2023 MPSSAA Baltimore Metro Football Report – Week 7

Baltimore City

The Dunbar-Mervo rivalry has been the most competitive of any rivalry in the MPSSAA over the last decade. The week seven showdown between the Poets and Mustangs just added to the lore. 

The Poets held off a late surge by the Mustangs for a second season in a row in a 20-18 victory, the seventh time in nine meetings between the two juggernauts decided by six points or less, including the last four contests. The Poets have won five of the last six clashes between the Charm City poewers. Overall, in those nine meetings, the Poets have come out victorious five times, and the Mustangs – four. 

‘14 Mervo 14 Dunbar 8

‘15 Mervo 20 Dunbar 14

‘16 Mervo 19 Dunbar 17

‘17 Dunbar 38 Mervo 13

‘18 Dunbar 34 Mervo 8

‘19 Mervo 20 Dunbar 14

‘21 Dunbar 48 Mervo 46

‘22 Dunbar 24 Mervo 20

‘23 Dunbar 20 Mervo 18

Friday night at Poly, before a sell-out crowd, the Poets, trailing 6-0, rallied off 20 unanswered points, before a late charge by the Mustangs. The Poets first score came from senior Deshawn Parks, who took a carry for yards to even the game at 6-6. 

Holding a 14-6 lead midway through the third quarter, the Poets defense came up big, forcing Mustangs senior quarterback Ray Moore III to fumble in his own territory, before capitalizing on it and going up two scores on Cole Floyd’s yard run to give the Poets a 20-6 lead. 

Like last season, when the Mustangs stormed back to get within four points late, the ‘Stangs put themselves in position to force overtime when scored with 2:11 remaining to cut the margin to 20-18, but the potential game-tying two-point conversion was foiled. 

Floyd finished with 101 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Parks rushed for 98 yards and a score for the Poets. The win was the Poets 32nd consecutive victory versus Baltimore City opponents. The Poets host Digital Harbor (3-3) on Thursday. Mervo hosts City College (4-3) the same day. 

The Black Knights of City College continue to feast on the city league’s lesser teams, after demolishing Edmondson 48-0 last Friday. The Knights have outscored the collective of Patterson, Lake Clifton, Digital Harbor, and Edmondson, by a total of 176-14, and an average of 44-3.5 per game.

The Knights were shutout by Dunbar, 60-0, and were held to two scores in a 27-12 loss to #25 Edgewood. The Black Knights did rally to test #39 Kent Island, before falling to the Buccaneers across the bridge, 31-30. The Knights highly touted passing game will face a test on Thursday versus Mervo, who is coming off of the two point loss to the Poets. Digital Harbor handed Poly (2-5) their fifth loss of the season in a 16-8 tilt. 

Forest Park (6-1) bounced back from their hard fought loss to Mervo with a 22-6 win over previously unbeaten Carver Vo-Tech (6-1). The Foresters allowed six points or less for the sixth time in seven games. Junior Tijuan Reed scored a pair of touchdowns for the Foresters, while senior Damon Robertson scored a touchdown and added an interception. The Foresters travel to Lake Clifton (4-3) on Saturday. 

Howard

Mt Hebron raced to a 7-0 record for just the second time in the program’s history with a 50-8 rout of Centennial (0-7) on Saturday, adding more rain on the Eagles Homecoming game. The Vikings scored 35 points or more for the sixth time in seven games this season, and raised their scoring average to an even 40 points per game. 

Coach Shawn Frederick’s Vikings also raised their point differential average to a +30.9 per game mark. The Vikings are one of just seven MPSSAA teams (among 180) to average 40 points per game through seven weeks, and one of only eight to produce a point differential average of 30 points or better per game. 

Saturday, the Vikings had a trifecta of offensive standouts, with senior Aidan Hauf rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown, passing for a 63 yard score, and adding a touchdown reception. Senior quarterback Tobie Lewis three for three touchdowns and ran for another, and senior Coleman Hallums rushed for 109 yards and a score, and surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark in the Vikes seventh game. 

