James Carmon wants to spend the next four years as a “Volunteer.”
The standout senior defensive tackle for City College has been recruited by schools like Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia and Michigan State. But when National Signing Day comes, the 6-foot-7, 345-pound senior said he plans on signing his letter of intent to play for the University of Tennessee and Coach Phil Fulmer?s Volunteers.
“I like the environment and the whole program,” Carmon said.
But Carmon, who bench presses 345 pounds and runs 40 yards in 5.1 seconds, still has one goal before moving to Knoxville, Tenn.: Lead City to its first state football title in school history.
City, the two-time defending Baltimore City Division I champion, has struggled in the postseason in each of the past two years.
Last season, Franklin defeated City, 7-6, in the 3A North Region final after Westminster posted a 35-6 victory over City in the 3A semifinals in 2005. However, City was re-classified as a 2A school for the next two years because its enrollment is no longer in the top 50 percent of the state?s public high schools.
“You can?t take anyone lightly, you have to go hard every play and if you do that you become city and then state champs,” said Carmon, who already has 21 tackles and two sacks after finishing last season with 14 sacks and five fumble recoveries.
This year?s Knights (2-0, 2-0) take their first real step toward those goals when they host defending 2A champion Edmondson-Westside (1-1, 1-0). City beat Edmondson each of the last two seasons, including a 16-6 victory last year. But City coach George Petrides emphasized his team, which returns only Carmon on defense, is a much different squad from last season.
“They have to establish their own identity,” Petrides said. “We are very young and inexperienced right now, but we have some key returning players like James.”
If Carmon and the Knights want to win Friday, they have to stop junior running back Terrence Wilson, who has rushed for more than 300 yards this year. Edmondson coach Dante Jones credits last year?s loss to City as a turning point for the Red Storm, who rallied to win the school?s first 2A state football title.
“Coming into that game, we lost focus for different reasons and it humbled the young men and made them hungry,” Jones said. “The key to winning is making plays.”
Carmon plans on making plenty of them.
“I could have been a captain last year, but I waited my turn,” he said. “Now it?s my line, my backs, my defense. If I?m rolling, they are rolling and we are good. And I am going to be rolling.”
