When the Baltimore City College marching band performed “City Forever” in front of a packed house at Homewood Field on Friday night in the 133rd edition of the venerable football showdown against archival Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, the song’s title rang true regarding the Black Knights’ recent domination of the series.
While City has not exactly prevailed forever, it might seem like it has been that long to beleaguered Poly fans after the Engineers fell to the Black Knights for the 10th straight time, despite putting up a gallant fight in the 24-16 setback.
Mistakes were costly for the 11th-ranked Engineers, although both teams had their share of miscues.
Even so, it stings a little more for the losing side.
”We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times, especially in the fourth quarter,” said Poly coach Marquise O’Neal, whose team fell to 7-2 on the season. “You got to play a complete game, and we just didn’t do that tonight.”
City, which now leads the series 67-64-2, mainly relied on its passing game to improve to 5-4 this fall.
Both defenses stood strong in the first quarter, starting on Poly’s opening drive that stalled on the City 20-yard line.
Senior linebacker Tyler Tunstalle and senior defensive end D’Iontae Johnson helped the Knights’ cause with sturdy tackling during the sequence.
Likewise, the Engineers put the kibosh on City’s initial possession, most notably aided on junior linebacker Jace Townsend’s sack. The standoff continued until midway through the second period when City sophomore Vernon Allen high-pointed a 33-yard pass from senior quarterback Kameron Williams for a 6-0 advantage that stood until Williams connected with sophomore Jahmari Powell-Wonson on a 21-yard pass play to double the margin to 12-0 with 4:27 left in the first half.
Poly responded in the waning seconds of the half on a 26-yard strike from senior quarterback Jason Lindsey to senior wideout Tristan Halley after senior Nathan Gordon blocked a City punt. Senior running back Tavon MvGee’s run added the conversion points to make it 12-8 at the intermission.
The Black Knights widened their lead in the third quarter, again puncturing the Poly defense through the air when Powell-Wonson made a spectacular one-handed grab in the corner of the end zone on a 20-yard pass from Williams.
The Engineers crept closer, driving 84 yards — 46 of which came on a Lindsey bomb to Halley — to put up another eight-spot on McGee’s 3-yard burst and Halley’s conversion run to slice the deficit to 18-16 late in the third quarter.
Despite a tackle for loss by Poly senior Tyrese Stanley and a Gordon sack, the Black Knights still managed to continue moving forward on their next possession.
A 24-yard Willams keeper and his 17-yard pass to junior Jerome Gibson Jr., coupled with a 13-yard Halley jaunt elongated by a targeting penalty, put City back on the doorstep.
Junior Devin Weems added the insurance points on an 8-yard sprint with 8:49 remaining in the final period.
Unfortunately for the Engineers, interceptions by Powell-Wonson and sophomore Joshua Felton were back-breaker for the Engineers.
Amid the post game mayhem, City coach Rodney Joyner confided that he never beat Poly when he played for City before graduating in 1984.
”This really means everything,” he said. “It such a huge event and a fantastic deal.”
He was just as effusive in his praise for his team, noting that Williams had to shake off the effects of the flu to make things happen.
As for his receiving corps, Joyner said that “those guys can really go after the ball.”
Williams said that the game was for more than bragging rights.
”This is the season for real,” he said. “You lose this game and you lose the season.”
BALTIMORE CITY COLLEGE 24, BALTIMORE POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE 16
at Johns Hopkins University
POLY 0 8 8 0 — 16
CITY 0 12 6 6 — 24
Second quarter
City-Vernon Allen 33 pass from Kameron Williams (pass failed)
City-Jahmari Powell-Wonson 21 pass from Kameron Williams (pass failed)
Poly-Tristan Halley 26 pass from Jason Lindsey (Tavon McGee Jr. run)
Third quarter
City-Jahmari Powell-Wonson 20 pass from Kameron Williams (pass failed)
Poly-Tavon McGee Jr. 3 run (Tristan Halley run)
Fourth quarter
City-Jarrod Mack Jr. 8 run (pass failed)
