Festivities began bright and early on Saturday, November 7 with a Spirit 5K, One-Mile Fun Run and Breakfast. Alumni, students, and families from both schools participated in the race through McDonogh's campus. At noon, former football players from the rival schools gathered in the Louis E. Lamborn Alumni Memorial Field House lobby to see a display of football memorabilia from the McDonogh and Gilman Archives. The trip down "Memory Lane" continued in the Field House as six former players, including Tom Turner '66, Tom Hood '77, and Bobby Sabelhaus '95, recalled what the rivalry meant to them.

From noon to 2 p.m., students, parents, and alumni also gathered at McDonogh's hospitality tent adjacent to the stadium to enjoy refreshments, receive McDonogh giveaways, and get their faces painted. Live music was provided by McDonogh's own Blonde by Default (the Middle School Rock Shop), Adam Green '10 and Andrew Franklin, Brooke Poklemba '04, Women of Note & Gentleman Songsters, Jeffers Insley '17, and Taylor Lamborn '07.

Then, Eagles fans, led by a McDonogh mummers band, paraded into John McDonogh Stadium and filled the stands, including the 3,000 additional bleacher seats, in anticipation of the 3:00 p.m. kickoff. (Watch the excitement  here.) Pregame events included a video history of the rivalry produced and edited by Casey Clark M'88 and narrated by Frank Deford G'57. The video was followed by recorded messages from current NFL players Darrius Heyward-Bey M'05 and Brandon Copeland G'09.

For the 100th Game coin toss, the current captains were joined by Senator Joe Tydings '46, McDonogh's 1945 captain, and Bill Crawford, Gilman's 1946 captain. Mr. Crawford was escorted by Furlong Baldwin, Gilman's 1949 captain. On the sidelines, both teams were accompanied by their school's current and former headmasters: Charlie Britton of McDonogh with former headmasters Bill Mules '59 and Bo Dixon; and Henry Smyth of Gilman with former headmasters Reddy Finney '47, Arch Montgomery, and John Schmick '67.

Following the coin toss, McDonogh's Concert Choir, under the direction of Philip Olsen, sang  McDonogh Forever, and the Gilman Glee Club, directed by Robby Ford M'07, performed  Gilman 'O Gilman. Together they sang the national anthem.

The estimated 11,000 fans in the stadium weren't the only ones watching the exciting milestone game. Alumni from both schools got together for viewing parties via live stream in Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay area.

At halftime, McDonogh's cheerleaders led the packed stadium in chanting "Archer Strong" for McDonogh junior Archer Senft, who was watching the game at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Archer, whose family has strong ties to both the McDonogh and Gilman communities, suffered a spinal cord injury in August while swimming in the ocean in Cape May, New Jersey. The cheer of love and support for Archer was followed by a spectacular halftime show by the Morgan State University Marching Band.

The 100th Game was close, but in the end the Greyhounds won by a score of 35-28. As the Gilman fans celebrated and the McDonogh fans spoke of the valiant effort, players from both sides took a knee together in one large huddle on the 50-yard line for the trophy presentation. The circle was raw with emotion on both extremes as the headmasters expressed their appreciation for the sportsmanship and high level of play exhibited by each team. Then, McDonogh's Headmaster Charlie Britton presented the Price Memorial Trophy to Gilman's Headmaster Henry Smyth.

A sincere thanks to all alumni who made their 2015-2016 gift or pledge to The McDonogh Fund and helped in our come-from-behind victory over Gilman in the Alumni Giving Challenge! 

Please take a moment to watch this video to see how gifts to The McDonogh Fund are shaping lives all across campus!

If you have not yet made your McDonogh Fund gift, there is still time! Annual gifts have an immediate impact on the lives of current students and faculty. We ask that all alumni support the school with a contribution to The McDonogh Fund. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference, so please give the amount that is meaningful to you.

Make your donation today using our  secure online giving form . To learn more about The McDonogh Fund or to volunteer, contact Katie Love at  443-544-7043  or  [email protected] .