Dunbar's Nathan Ayers ran for 333 yards and four scores on 25 carries in a victory over Forestville. (Photo by Derek Carey)
The University of Arkansas made the Wildcat Offense popular in the college ranks.
The Miami Dolphins introduced it to millions of fans across the country on Sunday afternoons in the NFL.
But Baltimore City’s Dunbar Poets may ride the formation to a record fourth consecutive Class 1A state title after using it almost exclusively in the second half to rally for a 34-25 win over Forestville on Saturday afternoon at Poly High School in a 1A South Region semifinal.
“Forestville didn’t know what to do,” Dunbar senior running back Nathan Ayers said as he iced a bloody left thumb after the game. “They kept following on the sweep, so I faked and they just kept going. I said, 'today I won’t be stopped.'”
Ayers, the focal point of the attack, finished with 333 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries. He also started on defense at safety and had to jog from the sideline to the huddle between snaps to get the next play from the coaches.
“We call it the Wild Owl,” Dunbar coach Lawrence Smith said, pointing to the school mascot on his jacket. “We ran it once or twice a few weeks ago, but we really unveiled it today and it looked to be the difference. We felt they didn’t make adjustments.”
Trailing 12-0 with 4:20 left in the second quarter and failing to generate any kind of threat on offense, Smith decided to run his offense through the 5-foot-9, 200-pound Ayers. The senior then took direct snaps about five yards behind the center and had the option to either hand off the ball to a receiver in motion or keep it himself.
Forestville (6-5) had no answer for the move, as the Poets (10-1) rattled off 18 straight points – Ayers touchdown runs of 42 and 66 yards sandwiched around a safety – to momentarily take the lead. The Knights then answered with two straight scores to regain a brief, 25-18 advantage, but again, Ayers would not be denied.
Getting the ball back with 6:51 left, Ayers needed only two plays to reclaim the lead, weaving through arm tackles and accelerating into the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown. The ensuing two point conversion – yet another Ayers run – restored the lead. And after Dunbar defensive end Darian Scott recorded his second safety of the game on Forestville’s next possession, Ayers put the game out of reach when he capped the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown dash with 3:57 left.
“I knew it was coming and we didn’t adjust,” Forestville coach Charles Harley said. “We didn’t fix our alignment the way we needed to.”
The Knights were paced by junior running back Rahmann Lee, who finished with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
“We look down right now because most of the team are seniors,” Rahmann said. “We had the lead on Dunbar and we let it slip away.”
Dunbar advances to play Forest Park in the 1A South region final next week. The Poets have won six straight regional finals and are trying to become just the second school to win four straight state titles since Urbana from 1998-2001.
“We need to keep on working,” Ayers said. “I want this too bad to let anyone take it.”
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