Good Counsel Takes Away Dunbar's Comeback Hopes

Good Counsel had battered Dunbar for nearly the entire first half last night. The Crimson Tide, though, searching for any kind of life, was threatening to find it just before halftime. That's when Falcons senior Mike Wallace delivered the knockout blow.

With Dunbar mounting its only sustained drive, the Crimson Tide had first and goal at the Good Counsel 8-yard line a minute before halftime. There, Wallace sat in the back of the end zone and intercepted Dunbar, which allowed the Falcons to go into halftime with a 16-point lead, stunted the Crimson Tide's momentum and propelled No. 3 Good Counsel to a 42-12 blowout on the road.

"It was just a straight cover-2 and I was just watching the quarterback's eyes all the way," said Wallace, who also had an interception in the second half. "At halftime, we realized how big that was."

It was a stirring season-opening performance by Good Counsel (1-0), which overcame Dunbar scoring on the game's first play from scrimmage -- an 80-yard touchdown pass from Tyree White to Deon Long.

The Falcons responded by scoring on each of their first four possessions -- three touchdowns by senior All-Met Jelani Jenkins, and another by senior Caleb Porzel, whose speed was not affected by the slick turf at Dunbar (0-3). He gained 107 yards on 13 carries before going to the sideline early in the third quarter with leg cramps. But the game was well in hand by then.

Perhaps underlying the running backs' efforts was the strong play of Good Counsel's inexperienced offensive and defensive lines, which returned just one starter, senior Devin Gordon-Hamm, a two-way starter.

"We're just so proud of them with the way they played," said Jenkins, who added a fourth touchdown on a 31-yard run early in the third quarter. "For me and Caleb, they made it look easy."

The line didn't show its inexperience on the other side of the ball, either, putting pressure on White all game and not allowing him time to find Long and other receivers deep, except for the first play.

Following Jenkins's third touchdown, though, Long brought Dunbar to within 28-12 with a 98-yard kickoff return. Yet, besides the game's opening play, the Crimson Tide had just one other first down until its last drive of the half, and it came on a Good Counsel penalty.

There, White ran for a first down and threw for two others, setting up first and goal and the decisive play.

"They had a lot of momentum:" Jenkins said. "That interception dropped them. It turned the game around."

No. 3 Good Counsel 42, Dunbar 12 Steppin' Up: After allowing Dunbar an 80-yard touchdown on the game's first play, Good Counsel's defense held the Crimson Tide to minus-six yards on its next three possessions, and 36 yards rushing on 21 carries overall. What's Next?: Dunbar, which has 24 seniors, is 0-3 for the first time in Coach Craig Jefferies's 13 seasons. "I've got to find a way to get these guys motivated to match our opponents' intensity," he said.