The Baltimore City College football team, known as the "Black Knights", or formerly "Castlemen", and "Alamedans", has represented Baltimore City College, popularly referred to as "City", the flagship publiccollege preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, for nearly 150 years in the sport of gridiron football.[1] Until 1953, the school's athletic teams were primarily referred to as the "Collegians", a moniker that is still used alternatively today. The team is the oldest high school football program in Maryland and is among the oldest high school football programs in the United States.[2] The program was among the nation's best in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, finishing ranked in national high school football polls on multiple occasions.[3]
The program has a history of producing NFL talent, with 14 alumni reaching the professional ranks of the National Football League.[5] City College also has a legacy of successful head football coaches. This list includes George Young, former General Manager of the New York Jets and George Petrides, whose 257 career wins ranks eighth all-time among Maryland high school football coaches.[6]
Members of the 1895 Baltimore City College football team
In the mid-1870s, the popularity of football spread to high school competition. City College became one of the first high schools in the Baltimore-area to play football, which meant that there were no organized teams at the same level. In 1895, therefore, City scheduled games against college teams such as the Maryland, the Naval Academy, Mount St. Mary's, Western Maryland and even the Fort Monroe soldiers. The record in 1895: 3 wins, 13 losses, including a 42–0 rout by Navy.[9] In the first game of the 1896 season, Gettysburg College trounced City 50–0, but enthusiasm for the team continued to grow as evidence by the send off given them before they sailed to Hampton, Virginia to play Hampton high school.[10] By the early 1900s, area high schools had developed football teams and City was able to compete on a more level playing field, beating, for instance, the newly formed Polytechnic team 13–0 in 1903.
Little is known about the first City–Poly game, except that it was played at northeast Baltimore's Clifton Park in 1889 between the City "reserves" team and Poly with City emerging as the victor.[11] City won all 12 games from 1889 to 1900 when the annual clash was considered a scrub engagement.[12] The annual meeting of the two teams has led to one of the longest continuous public high school football rivalries in the nation.[11] By 1918, Poly and other area schools had surpassed City in their preparation for the games. According to William Tippett, Jr, class of 1919, City's team did not even have a practice field because of its location in Downtown Baltimore.[13]
The Harry Lawrence era
By 1929, the Knights had a new $3 million, 40-acre (160,000m2) home in northeast Baltimore. That same year the Knights wore new uniforms with numbers on the front and back, a historic first for high schools.[14] The "Castle on the Hill" had spacious practice fields with a separate "game day field".
Under head coach Harry Lawrence, the Knights dominated local teams, including Poly whom they beat consecutively from 1934 to 1942; and started playing schools out of state, beating Petersburg High School in 1936.[15] The 1936 team won all nine of its games, but was stripped of the MSA title when one of running back Arthur Deckleman was ruled ineligible. The investigating committee gave the title to the McDonough High School, which City had beaten, 12–0, during the regular season.[16]
By 1940, Lawrence's teams were undefeated in 38 consecutive games, won three consecutive state titles and retired the trophy presented by the Evening Sun for the winner of the City-Poly game.[17] In 1941, an undefeated City College went to Florida, to play Miami High School in the Orange Bowl stadium. The Knights, used to playing in cool autumnal or cold winter weather, lost to Miami High with the temperature exceeding 90°F.[18] After the season, Lawrence and his long-time assistant, Otts Helms joined the war effort; Helms was a captain in the Army and Lawrence served as a lieutenant in the Navy for the remainder of World War II. In 1947, Lawrence became the head coach at Bucknell University where future City College head football coach, George Young, played for him in the early 1950s.[19]
Andy Defassio was hired as the head coach in 1950, his assistant coach that first year was Robert Lumsden. Lumsden soon left to take over the head coaching duties at Poly, under its legendary coach Bob Lumsden, dominated City and Maryland football during the 1950s with City unable to win any of the rivalry games during that decade.
The George Young era
The trend would reverse again as George Young took over the coaching duties in 1959. Young had actually been a history teacher at City, but an assistant coach at rival Calvert Hall College. Young brought discipline back to the practice field and an emphasis on grades. He also brought in young aggressive special teams coaches Joe Brune, Bob Patzwall, Mel Filler, and Ed Novak; all of whom would become head coaches later in their careers with Brune coaching the Loyola Dons for more than 25 years.
