History
Damascus High School was first established in 1909. [5] The current building was constructed in 1950 and renovated in 1978. [6]
In 2020, MCPS approved a $127 million renovation of the high school. The renovation was originally planned for a 2025 completion date, but it was delayed several times due to county budget concerns, [7] [8] and now has a tentative 2031 completion date. [9]
Damascus is notable for hosting its own graduation ceremonies on the school football field. By 2016, it was the only public high school in the area to do so. [10] In the 2025-26 school year, however, MCPS began requiring all district high schools to hold their graduations on the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus, ending Damascus' longstanding tradition. [11]
Athletics
Damascus' school colors are green and gold, and its mascot is the Swarmin' Hornet. [4] The school's biggest rivalries are with the neighboring Clarksburg, Sherwood, and Seneca Valley high schools.
Damascus is known for its prestigious football program. The Swarmin' Hornets have appeared in 17 state championships and won 12, the most of any public high school in Maryland. [a] Since winning their first title in 1981, the football team has averaged about three titles per decade, and most recently were crowned champions in 2022. [12] [13] From 2015 to 2017, the Hornets maintained a 53-game winning streak, which is another state record, and was likely a national record at the time. This period included three consecutive state championships. [14]
The school's wrestling program has also been very successful, boasting 16 total state titles between the single and dual meet categories. [15] From 2013 to 2020, the team maintained a winning streak for 182 consecutive dual meets, collecting eight consecutive dual meet state titles in the process. This was the third‑longest winning streak ever recorded nationally in the sport, and the longest active one. [16]
State championships
| Sport | Years |
|---|
| Baseball | 1998, 2000 [17] |
| Basketball | Boys | 1949 [15] |
| Cross Country | Boys | 1961, 1965, 2009 [12] |
| Girls | 1994 [12] |
| Football | 1981, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 [12] |
| Golf | 1993 [12] |
| Indoor Track | Boys | 2010 [15] |
| Girls | 1997, 2011 [15] |
| Soccer | Boys | 2023 [12] [18] |
| Softball | 1987, 1992, 1994, 2023 [17] |
| Swimming & Diving | Girls | 2022, 2025 [15] |
| Volleyball | 2013 [12] |
| Wrestling | Single | 1994, 1996, 1999, 2015, 2016, 2017 [15] |
| Dual | 1995, 1999, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 [15] |
In 2018, during the fall football season, four players on Damascus' junior varsity team were sexually assaulted with broomsticks by teammates in the locker room, as part of a hazing ritual. The school administration waited more than 12 hours after learning about the incident before contacting police. [19] Four players were charged as adults initially with first-degree rape, while another was charged as a juvenile with a lesser offense and given community service. [20] However, within a month, the four charged as adults were released on bond, [21] and their cases were later moved to juvenile court. [22] Consequently, the outcomes of the court proceedings were not made public. [23] The victims and their families sued the school district, and in 2023 they received a settlement totaling $9.7 million. [24]
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