[Baltimore Sun] Dunbar football rolls to state semifinals with 36-0 win over Fallston
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It’s that time of year again: Dunbar football is on the march.
The three-time defending Class 2A/1A state champions dominated both lines and made big plays when called on Saturday against visiting Fallston, claiming a 36-0 win in the quarterfinal round. Now 12-0, the No. 4 Poets will take on the Frederick-Liberty winner in next week’s semifinal round either Friday or Saturday.
In advancing Saturday, the Poets got touchdown runs from Cordae James, Cole Floyd, Normauri Johnson and quarterback Savion Witherspoon, who also threw a 35-yard strike to Jalen Gause.
“If we can control the line of scrimmage, we feel we can play our game,” Dunbar coach Michael Carter said. “So that was the main thing, us controlling the line of scrimmage, being able to run the ball and keep Savion on his feet. So that was all good.”
Throughout the game, the Poets’ offense was able to sustain drives, mostly with quality execution on third down. But it was a fourth-down play in the closing seconds of the first half that summed up the outcome.
Already leading 14-0 with 14 seconds left in the second quarter and facing a fourth-and-18 on the Fallston 35, Witherspoon had a lengthy scramble to keep the play alive before heaving a pass to the end zone for Gause. It sent the Poets into the halftime break with a 20-0 lead, and they never looked back.
Defensively, the Poets got an interception from Samuel Eades and a fumble recovery from Eli Turpin. The special teams also blocked an early field goal try from Fallston, which finished the season with a 7-4 mark.
Although they were able to enjoy some quality drives of their own behind a gutsy performance by sophomore quarterback Mike Griffin, the Cougars were unable to close out any series. On defense, linebacker Evan Alcide had a strong day that included two fumble recoveries.
Fallston came into Saturday on a three-game winning streak, reaching the state quarterfinals for a second straight season.
“Our guys are tough. This is probably the state champion we ran into,” Fallston coach Keith Robinson said. “Ultimately, they were just bigger, stronger, faster that us, but I’m proud of the way our guys played.”
For the Poets, more good news came Thursday when it was announced that three-star offensive tackle Joshua Blackston, who was his usual dominant self Saturday, became the first football player from Baltimore City public schools to be named an Under Armour All-American.
During practice, the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Rutgers commit got a monumental surprise when Under Armour representatives presented him with an All-America Game jersey as his parents, teammates and coaches were on hand to celebrate the special occasion. He’s proud to be able to represent Baltimore in the 2025 Under Armour All-America Game, set to take place Jan. 2 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
“It’s a privilege to be the first Baltimore City public school athlete to be selected,” he said. “For me, it’s a blessing that I can be the leader of that, to put on for my city and showcase the talent that Baltimore City public schools specifically produce.”
Have a news tip? Contact Glenn Graham at ggraham@baltsun.com, 410-332-6636 and x.com/GlennGrahamSun.
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