0 ..... Wise, Md. ..... Laurel, Md.
2023 ..... 84-0 ..... Warhol, Va. ..... Jamestown, Va.
2019 ..... 84-0 ..... Mansfield Timberview, Tx. ..... Sunset, Tx.
2023 ..... 83-0 ..... Grayson, Ga. ..... Eagle’s Landing, Ga.
2022 ..... 83-0 ..... North Oconee, Ga. ..... East Hall, Ga.
2023 ..... 82-0 ..... Gunter, Tx. ..... Howe, Tx.
2022 ..... 80-0 ..... Mansfield Timberview, Tx. .... Sunset, Tx.
2022 ..... 80-0 ..... Miller County, Ga. .... Central Talbotton, Ga.
2024 ..... 79-0 ..... Granby, Va. ..... Kecoughtan, Va.
2019 .... 79-0 ..... Highland Park, Tx. ..... Sunset, Tx.
2023 .... 78-0 ..... Brock, Tx. .... Boyd, Tx.
2021 .... 77-0 ..... Wise, Md. ..... Northwestern, Md.
2023 ..... 83-6 ..... Gunter, Tx. ..... City View, Tx.
2023 ..... 76-0 ..... Brock, Tx. ..... Pilot Point, Tx.
2021 ..... 74-0 ..... Northwest, Md. ..... Walter Johnson, Md.
Source: MaxPreps