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2015 Fort Hill Varsity Football Schedule released

TDHelmick

TDHelmick

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May 29, 2001
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Fort Hill completed their 10 game varsity football schedule for 2015.

LINK: FORT HILL 2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

The Sentinels have picked up Clearfield out of Pennsylvania to fill in the last open date for Week 1. Clearfield played Keyser last season. Due to a conflict of dates, Clearfield picked up Fort Hill in place of Keyser. Thanks goes out to both the coaches and administrations at Keyser and Clearfield for helping to fill in the gaps so the student-athletes on all sides can have a game to play. Keyser has now picked up Petersburg for their Week 1 game.

Nine teams on the 2015 Fort Hill schedule posted a winning record last season. Two new Class 3A in size schools have been added in South Hagerstown and Sherando. Together they posted 19 wins in 2014.

Clearfield will always be a very tough opponent. The first three games don't leave the Sentinels much room for error. If there is a tougher schedule in all of Maryland Class 1A, I will believe it when I see it.




This post was edited on 1/22 1:05 AM by TDHelmick
 
I just caught that and fixed it.

It's a long way off but I'm already talking about places to eat on road trips. LOL. The Clearfield AD has recommended his favorite place to eat within a shout of the school:

SIDS SUBS in Clearfield.

I have also heard good things about Denny's Beer Barrel Pub. Don't try their Burger Challenge before the game.

Oh well, it's January. What else can we talk about?

I have had the pleasure to talk with the Clearfield AD Bob Gearhart at length. What a really good guy. It should also be noted that the Hollidaysburg AD/Head Football Coach also was very helpful in getting this deal done. Don't be surprised if Hollidaysburg ends up on the Fort Hill schedule next season. But anyway, it's obvious from conversations that Clearfield Football is an identical twin to Fort Hill Football. They are the exact same size give or take 40 students, the football team consistently wins 11 or more games every year (56-9 record the past five seasons), last year was the first time they didn't post double digit wins in five years, they dedicate themselves to the weight room, high school football is king in this town, the locals celebrate home games with many traditions and they produce about the same exact amount of college players. The only difference is they throw the ball almost every down while Fort Hill runs the ball on most every down. Should make for an interesting set of games these next two years. Most FH fans seemed to really enjoy the games with Central in 2012 and 2013. If they liked those games they should love these.











This post was edited on 1/22 1:28 AM by TDHelmick
 
Todd, just a quick question...

The 2014 FH Silver Oak score is listed on your site as 42-22. I thought it was 44-22? I saw the 42 on one of the FH Champsionship t-shirts and this popped to mind. I could be mistaken on this.

Thanks for anothr bang-up job on the FH '15 Schedule!
 
From a Keyser perspective, I think Fort Hill can take care of Clearfield, but they aren't a pushover. They are going to be better than the team that played Keyser last year. They return a great little running back, though he was stifled against Keyser last year. They return a 6-6 quarterback, and some good players at other positions as well. Looking forward to hearing how this game works out for them. The Bison are well coached, and supposedly have a good homefield advantage. I wouldn't know for sure. Figure Fort Hill will be good to go, but they will definitely be able to have an idea of what they have after this game.
 
I was impressed with the coaching and players at the Clearfield Keyser game last year. It was fun to watch.

And my son and I talked to some of the Clearfield fans about their team, records, etc..lamenting schedule issues...and the discussion came up with them about playing Fort Hill. Almost in a totally rhetorical sense.

How cool is it, that it actually came to fruition. Way to go Todd et.al.!!
 
You're right, they were young last year, and I felt they let the Keyser game get away from them. But that was last year. This will be a challenge for a young Fort Hill team that will have a lot of question marks about who will be playing where. I would have prefered a confidence builder for game one for this year's team but I'm not the Coach. Anyway, here's to a good game and a great season next year. Hopefully, this time next year FH has pulled off it's third State title in a row with a 42 game win streak to go with it.
 
