Dunbar slips past Calvert; wins its 13th MPSSAA state title

Defenses dominate in the Maryland 2A/1A championship game; Antonio Lyde's 46-yard TD run in the third quarter is the only score.

In a steady, sometimes heavy rain, Friday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, 

Dunbar relied on its defense and one touchdown run, in the third quarter, to defeat Calvert, 8-0, in the 2023 MPSSAA 2A/1A state championship game.

The first half saw virtually no offense from a pair of teams that combined for nearly 1,000 points this season. Dunbar (11-0) forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in the contest and Calvert (12-2) came up with a couple of fumble recoveries of its own.

The Dunbar defense was relentless through the Poets' 8-0 win over Calvert in the Maryland Class 2A/1A state championship game, Friday at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis / Photo by John Bowers

The Poets scored the game's only touchdown when Antonio Lyde took a direct snap and raced 46-yards for a touchdown with 6:36 to play in the third quarter. He also converted the two-point conversion a direct snap to give the Poets the eight-point cushion.

The Dunbar defense did the rest, as Calvert's offense never seriously threatened in the second half.

Stephen Decatur holds off Huntingtown for Maryland 2A state football championship

Below is our Live Update Feed created as the contest progressed. Read from the bottom up to follow the action chronologically from beginning to end.

FINAL: DUNBAR 8, CALVERT 0

- Dunbar rushes for 133 yards in the second half after only having 25 in the first half. That was the difference, along with Lyde's big touchdown run.

4Q: DUNBAR 8, CALVERT 0

- Poets take a knee and they prevail, 8-0!

- Parks runs for a first down inside the 10. The Poets are lining up in victory formation.

- Lyde gain five to the 25. The clock is running. Dunbar is going to win.

- Deshawn Parks runs for 13 yards and a first down. Calvert is force to use its final timeout with 1:58 left. The Poets are closing in on the championship.

- Dunbar takes its a timeout as it faces a 3rd and 5 from the Calvert 35.

- Lyde with a big 25-yard return for Dunbar. The Poets are at the Calvert 40 with 3:01 left. The Poets will attempt to run out the clock and clinch their 13th state crown.

- A huge drop on a pass near midfield, followed an incomplete pass on 3rd down. The Cavaliers are going to punt it back to Dunbar with 3:10 to play.

- With a big second effort, Wallace gets the first down. Calvert is at their 29.

- On fourth and one with 4:24 left, Calvert calls timeout. The Cavaliers only have one timeout left.

- On second down, Wallace breaks a tackle in the backfield and gets an 8-yard gain. Big third down coming up at the Calvert 21.

- Wallace grinds for two and a first down. The Cavaliers are at their own 14. The clock is becoming a factor as we tick towards five minutes to play.

- This time Wallace finds some room and runs it out to the 12. It's 3rd and one.

- Calvert stays on the ground. Wallace gains one.

- The Calvert defense gets the stop. The Cavaliers get the ball back with 7 minutes to play. They are pinned at their own 3.

- King Jones makes a tackle for loss, setting Lyde back six yards.

- A gain of eight for Lyde gives the Poets another first down. They are at the Calvert 41 with 9:40 to play.

- Lyde picks up five to cross midfield.

- Parks gains two on first down. Poets are at the 46.

- Injury timeout. Calvert's Cortez John leaves the field with an apparent leg injury.

- Deshawn Parks picks up the first down with a burst up the middle.

- The Poets will open the final quarter with a 3rd and 4 from their own 36.

END 3Q: DUNBAR 8, CALVERT 0

3Q: DUNBAR 8, CALVERT 0

- A fast-moving third quarter is in the books.

- Lyde calls for a fair catch at his own 29-yard line. The Poets will start there.

- The Calvert drive stalls and the Cavs punt it back to Dunbar as the clock runs down under two minutes to go in the third quarter.

- Wallace runs for a first down at the Cavaliers' 36.

- Lyde gets the ball again, but he fumbles. The ball goes great back to Calvert. Brunsie Carrington with the recovery.

- Dunbar's defense gets another takeaway. Linebacker Darrien Edmonds picks off a short pass.

- The Cavaliers face a 3rd and 5 from the 35.

- A squib kick is brought back to the Calvert 31, with 6:08 left in the third quarter.

- TOUCHDOWN! On a fourth and one, from the Calvert 46, Antonio Lyde gets outside and takes it the house. Dunbar leads 6-0 with 6:23 to go in the third quarter. Lyde also runs for the two-point conversion, 8-0 Dunbar!

In the game's most explosive offensive play, Dunbar's Antonio Lyde races down the sideline after getting loose for a 46-yard touchdown run. It would be the only score of the contest and it propelled Dunbar to its 13th Maryland state football championship / Photo by John Bowers

- Lyde takes a direct snap down inside the Calvert 40.

- On a 3rd and 5, Deshawn Parks picks up the second first down of this drive. The Poets are in Calvert territory at the 45.

- Floyd Cole makes a first down run and fumbles, but Dunbar recovers. The Poets are at their own 45.

- The ball was loose after a bad snap, but Savion Witherspoon scoops it up and manages to get back to the line of scrimmage.

