For the second straight game, Dunbar, which had a streak of six consecutive shutouts, allowed a touchdown yesterday against Aberdeen. But if there were any doubts that the No. 2 Poets have lost their edge, they ended those thoughts early.
In the game's first play from scrimmage, Reggie Boyce sprinted 61 yards for a touchdown getting the Poets started as they rolled to a 50-6 victory over the No. 12 Eagles in a state 2A quarterfinal game at Morgan State.
The Poets (10-0) advanced to the semifinals for the second straight season. They will face undefeated Cambridge-South Dorchester, ranked No. 5 in the state by the Associated Press, Saturday at Morgan State.
Last season, the Poets lost to eventual 2A runner-up Southern-AA, 38-20. In its first 10 games this season, Dunbar has allowed only 18 points, 12 by the offense on two fumble return for touchdowns.
The latest occurred yesterday as Dunbar quarterback Anthony Wiggins fumbled and Will Ballard picked up the ball on a bounce and raced 43 yards for Aberdeen's only score. At that point, the score was 26-6 and the Dunbar defense did the rest, not allowing the Eagles (9-2) to get past midfield.
"We knew we had to throw the ball a little bit more," said Aberdeen coach Kevin Reilly. "We were hoping that our defense played a little bit better than what it did. Once, we got down by a couple of touchdowns and it dictated we were definitely throwing the ball, that put us in a tough situation."
The Poets' defensive line -- Carl Carter, Shamai Butler, Dwayne Green, Chris Hall, George Mitchell and Benjamin Patterson -- kept the Eagles' running game under control, limiting Dondre Gilliam, who entered the contest with 1,028 yards rushing, to 57 yards.
"We looked at films on them and saw that their line was kind of slow," said Butler, a 6-foot, 217-pound tackle. "We figured that we could come with a straight rush at the quarterback."
Most of the Poets' offensive load was handled by Boyce, who rushed for 100 yards in the first half, finishing with 241 and three touchdowns.
Dunbar scored on three of its first four possessions to build a 18-0 halftime margin. Facing a third-and-15 from its 41, Wiggins avoided pressure in the pocket and found Gary Smith coming across the middle, and he outran an Aberdeen defender for a touchdown.
The Poets took their next possession from their 35 to Aberdeen's 3, where they were stopped on downs. With 7:29 remaining in the first half, Dunbar scored again as Ali Culpepper went in from 1 yard out, capping a five-play, 17-yard drive.
Boyce scored his second touchdown run on a 24-yard play with 6:27 left in the third quarter, making it 24-0, and Dunbar was on its way.
"We knew that they were young in certain positions and thought we could take advantage," said Dunbar coach Stan Mitchell, whose team has outscored its opponents, 366-20.