Young's summer camps were brutal with an emphasis on running and conditioning as opposed to tackling and kicking. Young's teams won 6 of the 8 games he coached against Poly during the 1960s and six MSA championships.[13] One of the most memorable City–Poly games occurred on Thanksgiving Day 1965, at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, with some 25,000 fans and alumni in attendance. City beat Poly 52–6, and completed a 10–0 season with the team being ranked eighth in the nation by a national sports poll.[20] The 52 points scored by City are the most points scored by either team during the rivalry.[21] Two Knights from that game, Sykes and Person went on to the National Football League; former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke was the quarterback and Maryland Delegate Curt Anderson was the captain of that team.
The tradition of the game being played on Thanksgiving ended in 1992 when Baltimore City public schools sports programs moved to the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA). Football playoffs for the MPSSAA generally start in the second week of November. The City-Poly game is now played the first week of November at the home of the Baltimore Ravens, M&T Bank Stadium, in downtown Baltimore.
The George Petrides era
The Knights on defense vs. Poly, 1994
George Petrides, a 1967 City College graduate, served as head football coach from 1975 until he retired in 2015.[22] His 40-year tenure was longer than the previous 10 coaches combined. During the 1960s, Petrides played on City College teams that never lost a game, but at the beginning of his coaching career, he was faced with almost impossible circumstances. The City College main academic building was being renovated forcing enrollment to plummet and the student body to take courses at the old Poly building on North Avenue in midtown Baltimore. The athletic practice field was two miles (3km) away, and in 1979 Petrides was forced to use his junior varsity team to play Poly's varsity because of the dwindling enrollment.[23] The Castle on the Hill reopened in 1978 but the Knights did not manage a win against Poly again until 1987.
During the 1990s, a rebirth of City College football dominance occurred. During that time, Petrides and his top assistant coach Angelo Geppi led the team through a 29-game winning streak, the longest consecutive winning streak in the history of Maryland high school football.[24] Petrides and Geppi also led the team to two consecutive MSA-A Conference championships in 1991 and 1992.[24]
In 1993, Baltimore City Schools withdrew from the MSA to join the other public schools in the state in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA).[25] The move meant that City College could compete in a statewide play-off system and perhaps earn a state championship, but because of scheduling conflicts with the state playoffs, City would have to hold its traditional game against Poly three weeks before Thanksgiving.
On September 11, 2006, Petrides was honored as the Baltimore RavensHigh School Coach of the Week for the third time.[22] Less than a month later, City and Poly clashed in the 118th City–Poly football game.[21] Petrides' Black Knights beat Poly 44–8, won the Baltimore City championship, and finished the 2006 season 11–1, but lost the Maryland state class 3A North championship game, 7–6.[26]
On August 5, 2015, Petrides announced that he was retiring as the head football coach. During his 40 years at the helm of the football program, Petrides' teams racked up 257 wins, 141 losses, and one tie.[27] Petrides' teams won five Maryland Scholastic Association championships and two Baltimore City Division I titles. He led the Knights to perfect seasons in 1987, 1991 and 1992.[28]
Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA) era (1993-present)
City College joined the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA) in 1993 and was expected to compete for football championships immediately after having won a MSA football championship in 1992. City College football has won four MPSSAA regional championships in 1996, 2001, 2005, and 2023 and two MPSSAA district championships in 2005 and 2006. George Petrides, the longest-serving head football coach in school history, announced his retirement in 2015. His 275 career wins ranks eight all-time among Maryland high school football coaches. His contributions to the program is commemorated by the naming of the team's stadium George Petrides Stadium at Alumni Field. The current head coach is Rodney Joyner, who led the program to an appearance in the 2023 MPSSAA Class 3A state semifinals, the program's first state semifinals appearance since 2005.
