Football Game of the Week: No. 10 Poly vs. Edmondson

No. 10 Poly (3-0, 2-0 city) vs. Edmondson (3-0, 2-0 city)

Where: At Mervo

When: Saturday, 6 p.m.

Coaches: Roger Wrenn, Poly; Dante Jones, Edmondson

Last meeting: Edmondson won, 24-12, last season

Key players to watch

Poly: CB-WR Donovan Riley, Sr. (5 tackles, 1 INT, 3 pass breakups, 120 receiving yards, 2 TDs); LB Jonathan Melton, Sr. (35 tackles, 1 sack); LB-RB Priestly Shuler, Sr. (32 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble); RB-CB Jamal Chappell, Sr. (288 rushing yards, 6 TDs); SE-FS Jordan Garrison, Sr. (65 rushing yards, 1 TD, 11 tackles, 1 INT); QB-FS Darrell Milburn, Sr. (151 passing yards, 3 TDs).

Edmondson: CB Tony Jones, Sr. (1 INT); CB Anton Christian, Sr. (1 INT); RB Steve Everette, Sr. (286 rushing yards, 3 TDs); FB-S Jamel Nesbit (32 tackles), WR-CB Lawrence Jackson, Sr., (118 receiving yards, 85 rushing yards, 1 TD); FS Joshua Patterson, Sr. (2 INT).

Keys to victory: Defense has been the story for the only two teams left unbeaten in Baltimore City's Division I. The Engineers have allowed only six points, while Edmondson has given up 16, but just eight by its defense. This, however, will be the biggest challenge of the young season for both.

"This is our first real test. This is where the season starts," Dante Jones said. "I think we have two of the better defensive backfields in the state. It's going to be a good game. Poly likes to run the ball, so the defensive backs, as far as the pass game, will not be as important but for supporting the run. There's a lot of team speed over there. It's going to be a great battle."

Wrenn agreed: "Since I've been here at Poly, they've all been great games. I think it's going to come down to whose offense has the ability to move the ball against the other starting defense. I think you can expect good defense from both teams."

Recently, this has been a back-and-forth rivalry. In the past seven years, only once has a team won back-to-back meetings — the Edmondson in 2005 and 2006.

While the Engineers like to run, the Red Storm has used a balance attack, with more than 500 yards on the ground this season and 300 yards in the air. Jones, who led the Edmondson to the 2006 state Class 2A championship, said this is one of the most balanced teams he has coached in seven years at the school.

Still, this one likely will come down to the ground game, because Poly's corners, led by All-Metro second-teamer pick Riley, have the ability to shut down the opposition's passing game.

Jones said there are always some unknowns when it comes to facing a team coached by Wrenn, who began his city career at Patterson in 1974 and moved to Poly in 2006. Jones has seen a lot of Wrenn on the sidelines in seven years as the Red Storm coach, as well as during his years as a linebacker at Dunbar, including 1994 when the Poets won their first state title.

"Coach Wrenn's been around a long time, and whenever you face a Roger Wrenn team, you've got to be disciplined," Jones said. "He'll throw so many different things at you that if the kids are not focused on the task at hand, you're in trouble."

Other games to watch:

Boys' Latin at Archbishop Curley, Friday, 4 p.m.

No. 1 Gilman at Georgetown Prep, Friday, 4:30 p.m.

South River at No. 5 Arundel, Friday, 6:30 p.m.

No. 4 McDonogh at Archbishop Spalding, Friday, 7 p.m.

No. 8 River Hill at No. 13 Hammond, Friday, 7 p.m.

No. 14 Franklin at No. 15 Catonsville, Friday, 7 p.m.

Coolidge, D.C. at No. 2 Calvert Hall, Saturday, 1 p.m.