Poets

Dunbar standout newcomer Daxter Miles' immediate introduction to the Poets' boys basketball rivalry with Edmondson wasn't ideal, as he was quickly sent to the bench with two first-quarter fouls Wednesday. But the highly touted senior transfer was able to hang around, just like his Poets, and he made the most important moments of a marathon game his very own. Miles scored all nine of Dunbar's points in the second overtime - an exclamation dunk in the closing seconds completing a 32-point performance - as the No. 3 Poets rallied to come away with a 82-75 win over No. 4 Edmondson in a highly anticipated Baltimore City Division I game played in Dunbar's packed gym. Dunbar, which was without head coach Cyrus Jones Sr., improves to 9-1 overall and 3-0 in league play.

The junior ran 18 times for 128 yards and scored the first two touchdowns to get the No. 6 Poets rolling toward a 39-0 victory over New Town for their third straight Class 1A state football championship. On the first possession of the game, the Poets went 58 yards in less than 3 minutes, with Blackston running for all but 1 yard, and scored on his 26-yard run. His 128 yards - all but one of which came in the first half - equalled New Town's total offense for the game. In the semifinal, the 5-foot-9, 192-pound running back gained 269 yards - 49 more than Brunswick's total offense - in the Poets' 40-8 win. For the season, he ran 206 times for 1,781 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Dunbar didn't take long to set the tone for Saturday's Class 1A football state championship. In the first 3 minutes, the No. 6 Poets ran the ball six times for 58 yards, culminating in Coleman Blackston's 26-yard touchdown run, and they were well on their way to a 39-0 victory over New Town for their third straight state title at M&T Bank Stadium. "It's amazing right now," Poets senior defensive end Marvin Gross said. "They were talking trash all week and in The Baltimore Sun and that just makes it that much better that we beat them.

For a couple of guys who are best friends, Dunbar defensive ends Marvin Gross and Malik Jones sure do argue a lot. When they both get a hand on the opposing quarterback, they're each lobbying the Poets coaches for the sack. "We're always going to argue that, 'I was there first,' every play," Gross said. "Last game, we both had 2 1/2 sacks and I think we argued to the point where the coaches just put the sack in both of our columns. " Both of their columns are filing up rapidly.

No. 6 Dunbar (12-1) vs. New Town (11-2) When: Saturday, noon TV: Ch. 54 Internet radio: SFMSports.net Where: M&T Bank Stadium Coaches: Lawrence Smith, Dunbar; Joe Holland, New Town Last meeting: First meeting Outlook: In this David vs. Goliath matchup, first-time state finalist New Town takes on one of the state's most successful playoff programs. The Poets are two-time defending champions, have won six of the past eight Class 1A titles and have won more playoff games (43)

Everyone who thinks New Town will defeat two-time defending champion Dunbar in the Class 1A state football finals Saturday, raise your hands. Shawn Magginson can count the few believers. "Our parents, our coaches and our players say we can win," said Magginson, the Titans' quarterback. To others, the result seems a foregone conclusion. "We're gonna get smashed," running back Donte' Gross said. "At least, that's what I hear. " Who's to argue? It's the first trip to the finals - and cavernous M&T Bank Stadium - for New Town (11-2)

Dunbar's football team likes to celebrate its own special family tradition around this time every year and for the Poets, that means a trip to M&T Bank Stadium. The No. 6 Poets used a relentless running game and an intimidating defense to overpower Brunswick's record-setting aerial offense en route to a 40-8 state semifinal victory Saturday, earning the two-time defending Class 1A champions another berth in the state finals. "This was our goal - and that's everybody's goal going in - but we set up our offense and defense to get back to the championship, to keep going back," Poets All-Metro defensive end Marvin Gross said.

Dunbar football coach Lawrence Smith has been named the Ravens' High School Coach of the Week after the No. 8 Poets christened their new William F. “Sugar” Cain Field with a 64-0 win over Carver on Friday night. Smith, who was also a Ravens Coach of the Week in 2009, has the Poets (8-1) in first place in Baltimore City's Division I. Since falling to No. 2 Calvert Hall, 30-6, in the season opener, the Poets have shut out six opponents and allowed just 14 points in those eight wins.

The crowds ringed the fence at Dunbar's re-done football field long before the start of the game Friday. Fans were calling the school six hours before kickoff trying to score tickets, and it sold out three hours early. Dunbar has always been a major part of the community, but the new football field that opened Friday took that to another level. The Poets always had a place to play, but now they've got someplace special. The William F. "Sugar" Cain Field - named in honor of one of the school's most famous coaches - opened in style thanks to No. 8 Dunbar's 64-0 rout of an overmatched Carver team.

For the last couple months, Dunbar athletes have been keeping an eye on the renovation of their football field, hoping they would get to play a few games there this fall. "They think it's Christmas," Poets football coach Lawrence Smith said of the anticipation when the players found out the lighted field would be ready for their homecoming game Friday night against Carver. "I just think it's magical. It's going to be electric here Friday night," Smith said. Poets junior running back Coleman Blackston eagerly monitored the final weeks of construction.