- We're underway. Antonio Lyde returns the kickoff to the Poet 30 to start the 3rd quarter.

- A steady rain is still falling.

- Dunbar will receive the third quarter kick.

- The teams are working their way back onto the field. There was just 56 yards of total offenses, between the two teams, in the first half.

HALF: DUNBAR 0, CALVERT 0

- Halftime will be approximately 20 minutes. Our coverage will resume at 5:20 p.m.

- Two teams that have combined for almost 1,000 points this season, combine for 0 in the first half of this soggy affair.

2Q: DUNBAR 0, CALVERT 0

- After an incomplete pass, the Poets take a knee to take us to half with a 0-0 tie.

- The left-footed Baker has his kick blocked by Dunbar's Darryl Farabee. Dunbar recovers at its own 24 with nine seconds left.

- Keith Baker comes on for a 42-yard attempt, but first Dunbar calls timeout.

- John Barnes makes a catch at the 25. Calvert is considering a field goal attempt with 15 seconds left.

- We're down to 24 seconds to go in the half. Calvert will face a 3rd and 14.

- Dunbar is up for the challenge so far. Wallace is dropped for a 4-yard loss.

- The Cavaliers will start at the Dunbar 28.

- The rain is much heavier now. Witherspoon is sacked at the four. Dunbar will punt from its end zone with 1:17 left. Calvert will get one more chance in the first half.

- A first down pass is called back because of holding call. Dunbar will face 3rd and long from inside its own seven.

- The ball slips out of Witherspoon's hand on a pass attempt. Cameron Wilson for Calvert recovers but the play is ruled an incomplete pass. The Poets dodge a big bullet.

- Dunbar's Lyde shows off his return skills once again, but his return out to midfield is coming back because of a block in the back. Poets are backed up to their own 12.

- Guess what? We're going to get another punt. The defenses are dominating.

- Calvert will start at its 30. This game is being played between the 30's.

- Third down pass incomplete. Dunbar is in punt formation once again.

- Antonio Lyde also dropped for a loss. Third and 14. Dunbar calls timeout with 3:49 left in the half.

- Floyd dropped for a 2-yard loss. Second and 12 with under five minutes left in the second quarter.

- Robinson, scrambling for his life, lofts the ball down field to an open Jalen Barnes, but the ball hung too long and the defender broke it up. Calvert punts it back to the Poets, who start at their own 35.

- Dunbar continues to bring pressure. It's 3rd and 10 at the Calvert 47.

- Witherspoon, after a long scramble, is sacked and fumbles. Calvert's Cornell Johnson comes up with it. Each team now has one turnover.

- Dajuan Robinson makes a big 35-yard return on the punt. Dunbar back in Calvert territory at the 40. 7:50 to play in the half.

- Wallace makes three straight runs, but Dunbar's defense is tough again. Cavaliers will punt.

- After a short punt no return, the Calvert offense is back on the field, starting at their own 34.

- King Jones and Cornell Jones sack Savion Robinson on 3rd down. Dunbar has to punt from near midfield.

END 1Q: DUNBAR 0, CALVERT 0

1Q: DUNBAR 0, CALVERT 0

- Samuel Eades makes a first down catch at the Calvert 44. That will be the end of the first quarter.

- Dunbar's Eli Turbin makes a big hit in the backfield, causing a fumble which he recovered. Dunbar's offense has the ball just outside of Calvert territory.

- Timeout helps Calvert avoid a delay call. Cavs face a 2nd 12 from their 37 with 2:19 to play in the opening quarter.

- Wallace runs for the first down at the Dunbar 35.

- Two short runs by Wallace brings the Cavaliers to a 3rd and 5.

- Domaine Wallace gashes the center of Dunbar's defense for a big run out to the 49. First down Calvert.

- Back-to-back penalties have Calvert in a 2nd and 17 situation.

- Players on both teams are slipping on the wet turf. Turnovers could be an issue.

- Witherspoon's pass is incomplete. Calvert will take over at the 29 with 6:20 to play in the first quarter.

- Calvert has forced a fourth down and 5 at its own 29.

- Quarterback Savion Witherspoon slips out of a sack and scrambles for a first down.

- Cole Floyd runs for 7 on first down, but is dropped for a loss on his second attempt. Poets face a 3rd and 5.

- Punt takes a good bounce for Calvert, but Dunbar starts with great field position, at Calvert's 48.

- Calvert's offense gets no where. The Cavs will punt from their own end zone.

- Daesean Jackson is stuffed on first down by the Dunbar defense.

- Opening kick rolls dead at the one and Calvert had to scramble to move it out to the five. That's where the Cavaliers will start the opening drive.

- Calvert's Cortez Johnson helps sing the national anthem. The teams are on the field and we are just about set to tee it up.

- Dunbar has won the toss and the Poets have deferred to the second half. Kickoff will follow the national anthem.

- A light, but cold and steady rain is falling as the captains prepare to take the field for the coin toss. We're very close to kickoff.

DUNBAR VS. CALVERT

- Kickoff is schedule for 4:00 p.m.