October 05, 1996|By Lem Satterfield | Lem Satterfield,SUN STAFF
Ali Culpepper scored his second touchdown of the day on a 3-yard run to lift No. 1 Dunbar to a 20-14 double-overtime victory over visiting Poly yesterday before a large crowd at William "Sugar" Kane Field.
On 14 carries, Culpepper, ranked No. 4 nationally among running backs by The National Recruiting Advisor, finished with 121 of his team's 249 total yards. He got 85 in the first half against a Poly (4-1) defense that was playing well, with strong efforts from Craig Green (two sacks), Stan Arnold (one sack) and Dujuan Wilson (fumble recovery).
"It was a great, physical game on both sides of the ball," said the 5-foot-11, 206-pound Culpepper, who now has scored nine touchdowns this season for Dunbar (4-1). "Any man would have been tired today."
In overtime, on Poly's first series of four downs from the 10, Aundre Perkins (122 yards, 22 carries) was stopped inches shy of the goal on the final down.
Then, on Dunbar's first series, Wilson recovered a fumble by Culpepper. But on Poly's final series, a fumble by Perkins was recovered by Dunbar's Bryan Stewart.
The Engineers trailed, 14-0, at halftime and didn't get on the board yesterday until 10: 11 was left in regulation. Chris Barnes' 16-yard over-the-middle reception from Timmy Frazier (5-for-11, 73 yards) made it 14-6, but Frazier was injured on the play and replaced by Nick Scott.
Poly got the ball back with 7: 04 left on Wayne Frazier's fumble recovery and drove 46 yards to Dunbar's 10 before consecutive penalties forced the Engineers backward. Facing third-and-30, Perkins ran to the 3 for a first down. Perkins, who had 107 yards in the second half, then ran for the score which, along with Scott's conversion pass to Laronn Jones, tied the game with 3: 03 left.
Poly (116 total yards) was held to 26 yards in the first half when it was stopped four times in Dunbar territory. On fourth-and-1 at Dunbar's 38 in the second period, Frazier was sacked by Stewart. With Poly driving at the Poets' 36 on third-and-eight, a sack by Dunbar's Jonathan Thomas forced the punt.
Then Poly's Ion King recovered a fumble at Dunbar's 15. Poly had the ball, third-and-eight at the Poets' 13, but the next two downs ended on sacks by sophomore Derrick George.
"Derrick's up from JV, and Stewart's untested. I congratulate them on today's game. They did well," said Dunbar's line coach Ben Eaton.
Carlrome Randel's game-opening 47-yard kickoff return gave Dunbar good field position at its own 49. Quarterback Danelle Halle worked the option successfully from there, sprinting 30 yards untouched on the game's sixth play for a 6-0 lead with 8: 15 left in the first period. Halle rushed three times for 44 yards in the drive.
With 9: 22 left in the first half, Culpepper's 27-yard scoring run capped a four-play, 62-yard drive. Halle's conversion pass to Dehnel Singfield made it 14-0. Culpepper rushed three times for 60 yards in the drive.
"Without four starters, we showed lots of heart going down-to-the-wire with the two-time state champs," said Poly coach Augie Waibel.
Pub Date: 10/05/96
