Wilde Lake's 7-6 win over visiting Marriotts Ridge had all the characteristics of a game that will be remembered for many years.

It was between two undefeated teams, played on a muddy field under a heavy rain in front of a homecoming crowd, and it was decided by one point.

The Sept. 27 game was one for the memory books even before you consider that it was coach Doug DuVall's 300th career win.

"If it weren't for homecoming, and all the stuff surrounding it, if it was just another game, it would have been fun to play in (the mud), because we practice in it," said DuVall, whose 300 wins include three all-star games, six wins as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Eagles semi-pro team (1982) and nine wins as junior varsity coach at Wilde Lake (1972-73).

"It's great fun to win (No. 300). The nice thing is all the kids coming back and parents and e-mails you get makes the whole coaching thing worthwhile, because that's what you do it for," DuVall said. He was presented a plaque after the game.

After being honored, DuVall went straight back to fulfilling his duties as high school football coach, urging his team to be safe on their homecoming evening.

Any prior planning for a 300th win ceremony, though, had to be considered tentative, because a win over Marriotts Ridge was far from a sure thing.

"We were able to control the ball enough, keep it out of their hands, but they came to play. They're a good football team. We knew they'd be tough to beat," DuVall said.

When senior receiver/defensive back Kyle Williams returned the opening kickoff to the Wilde Lake 35-yard line, it was clear the Mustangs would not play patsy, even though that drive was killed when a Tim Blair pass was tipped and Jo Jo Ma intercepted it from a seated position.

Six plays later, after a 40-yard dump-and-run play to Mike Fields and a 29-yard touchdown run by Jarrel Epps, Wilde Lake led, 7-0. Graham Spicer's extra point on the score turned out to be crucial.

But Marriotts Ridge would not roll over.

The Mustangs' defense forced Wilde Lake into a turnover on downs on its next drive, punctuated by a sack for a 10-yard loss by Paul Lee on fourth down. And then, on Wilde Lake's first drive of the second quarter, Armani Dixon recovered a fumble to set up Marriotts Ridge's scoring drive. Derek Coleman gained 12 yards to the 5 on fourth-and-4, then Blair threw a touchdown pass to Aaron Dunn.

On the two-point conversion attempt, Wilde Lake's Danny March stumbled in the mud while covering Williams, but regained his feet in time to intercept Blair's pass, leaving the score where it would end, at 7-6.

"My legs are exhausted right now," Wilde Lake offensive lineman and linebacker Ramin Nejaddehghan said. "But all the conditioning we do definitely helps in the third and fourth quarter when it rains."

Wilde Lake missed a 23-yard field goal just before halftime, and Marriotts Ridge couldn't convert on fourth-and-6 from the Wilde Lake 13-yard line midway through the third quarter, but other than that each team spent the rest of the game battling around midfield.

"I'm in shock because we had chances, we blew them away. But if we can take anything I'd say our defense played a great game, only giving up seven points. That's the best defensive job we've played since I've been here," Coleman said. "Wilde Lake's been a team that's been running over us the past couple years ... We limited their rushing, that show's that we've got progress."

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