Seven area teams finished in the Associated Press' Maryland high school football Top 20, released for the final time two weeks ago.
Dunbar (12-0), The Baltimore Sun's No. 1 team and state 2A champion, finished No. 2 behind Seneca Valley (13-0) of Montgomery County, which was No. 1 in the state for the second consecutive season after claiming its third straight and eighth overall 3A state title.
North County (11-2), the state 4A champion, was fourth; Mount St. Joseph (8-1) was seventh. Patterson (11-1) finished No. 8.
Poly (9-2, No. 13), Gilman (6-2, No. 15) and City (8-2, No. 20) also were ranked.
For Dunbar, five players earned First-Team All-Metro honors, another was an All-Metro second-teamer, and six received All-City/County recognition at some level.
All-Metro running back Reggie Boyce, a senior, led area rushers with 1,887 yards and had 24 touchdowns, and All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year Tommy Polley, a junior linebacker, has 41 career sacks.
Two-way linemen Shamai Butler (19.5 sacks) and Carl Carter (17.5 sacks), as well as top-tackling linebacker Terrence Hinton (14 sacks), also earned All-Metro honors. Defensive back Lance Askins (10 interceptions) was a second-team All-Metro on a squad that yielded an average of 3.25 points a game and had seven shutouts.
Dante Jones (punter) was a second-team All-City/County pick, and Anthony Wiggins (quarterback), Ali Culpepper (running back/kick returner), Bruce Pendles (safety), Gary Smith (wide receiver) and Dwayne Green (lineman) received honorable-mention All-City/County honors.
Collins signs
Jennifer Collins, a 6-foot-3 center for St. Paul's, is heading to Cornell. Collins averaged 10.7 points and 9.7 rebounds last season.
Looking for competition
Edmondson's football team is trying to find football opponents for Sept. 15 and 29, and Oct. 6 and Oct. 20. Call coach Pete Pompey at (410) 396-0694. Also, Carver needs a football opponent Nov. 10 or 11. Call LeRoy Nichols or Ronald Frierson at (410) 396-0564.
More teams needed
Fallston's Jan. 6-7 Gary Trott Invitational Wrestling Tournament needs two teams to round out an eight-team field. For more information, contact Fallston athletic director Dave Cesky (410) 638-4120 at the school.