The Vikings host Howard (4-3) on Thursday, with the Lions looking to shake a three game skid, after starting the season winning their first four games. 

Glenelg (5-2) outlasted the Lions in a low scoring duel for the Elgard Trophy, with the Gladiators pulling out a 7-0 shutout victory. The Gladiators won their third straight game, while the Lions lost by a one possession margin for a third week in a row.

After a scoreless first half, and an exchange of turnovers to begin the second half, the Gladiators manufactured a 14 play, 73 yard scoring drive that proved to be the difference, punctuated by a one yard scoring run by quarterback Zach LaFountain. The Gladiators defense delivered their third shutout in a row, and fourth on the season. The Gladiators are allowing only 6.4 points per game. 

The Gladiators host River Hill (4-3) this week, after the Hawks reversed a two game skid with a 35-7 win over Marriotts Ridge. The Hawks Andres Contreras supplied more than 100 yards on the ground in the victory. 

Oakland Mills (1-6) stunned Atholton (4-3), the hottest team not named Mt Hebron coming in, winning their first game of the season on their Homecoming weekend, 27-20. The Scorpions were also celebrating the school’s 50th anniversary. The Scorpions defense capitalized, scoring on a ‘pick 6’ and a ‘scoop 6’ to knock off the defending county champions. 

Wilde Lake (4-3) won their third game in a row, after starting 1-3, shutting out Reservoir, 6-0, and handing the Gators their second loss in a row, after having won their first five games. Wilde Lake hosts the crosstown rival Scorpions on Thursday, while Reservoir (5-2) looks to turn the tide at Long Reach on Thursday. Long Reach (5-2) also won their third game in a row with a 27-0 shutout victory over winless Hammond (0-7). The Lightning are locked in a three-way tie for second place in the county standings, along with Glenelg and Reservoir. 

Anne Arundel

Coach Mike Pfisterer’s Old Mill Patriots (6-1) continue to impress, following their 14-9 win over Arundel, which followed a 31-28 victory over Broadneck. The Patriots stayed unbeaten in league play. 

Arundel (5-2) took the lead in the first quarter on a four yard score by senior TJ Mordecai. But, the Patriots scored on two huge plays in the second quarter that proved to be enough to claim victory, in a game where the Pats turned it over twice, and the Cats, four times.

The Patriots first scoring strike came on a 92 yard pass play from sophomore Tre Martini to senior Ja’Siyuse McGirt, to even the score at seven. Then, with the Wildcats deep in their own territory, Patriots senior Jordan Penn took a ‘pick 6’ 20 yards to give the hosts a 14-7 lead. Neither offense would score in the second half, foiled by turnovers, but the Cats added on a safety in the fourth quarter for the five point margin. 

Patriots senior Max Jones rushed for 173 yards on 27 carries, while the Cats TJ Mordecai supplied 114 rushing yards on 19 attempts for the Cats. The Patriots get their third stiff test in as many weeks when they travel to Glen Burnie (5-2) on Friday. The Wildcats host South River (3-4) on Friday. 

The Gophers of Glen Burnie won their third game in a row with a convincing 27-7 win over Meade (4-3) last Friday. Gophers senior quarterback Romeo Edmonds threw for two touchdowns, and ran for two scores. The Gophers, who fell just short of Arundel in week one, 27-26, and Broadneck, 21-14, in week four, host the first place Patriots on Friday. The Gophers held the Mustangs, who came in averaging 38.5 points per game, to one score. 

Broadneck (5-2) rebounded from their loss to the Patriots by pulling out a 35-28 win over Annapolis (4-3). Bruins junior CJ Watkins threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns in his platooning role at quarterback, and All-State senior receiver Eli Harris produced his best game of the season, catching ten balls for 175 yards and three scores. The Bruins visit North County (3-4) on Friday. Chesapeake (5-2) ended a two game skid with a 21-14 win over Northeast (5-2).