"The Game", as this rivalry is commonly referred to, has featured legendary high school football coaches like Harry Lawrence, Bob Lumsden,[30] George Petrides,[31] and George Young. In all, 25 former players in the City-Poly game ultimately played in the National Football League (NFL), which includes the 14 NFL players City has produced.[5][32][33]
City v Poly 2008
The first game in the rivalry was played on a field in northeast Baltimore's Clifton Park without spectators. Beginning in 1922, the game has been played at in large stadiums with seating capacities of 65,000 or more. From 1922 to 1996, the game was played at Baltimore Memorial Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium that was home to the Baltimore Colts and the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL and Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles. When the Ravens moved to M&T Bank Stadium in downtown Baltimore, the game moved to that location. The last City-Poly game at M&T Bank was played in 2017.[34] The game is now played at Hughes Stadium on the campus of Morgan State University. In October, 2024, City beat Poly 40-0 running their winning streak over their cross-town rival to 12 games.[35]
Head coaching history
George Petrides, City College Black Knights head football coach, 1975-2015
Baltimore City College has had 28 head coaches since organized football began in the early-1900s. The program has been led by several successful head coaches over the years. This list of notable head football coaches includes:
Harry Lawrence, who was head football coach from 1934 to 1941 and again in 1946, leading the team to a win-loss-tie record of 69–10–6 (.870). Lawrence left City College following the 1946 season to become head football coach at Bucknell University.
George Young was head football coach from 1959 to 1967. In his nine seasons as head coach, Young led the program to a win-loss-tie record of 60-11-2 (.927) and six MSA conference championships. After a coaching stint with the Baltimore Colts, Young became the General Manager of the New York Giants. Under Young's leadership, the Giants won fifty-three percent of their games, four NFC titles and two Super Bowls and the senior vice president of football operations for the National Football League.[36]
George Petrides served as head football coach from 1975 until his retirement in 2015. In his 40 years at the helm, Petrides led the program to a win-loss-tie record of 257-144-1 (.670) and retired as the second-winningest high school football coach (by career wins) in Maryland behind only Good Counsel High School's Bob Malloy.[31] Petrides won five MSA conference championships in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, two MPSSAA division championships in 2005 and 2006, and three MPSSAA regional championships in 1996, 2001, 2005.
The 28 individuals who have served as Baltimore City College head football coach during the years are listed below.[13]
No.
Name
Seasons
1
Hay Eichelberger
1904–1907
2
Captain Steinbacker
1908–1909
3
D. Claude Stonecipher
1910–1911
4
Harry (Dutch) Ruhle
1912–1914
5
Michael J. Thompson
1915–1916
6
Ferdinand Bonnette
1917
7
Herb Armstrong
1918
8
John Coulbourn
1919–1921
9
Chester H. Katenkamp
1922
10
Henry "Pop" Goodard
1923–1928
11
Vic Schmid
1929–1930
12
David Kaufman
1931–1933
13
Harry Lawrence
1934–1941
14
Charles Hirschauer
1942–1944
15
Charley Rudo
1945
16
Harry Lawrence
1946
17
Otts Helms
1947–1949
18
Andy Defassio
1950–1951
19
Otts Helm
1952–1953
20
Frank Lee
1954–1958
21
George Young
1959–1967
22
Robert Patzwall
1968
23
Robert Terpening
1969–1970
24
Ron Chartrand
1971–1974
25
George Petrides
1975–2015
26
Daryl Wade
2015–2017
27
Mike Hamilton
2017–2019
28
Rodney Joyner
2020–present
City College players in the National Football League
The program has a history of producing talented players who ultimately play professional football at the highest level. 14 City College football alumni have played in the National Football League (NFL).[5] This list includes current NFL player Malik Hamm (Baltimore Ravens), as well as former NFL players like Charles Tapper, Bryant Johnson, and others, showcasing the program's ability to develop athletes capable of competing at the highest levels of the football.[37]
↑ Satterfield, Lem (November 4, 1992). "Girls teams benefit, but city's move to MPSSAA forces sacrifices as well: Switch to state organization spells end of some traditions". The Sun. p.1D. ProQuest1976682475.
↑ Strasburger, Victor, ed. (1967). The 1967 Green Bag. p.19.
1 2 DiBlasi, Joe (November 9, 2006). "City-Poly". Word Smith Media Ventures. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2007.
↑ Byrne, Harry Stevenson, chief editor (1898). The 1898 Green Bag.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Harris, Murray R., ed. (1940). The 1940 Green Bag. p.114.
