John Carroll, Dunbar dominate inaugural Grit and Greatness Invitational in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, Md. — High school football season is underway in Maryland, and Under Armour Stadium in Baltimore served as the backdrop for a historic opening weekend doubleheader.

A partnership between The John Carroll School and Under Armour brought the inaugural Grit and Greatness Invitational to life, featuring five games over two days at the facility.

"There's never been something solely rooted in football, solely rooted with Under Armour, solely rooted where it's five games over two days," John Carroll Athletic Director Ron Coursey said. "This is actually the first of its kind in that occasion, and that's what makes this special."

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The Friday doubleheader opened with the John Carroll Patriots taking on the Annapolis Area Christian School Eagles.

The Eagles drew first blood when Kenny Dobbs connected with Quamary Harris for the game's opening score, giving Annapolis Area Christian a 6-0 lead.

John Carroll responded immediately.

On their first offensive snap, Jack Sabol found Nick Bel Bruno for a touchdown, putting the Patriots up 7-6.

On their very next offensive play from scrimmage, Chase Holliday broke free for a rushing score, giving John Carroll two touchdowns on two offensive plays.

The Patriots kept the pressure on.

Rufus Bradley punched in back-to-back touchdown runs — the first from close range and the second from 30 yards out — pushing the lead to 28-6.

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Holliday added his second score of the game later in the contest.

John Carroll never let their foot off the gas, winning easily 56-14.

Dunbar vs. Milford

The second game of the doubleheader brought together the Dunbar Poets and the Milford Mill Millers in their first-ever meeting — a Baltimore City versus Baltimore County matchup.

Milford Mill struck first when Marques Harris stepped in front of a pass and returned it for a pick-six, giving the Millers a 7-0 lead.

Dunbar answered on their next drive, with Donteze Branch taking a handoff through the Miller defense for a score, pulling the Poets within one at 7-6.

Early in the second quarter, Kylin Holmes turned a Milford Mill punt into a momentum-shifting return for a touchdown, giving Dunbar a 12-7 lead. Holmes added another score shortly after, extending the Poets' advantage to 18-7.

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With just over a minute remaining before halftime and Milford Mill driving, Holmes made a key interception on defense right in front of the end zone to stop the Millers' drive. Dunbar's offensive line then took control, repeatedly pushing to the goal line and feeding Branch for another score in the third quarter.

Milford Mill was unable to find the end zone on offense, as Dunbar cruised to a 42-7 victory.

The goal is for the Grit and Greatness Invitational to become an annual tradition, with local high school teams returning to Under Armour Stadium during future Labor Day weekends.

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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.