Baltimore County

Milford Mill (6-1) continues to run roughshod over Baltimore County foes, blowing out Woodlawn (1-6), 56-0, with the Millers rushing for 375 yards and seven touchdowns on 29 carries.  The victory was the Millers 27th straight over a Baltimore County opponent. 

Senior Keion Sutton rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries for the Millers, while Damon Ferguson Jr added 106 rushing yards and two scores on nine attempts. Millers quarterback Deshawn Purdie ran for two touchdowns and threw for another. The Millers face their toughest test since their opener with Oakdale when they travel to Perry Hall (7-0) to face the undefeated Gators on Friday. 

Perry Hall stayed undefeated with a 44-20 win over Harford Tech, scoring 40 points or more for the fifth time in six full games. The Gators are averaging 42.7 points per game, which ranks second in the MPSSAA in scoring. The Gators +31.2 point differential average ranks sixth in the MPSSAA.

Dundalk (5-2) stifled Franklin (2-5), 21-3, with the Owls defense providing 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, and producing three Indians turnovers. The Owls get an out-of-league test when they host the Bobcats of Bel Air on Friday. Owings Mills (7-0) stayed unbeaten with a convincing 28-6 win over Dulaney (2-5). Eagles quarterback Malakai Dickens threw for two touchdowns and ran in a score. The Eagles are just one of 13 MPSSAA teams to remain unbeaten. The Eagles head to Eastern Tech (0-7) on Thursday. 

New Town (5-2) handed Hereford (5-2) their second loss of the season, in an 8-2 slugfest. Each of the last three meetings between the Titans and the Bulls have been decided by single-digits, with no winner scoring more than ten points in any of the three contests. The Bulls took both meetings in ‘22, winning the regular season affair 9-0, and then in the second round of the regional playoffs, 10-7. The Titans travel to Towson (4-3) on Saturday, while the Bulls host Overlea (2-5) on Thursday. Parkville pounded Towson, 47-7, to move to 3-4. 

UCBAC

Edgewood (6-0) stayed unbeaten with a 20-0 shutout victory over then 4-2 North Harford. Rams senior quarterback Caesar Travers threw two touchdowns to senior Michael Lee, and junior Darius Fleming added another score on the ground. 

The Rams will have a heavy load heading into this weekend, hosting Harford Tech (4-3) on Friday, and traveling to C Milton Wright (3-2) on Monday to complete their week two game, with the Mustangs leading the Rams, 17-12, with a full second half to play. 

Bel Air (4-3) moved above .500 with a 26-19 victory over Elkton. Bobcats junior quarterback Patrick Sullivan threw for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and senior JT Ouandji Nana rushed for 102 yards and a score on 16 carries. The Bobcats travel to Dundalk on Friday. Harford Tech fell to 4-3 following the Cobras 44-20 loss to Perry Hall. 

Patterson Mill (6-1) stayed unbeaten in Susquehanna league play, with a 35–18 win over North East. Perryville (4-3) handed Fallston (4-3) their first league loss with a 34-9 road victory. Fallston heads to Patterson Mill this weekend, while Perryville goes to Bohemia Manor (5-2). Bo Manor edged Havre de Grace (2-5), 7-6, to remain a game behind Patterson Mill, and locked in with Perryville in second place. 

Carroll

Westminster (6-1) ran their winning streak to five games with a 28-3 victory over winless Century (0-7). Owls junior  Raquan Warfield rushed for three touchdowns, and senior quarterback Kyrece Walker added another. The Owls visit Liberty (3-4) on Friday. 

Winters Mill (7-0) stayed unblemished with a 37-8 rout of Springbrook, with four different players scoring touchdowns. The Falcons visit Manchester Valley (4-3) on Friday. South Carroll (1-6) won their first game of the season with the Cavaliers 28-27 overtime victory over Liberty. Cavaliers junior quarterback Caleb Evans completed 13 of 17 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns (1 int).