When does a loss look like a win?

Perhaps, this week in the Maryland state poll. Two teams lost yet moved up in the rankings, and a third team lost to an unranked opponent yet failed to fall from the Top 25 in a bizarre week of voting.

There was no change among the state's elite teams as Good Counsel stayed No. 1 followed by Gilman, Calvert Hall, Quince Orchard and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Where the craziness started is at No. 16 with Seneca Valley. The Screaming Eagles lost to No. 4 Quince Orchard, but the narrow margin of 9-6 allowed Seneca Valley to move up two spots from No. 18.

Meanwhile, Flowers pushed Suitland before falling 19-18 in a battle of undefeateds, but the result garnered enough attention that Flowers checks in at No. 23 this week after being an honorable mention last week.

Finally, the oddest move of the week was Damascus remaining among the Top 25 despite a 14-3 loss to Sherwood. The Hornets fell from No. 10 to No. 24.

This week will prove critical in the state rankings as five games featuring Top 25 teams going head-to-head are on the slate, including a trio of contests involving Top 10 teams.

ESPNHS Maryland High School Football State Poll
Tuesday Oct. 4 -- WEEK 5 RANKINGS
FREDERICK, Md. -- The Maryland High School Football State Poll, in its 22nd year, is based on a statewide voting by sports reporters. Schools are ranked by points received. The number in parenthesis reflects first-place votes. LW is last week's ranking. The rankings are compiled by Sheldon Shealer of ESPNHS.
Rk.	Name	Record	Points	LW	Last Week	This Week
1.	Good Counsel (12)	5-0	300	1	def. Red Lion (Del.), 34-14	vs. No. 8 DeMatha
2.	Gilman	4-1	288	2	def. Spalding, 42-8	vs. No. 3 Calvert Hall
3.	Calvert Hall	4-0	274	3	idle	vs. No. 2 Gilman
4.	Quince Orchard	5-0	263	4	def. Seneca Valley, 9-6	vs. Walt Whitman
5.	Eleanor Roosevelt	5-0	250	5	def. Parkdale, 26-6	vs. Laurel
6.	Suitland	5-0	242	6	def. Flowers, 19-18	vs. DuVal
7.	Arundel	5-0	224	7	def. North County, 49-13	vs. No. 10 Old Mill
8.	DeMatha	3-1	199	8	def. O'Connell (Va.), 24-6	vs. No. 1 Good Counsel
9.	Wise	4-1	193	9	def. Northwestern-PG, 27-0	vs. Oxon Hill
10.	Old Mill	5-0	187	11	def. Meade, 40-14	vs. 7 Arundel
11.	McDonogh	4-1	180	12	def. Landon, 35-3	vs. No. 15 Loyola
12.	Atholton	4-1	162	15	def. Marriotts Ridge, 54-6	vs. Oakland Mills
13.	Dunbar	4-1	155	13	def. Digital Harbor, 53-13	vs. Edmondson
14.	Poly	5-0	149	14	def. Douglass-Balt., 42-6	vs. Patterson
15.	Loyola	3-1	132	17	def. Fork Union (Va.), 50-40	vs. No. 11 McDonogh
16.	Seneca Valley	4-1	128	18	lost to Quince Orchard, 9-6	vs. Rockville
17.	Thomas Johnson	5-0	108	19	def. Urbana, 17-16	vs. No. 19 Walkersville
18.	Middletown	5-0	102	20	def. Oakdale, 49-6	vs. Urbana
19.	Walkersville	5-0	87	21	def. Tuscarora, 44-0	vs. No. 17 Thomas Johnson
20.	Patuxent	5-0	82	22	def. La Plata, 59-16	vs. Great Mills
21.	Catonsville	5-0	57	23	def. Hereford, 50-14	vs. Eastern Tech
22.	Wicomico	5-0	32	NR	def. North Caroline, 52-6	vs. Queen Anne's
23.	Flowers	4-1	28	NR	lost to Suitland, 19-18	vs. High Point
24.	Damascus	4-1	23	10	lost to Sherwood, 14-3	vs. Walter Johnson
25.	Glenelg	5-0	21	NR	def. Hammond, 17-14	vs. Long Reach