When Patterson High hosts Poly in football, it?s usually a good game. The two schools have a long history of competition against each other, with Patterson riding a winning streak that dates back to the mid-1990s.
Today?s 4 p.m. clash at Patterson, however, will be different from any other the two teams have had.
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Roger Wrenn, whose career record of 238-99-2 has put him in the Maryland High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame, is returning to Patterson for the first time after becoming Poly?s head coach during the summer. Wrenn had spent the previous 32 years as the head coach at Patterson. In two games at Poly, he is 1-1, including a win in the Engineers? only league game.
After Wrenn?s departure, Patterson hired Poly?s former defensive coordinator, Corey Johnson, as the head coach.
“We did a flip-flop,” Johnson said.
Johnson inherited a Patterson team that was a Baltimore City tri-champion in 2005 with a 9-2 record.
“Coming over there, I am trying to maintain that [success],” Johnson said. “I am not trying to mess with the blueprint, but I am trying to maintain the excellence that Roger had for 32 years.”
With an offense and defense that Johnson said was somewhat revamped, Patterson has gone 1-1 in two Baltimore City league games to start the year.
Wrenn knows that the familiarity on both sidelines will make today?s contest an atypical game.
“I coached all the Patterson kids for as much as three years,” he said. “It has all the intrigue in the world. They know what I do in certain situations, and there are certain hand signals I use. By the same token, I know their strengths and weaknesses.”
Keeping his new players from getting distracted by the game?s hype has been a concern for Wrenn. During a recent film session, he told his players the game would have implications on different levels.
“We told them that, as players, they need to focus on the field and not the Patterson nation that will be watching the game,” Wrenn said.
According to Wrenn, he has great affection for the Patterson players and coaches, and he will root for them every other game of the year.
“We hope it blossoms into a friendly rivalry,” Wrenn said.
Donna Bowers, Patterson?s athletic director and Wrenn?s wife, said Patterson alumni and fans have wished Wrenn nothing but the best.
“A lot of people have said, ?Good luck, coach Wrenn. I hope he beats everybody but Patterson,? ” Bowers said.
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute vs. Patterson
» When: Today, 4 p.m.
» Where: Patterson
» Implications: Patterson is 1-1 in Baltimore City league play, and Poly is 1-0. The game is a must-win for both teams if they hope to contend for the City championship.
