Interstate contests of this caliber have become few and far between in recent seasons. But the Cougars and Bulldogs, with eight state championships between them, have elevated it to a different level.
But neither school could have been prepared for the four quarters of football that unfolded in Gaithersburg, a fiery and physical battle that ended with Quince Orchard earning a 29-22 win.
“That is 100 percent what we were looking for when we scheduled this game,” Cougars Coach John Kelley said. “They’re a phenomenal program, and we had to come up with some big plays in the right moments.”
The postgame scene was enough to prove that this had been more than an early-season warm-up for both teams. After senior quarterback Nino Marzullo hit wide receiver Tavahri Groves on a 39-yard touchdown with 17 seconds remaining, Quince Orchard players sprinted toward the sea of red-clad students in their home bleachers and danced to DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” a not-so-subtle nod to the team’s current winning streak, which was extended to 33 games.
On the other side of the field, Stone Bridge’s bench players hustled out to pick up a few teammates that had fallen to the turf in disbelief. After trailing 21-7 at halftime, the Bulldogs pieced together a near-perfect second half and took a 22-21 lead with 1:58 remaining.
Quince Orchard, unaccustomed to playing a tight game, came undone for a stretch in the second half. The Cougars (3-0) were beset by personal fouls, and after one particularly extensive dust-up, star defensive end Jaylen Harvey was ejected.
“I was just trying to keep everybody calm,” Kelley said. “Our biggest thing in the second half was trying to maintain composure.”
By the time Marzullo and his teammates took the field for the final drive, the atmosphere was charged and the Bulldogs (1-4) could taste an upset. Instead, Quince Orchard strung together a few good runs to set up one big shot at the end zone. When Marzullo saw his ball reach Groves inside the 5, he dropped to his knees and spread his arms wide in a silent celebration.
Yes, this was just a nonconference game in early September. But to the senior quarterback it felt like much more.
“It’s a moment I’ll never forget,” he said. “A surreal moment, a surreal game, a surreal feeling.”