City finally in control over Poly after 131st game of rivalry
Black Knights win eighth straight in storied series
City and Poly came into Saturday’s game tied 62-62-6 in the all-time series. The Black Knights now hold the upper hand after the 131st game of the rivalry, thanks to a a 10-6 win over Poly in a game at Morgan State’s Hughes Stadium.
This is City’s eighth consecutive win in the series and first time leading the matchup since the 1970s. For coach Michael Hamilton, it’s a dream come true to see his team finally take the lead.
“It tremendous,” Hamilton said. “I’m actually losing my voice. There was nothing more that I wanted than to do this today. We’ve had a rough season, up and down, but this is the one that counts. This is the one that memories and dreams are made of. I’m happy that in the record books, my name will be as the coach as the one that broke that tie.”
Led by co-players of the game, linebacker Kevin Couser and defensive end Tim Bethea, as well as defensive tackle Darius Johnson, the City defense generated four turnovers. This was all in a week where City (5-4) lost 10 players to suspension (one starter) after last Friday’s fight with Digital Harbor.
“We got some help from our coaches and players,” Johnson said. “We did good
— I just have to give it up to our entire defense. It’s a family around here. We just have to do what we’ve got to do and that’s play as a team. Our defense works hard every week.
“I’m just so proud of our defense and our coach [defensive coordinator Rodney L. Joyner]. He’s the best coach that we’ve ever had. We just have to give it up to our coach and work on our offense a little bit. That’s just something we’ll have to work on at practice.”
The first half was marred by turnovers for both teams with Poly’s first pass being