Third-ranked
Gilman hosted its arch-rival, tenth-ranked McDonogh, yesterday, with an
opportunity to clinch the outright MIAA A Conference championship.  The
visiting Eagles, however, stunned the Greyhounds, 22-16, ending
Gilman’s 13-game winning streak against A Conference opponents and
claiming a share of the league title.  The game winning score was an
18-yard touchdown pass from McDonogh senior quarterback Jared Jorgensen
to senior Andrew Feinberg, with less than three minutes to play.

This
annual battle is steeped in tradition dating back to 1915 with Gilman
leading the series with 54 wins, 31 losses and 5 ties.  The pre-game
pageantry included all the ceremonies that make high school sports so
appealing to sports fans of all ages.

Thirty minutes before the
game, the McDonogh faithful marched over the Northern Parkway bridge
and descend onto the Gilman campus.  The sea of orange, lead by drums
and bagpipes, set the tone for what turned out to be an unbelievable
contest.  The Greyhounds then honored their graduating seniors, all 22
of them, as a tribute to the last football game in their high school
careers.  The festivities continued when Gilman headmaster Jon McGill
presented the outgoing McDonogh headmaster, Bo Dixon, a gift for his
fifteen years service leading the Eagles and his dedication to
education.  Sportsmanship still lives!

With the stage set, the
game began with McDonogh receiving the ball.  The Eagles methodically
drove down the field with a balanced attacked of run and pass. 
Quarterback Jared Jorgensen found fellow senior Robby Ford in the end
zone to cap the drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass.  Jorgensen also
added a two-point conversion pass to Matt Hart and the Eagles led 8-0.
 
Following
an exchange of turnovers, Gilman got on the board for the first time,
early in the second quarter, when senior John Pagliaro dashed 11-yards
for a touchdown and followed with a two-point run to tie the game at
eight.

It was clear at this point, that the contest would be a
battle of two offenses with completely different styles.  The
Greyhounds run the ball and make not attempts to disguise their
strategy.  They challenge any team to try and stop them.  In fact,
Gilman did not attempt a pass until late in the fourth quarter. 
McDonogh on the other hand, uses a spread formation and serves up a
variety of passing and running plays.  As the half came to a close, the
Eagles had a chance to claim
the lead with a field goal when the
Greyhounds fumbled the ball on their own 17 yard line.  However, Gilman
redeemed itself and blocked the field goal attempt with no time
remaining in the half.

Things didn’t look good for the Eagles on
the opening drive of the second half.  The Greyhounds, led by a heavy
dose of Pagliaro and senior Ben Eaton, marched down the field in
dominating fashion to score their second touchdown and another
two-point conversion.  With much of the third quarter eaten up by the
Greyhound drive, McDonogh went to the final quarter facing a 16-8
deficit.

The Eagles, however, rebounded quickly with an
eight-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Bryan Ellis.  After
failing on the two-point conversion attempt, McDonogh trailed 16-14,
but still had over ten minutes to play.

The Eagles made their
final push in the game’s closing minutes, as they drove down field and
produced their own version of the “immaculate reception.”  Attempting
to connect with senior wide out Steve Banks, Jorgensen floated an
18-yard pass into the end zone which tipped off Banks’ hands and found
its way into the waiting arms of Feinberg, who secured it for the
winning score.  McDonogh upped its lead to 22-16, as Feinberg hauled in
another Jorgensen pass for the conversion, with less than two minutes
to go.

Gilman head coach Biff Poggi then found himself in a
position where he had to put the ball in the air.  Junior quarterback
Jake Tunney, Gilman’s passing specialist, came in for Makura Compton,
and immediately sparked the Greyhounds with a completion.  Two plays
later, however, an apparent completion was jarred loose from a Gilman
receiver into the hands of McDonogh defensive lineman Tyler Goldberg,
who secured it for his first career interception.  Gilman was able to
regain possession one more time, with 1:36 remaining, but again it was
thwarted by a McDonogh interception as Feinberg capped a huge quarter
with nifty pick that sealed the win for the Eagles..  

Gilman
and McDonogh each finished 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the A Conference. 
Since the MIAA has no tie-breakers in A Conference football, both teams
gain a share of the league title.  Loyola, which defeated Georgetown
Prep, 14-7, yesterday to improve to 3-1 in the conference, can also
claim a share of the championship if it can win its finale, on
Thankgiving Day against Calvert Hall at M&T Bank Stadium.  For
Gilman, it is its eighth MIAA league title.  This is McDonogh’s second
A Conference title and its first since sharing the honor with Gilman in
2001.  The Eagles also own four B Conference championships.

After
the game, Poggi was gracious in defeat.  “McDonogh deserves a lot of
credit.  Jorgensen was unbelievable and their receivers ran great
routes.  Their coach had them well prepared and their defense did a
nice job stopping our running attack.  We live and die by the run.”

McDonogh
head coach Dom D’Amico agreed with Poggi that his team was well
prepared.  “Our team was ready.  We knew we were going to get a heavy
dose of the run.  We just kept telling our kids to stay low and get to
the ball.”

As McDonogh celebrated the victory on the Gilman
field after the game, Jorgensen calmly reflected on the day.  “I felt
confident all day that we were going to win.  It felt like destiny. 
Look at the winning touchdown pass.  You don’t plan things like that,
they happen.”