Poets One Step Closer To State Title

By: Keith Mills

In Dunbar's last nine games in the state playoffs, the Poets are 9-0 with two state championships. They've also outscored their opponents by a whopping 368 to 161, scoring an average of 40 points a game -- in the state playoffs.

The Poets began their quest for a third straight Class 1A state title with a 52-14 win over Forestville last Saturday, scoring all 52 points in the first half. Tavon Austin touched the ball four times in the first quarter and scored three touchdowns as the Poets led 30-0 after one quarter.

Austin scored on runs of 53, 43 and 26 yards while Jonathan Perry tossed two touchdowns to Sean Farr. The Poets beat Forestville for the third straight year in the state playoffs. After a 33-32 loss to Gwynn Park opened their season in September, the Poets have ripped off 10 straight wins and have scored 50 or more points in six games.

***

The July morning was hot at stifling at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City when Milford Mill coach Reggie White looked toward senior quarterback Kevin Fulton during a seven-on-seven tournament and said, "a lot of what we do this year will depend on just how well Kevin plays. He's a very, very good player and our leader." Four months later, Fulton and the Millers are headed for a rematch with Hereford for the Class 2A North Region championship.

Fulton scored a touchdown and directed an offense that rushed for nearly 300 yards as the Millers shutout Franklin, 23-0, to raise its record to 9-2. The Millers two losses came against Perry Hall, which beat Thomas Johnson in the Class 4A North Region semifinal, and Hereford, which beat the Millers, 28-27, in a wild game in mid-October.

***

Gwynn Park took an 8-2 record into its Class 2A South Region semifinal game against River Hill, which entered the game unbeaten and ranked 12th in this week's USA Today Top 25 national poll. The Hawks won 21-6 to set up a region championship game against Frederick Douglass of Prince George's County, which beat Gwynn Park, 20-6, to end the regular season two weeks ago.

***

St. Mary's is this year's MIAA B Conference champion. The Saints beat St. Paul's, 18-16, last Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium, spoiling the final game for Crusaders head coach Dave Dolch. Dolch is leaving St. Paul's to take the athletic director's job at Winchester Valley High School in Carroll County and watched his team open a 10-0 first half lead only to see the Saints regroup and win their second straight conference championship.

Posted November 18, 2008