↑ Chesney, Robert (1941). The 1941 Green Bag. p.145.
↑ Katz, Hy, co-editor; Bill Groom (1942). The 1942 Green Bag.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Katz, Hy, co-editor; Sol Flam (1943). The 1943 Green Bag. p.74.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Ginsberg, Leonard, ed. (1944). The 1944 Green Bag. pp.70–71.
↑ Caplan, Robert S., co-editor; Leon Greenberg (1945). The 1945 Green Bag. p.102.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Easson, Graeme, ed. (1946). The 1946 Green Bag. p.86.
↑ Duvall, R. Lee, ed. (1947). The 1947 Green Bag. pp.33–34.
↑ Greenberg, Lvon, ed. (1950). The 1950 Green Bag. p.58.
↑ Sax, Daniel, ed. (1950). The 1950 Green Bag. p.100.
↑ Silverwood, Harry, ed. (1952). The 1952 Green Bag.
↑ Mogel, Ronald, chairman (1953). The 1953 Green Bag.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Sirota, Wilbert, ed. (1954). The 1954 Green Bag. pp.106–111.
↑ Becker, John W., co-editor; Frank M. Waldorf (1955). The 1955 Green Bag. p.38.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Walt, E. Millard editor (1956). The 1956 Green Bag.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
↑ Feinberg, Rober co-editor; Charles Roebuck (1957). The 1957 Green Bag.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
↑ Paritzky, Zorel, ed. (1959). The 1959 Green Bag. p.55.
↑ Goldstein, Alan (November 22, 1959). "City Coach Hopeful in Thanksgiving Day Game With Poly: BOTH TEAMS UNDEFEATED Young Cites Collegians' Steady Improvement". The Sun. p.7D. ProQuest540559853.
↑ Wolfe, Murray, ed. (1961). The 1961 Green Bag. p.60.
↑ Levin, Fred., ed. (1962). The 1962 Green Bag. p.47.
↑ Schultz, Michael J., ed. (1963). The 1963 Green Bag.
↑ Konig, David, ed. (1964). The 1964 Green Bag. p.69.
↑ Schmerler, George, ed. (1966). The 1966 Green Bag. p.88.
↑ Gerstenberger, Lara, ed. (1987). The 1987 Green Bag. p.82.
↑ White, Stefan, ed. (1988). The 1988 Green Bag. p.78.
↑ Goldberg, David, co-editor; David Rubin (1989). The 1989 Green Bag. p.138.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ George, Christa, ed. (1990). The 1990 Green Bag. p.78.
↑ Alt, Daniel, ed. (1991). The 1991 Green Bag. p.109.
↑ Bryant, Becky, ed. (1992). The 1992 Green Bag. p.80.
↑ Lyles, Damien, co-editor; Daniel Corcoran (1993). The 1993 Green Bag. p.63.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Bryant, David, ed. (1994). The 1994 Green Bag. p.65.
↑ Tanner, Kwame, staff (1998). The 1998 Green Bag.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Howard, Christopher, ed. (1998). The 1998 Green Bag.
↑ Howard, Christopher, co-editor; Michelle Hudnall (2000). The 2000 Green Bag. p.109.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Alum, editor (2001). The 2001 Green Bag. Vol.105.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
↑ Class of 2003, editor (2003). The 2003 Green Bag. p.49.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
↑ Chaffin, Nicole, ed. (2003). The 2003 Green Bag. p.49.
↑ Troxler, Ashley, staff (2004). The 2004 Green Bag.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Daneker, David C., ed. (1988). 150 Years of the Baltimore City College. Baltimore: Baltimore City College Alumni Association. p.58.
Leonhart, James Chancellor (1939). One Hundred Years of Baltimore City College. Baltimore: H.G. Roebuck & Son. p.20.
Marudas, Kyriakos (1988). The City-Poly Game. Baltimore: Gateway Press. p.66.
Sirota, Wilbert, editor; Neil Bernstein (1954). The Green Bag 1954. Baltimore: Baltimore City College Class of 1954. p.196.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Strasburger, Victor, ed. (1967). The 1967 Green Bag. Baltimore. p.199.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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