DCIAA
Izegwire Awakens Dunbar
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For nearly 3 1/2 quarters Friday night, Dunbar's offense could not muster anything substantial against a Coolidge defense whose playoff hopes hung in the balance. Seeking any spark, the Crimson Tide called on its "home run hitter," and sophomore Olu Izegwire delivered two significant blows to the Colts' postseason chances.
Izegwire caught a 40-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with just more than eight minutes to play. After a Coolidge fumble, Dunbar took over at the Colts 31, and two plays later, Izegwire scored on a 17-yard run to give Dunbar a 14-7 road victory, its ninth straight.
"He's lightning in a bottle," Dunbar Coach Craig Jefferies said. "We thought we had them on their heels and he's our home run hitter, so we went to him."
With the victory, Dunbar clinched a D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association playoff spot for the 12th straight season, each of which has ended with the Crimson Tide (9-1 overall, 4-0 DCIAA West) playing in the Turkey Bowl, the DCIAA title game. They've won eight of the past 11.
Coolidge (5-4, 1-2) will need Wilson to lose next week to Theodore Roosevelt for the Colts to have any chance of overtaking the Tigers for the DCIAA West Division's second playoff spot.
The Colts' defense dominated most of the night before the Crimson Tide faced third and nine at the 40 with just more than eight minutes left.
Freshman quarterback Lamel Matthews, who was pressured much of the night, lofted a pass down the right side. Izegwire outleaped a Coolidge defender and came down with the ball at the 20-yard line, then took three steps and made a stutter-step to elude another defender before striding into the end zone.
Coolidge took over at its 28, and after a 15-yard-run by Avery Williams (111 yards), fumbled the next snap out of the shotgun. Dunbar senior Ikeem Pingshaw saw the ball glance off a Colt's helmet and dove on it at the 31.
After a penalty and a nine-yard run by Vernard Roberts (128 yards), Izegwire took a handoff around left end, hit the sideline and dove for the pylon for the clinching score with 6:43 left.
