Young Poets trying to write follow-up tale

Dunbar’s aim: Duplicate ’17 team by winning 1A title

Dunbar last won a state football championship two years ago. The Poets are young and have only five players remaining from the 2017 title squad, and that’s why coach Lawrence Smith had those veterans explain a few things to this year’s team.

The reason? No. 5 Dunbar on Saturday is going for a second state title in three years and the 11th in school history when it faces Catoctin in the Class 1A championship game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Smith had those players from the ’17 team talk about what everyone can expect on game day.

This year’s Poets come into the game with a 12-1 record — just like Catoctin — but they are loaded with sophomores and juniors. They’ll be a force after this season, but they are learning lessons on the fly.

Like the feeling of going from Dunbar to

Navy and playing in a state title game.

“They talked to the team about how it’s going to be,” Smith said of his seniors. “We’re really young. This is just a building block and a steppingstone for next year. This is just a tremendous opportunity for these kids to get this experience.”

Sophomore quarterback Karon Moore is one of those young players who will gain that experience. He threw four touchdown passes in last Saturday’s 45-3 rout of Cambridge-South Dorchester in the Class 1A state semifinals.

Moore said he has been able to keep the nerves away and is looking forward to Saturday.

“I just think of it as a regular game,” Moore said. “That’s what I keep saying to myself.”

Moore and Smith both said Dunbar has practiced well this week. The coach told the Poets after last Saturday’s win that they were going to get after it in practice and go hard to prepare for Catoctin.

The Cougars crushed longtime state power Fort Hill 41-0 the night before the Poets hosted their state semifinal matchup, then had several coaches in the stands at Dunbar scouting last Saturday’s game.

“Those kids from Catoctin are going to be good and hungry,” Smith said. “Those kids, they hear about the Dunbar mystique. I’ve got to make sure [we’re] prepared. Those kids also want to leave with a state title.”

Catoctin won its lone state title 10 years ago, also in Class 1A, and coach Doug

Williams said that Dunbar’s ability to throw and run is tough to defend.

“We better show u, and we better bring our ‘A’ game,” said Williams, also the coach of the title team. “You can’t cheat and take away one aspect of the offense. They’ve got very good quickness and speed. They’re an excellent team … and we don’t want to play catch-up.”

That’s what Dunbar forced CambridgeSouth Dorchester to do last week thanks to the passing of Moore and the running of players such as Jeremiah White and Dion Crews-Harris. The Poets hurt the Vikings in the air and on the ground and kept the ball for long stretches while also moving it quickly.

Catoctin is a run-first team that came into the final four averaging 45 points per game. Carson Sickeri led the way last week on the ground with 235 yards and three touchdowns. He had posted 1,910 yards and 32 touchdowns before that game, and Dunbar’s going to need to stop the ground game.

The Poets are expecting the power attack and want to be ready to slow it down. Smith said Dunbar hopes to stay away from turnovers that would help the Cougars.

Moore said Dunbar has put in its work and is ready to see what it’s like to play in a state title game.

“Everybody’s confidence is high and we want see what they bring,” Moore said. “We’re ready to go.”