Clearfield overloads the FH schedule to a degree. People don't understand this is still 1A football at FH because all they see is a 28 game win streak and 2 titles. But when you are small school, the classes that come through are cyclical. There is no more Ty Johnson or Alex Barnes or Shives (3 year starters). This 2015 team will have to rely heavily on younger kids moreso than the last two years by a long shot. The secondary will need retooled and now you are asking them to face a Clearfield team in the first game that throws the ball every down. That is why I said the first 3 games are brutal. I also have laminated about how a 7-3 team can be left out of this moronic Maryland playoff system now that Boonsboro moves into the 1A West and the fact every other 1A West team has a competition to seek out weakest schedule known to mankind. And I'm telling everyone now that Silver Oak, Capitol Christian and Avalon are no pushovers. Then you throw in very good 3A schools Sherando and South Hagerstown and FH may have to beat Allegany to make the playoffs. Some people here will never get it.

However, it will be said here again (by me) that nobody in Maryland Class 1A will play FH. There are 11 teams in 1A West competing for 4 playoff spots and only one of them (Alco) will touch FH with a 10 foot pole. And yes, with the break up of the MVAL most all of them had an open date where FH could play them and they all said no way. Some people here will never get it until the unthinkable happens where FH is likely to be one of the top two teams in the region but out of the playoffs because everyone else dodges them for lighter opponents.








This post was edited on 1/22 12:22 PM by TDHelmick
 
I'm not one to feel bad for Fort Hill normally.

But I do feel bad for them and Alco with their scheduling issues, now that I have seen Keyser go through some as well.

At least all three schools know they have two guaranteed games a year with the other two schools mentioned. I'll never understand the idea of ducking a team you may have to play in the playoffs anyways. You're basically saying you were afraid to play them and that you hope you don't ever play them in the playoffs with that mindset.
 
A good many teams in this area having trouble filling a schedule. It's extremely rural and we have no league for football while everyone else around us does and certain local schools won't play other local schools. Well actually the MVAL just split up and it didn't seem to help FH. I think it might in time. The AMAC was a beautiful concept when first formed. Too bad it fell for football. But I think that is because everybody makes the playoffs in every sport but football. From every football coach I know, their main concern is losing too many games and missing the playoffs. If that didn't matter, then lesser competitive teams would play higher competitive teams. No doubt however, I agree with you...if you can't beat 'em in the regular season, you won't in the playoffs. But the way the playoffs are set up, you may not even have to face them in the playoffs either.

One of my hopes one day was that a small league of football independents such as Alco, FH, Keyser, Mtn Ridge and Chestnut Ridge could group together and start a football league of five teams to start. Then build it from there and try to extend into Washington County now and Garrett if they have a change of heart. Would be great to think the Winchester area and maybe a few Berkeley County schools might try it. Just need to take that first league forming step. Unfortunately not every adult can seemingly get past the "me" in that proposal. Too many hang ups. But I'm really, really surprised with the growth of Berkeley County that those schools have not formed a league. They all play each other for the most part, just no official league. They have made attempts including talks with the Winchester area schools with no luck.





I will also predict that within 10 years there will be one Garrett County school and two Allegany County schools.


This post was edited on 1/23 8:33 PM by TDHelmick
 
I could see the Allegany County Schools and Keyser reaching out and trying to form some kind of league. The problem is, I don't see anyone willing to sign up for that league unless they're a bigger program, which would undoubtedly cause concern for Keyser, and maybe the Cumberland schools as well, as they are not going to ever shoot up in numbers to compete with a big school from Hagerstown or Berkeley County (outside of B. Springs obviously).

I thought a league with divisions that would include cross divisional match ups on a rotation would be the only way to make a true area league. Make it so you don't have to play certain teams more than once every so often so the Frankforts, Hampshires and Southerns don't have to play Allegany, Fort Hill, or Keyser every year (except Frankfort does have to play Keyser and Hampshire wants to play Keyser, every year for obvious reasons, and no, I'm not trying to imply they'd try to get out of it, just pointing out that Frankfort and Hampshire have stated no desire to play the Cumberland schools). I'm sure they all can accept a game on a rotating basis with a school they'd otherwise rather avoid. Again, too much organization for someone of my low intellect to figure out; and it would have to include enough teams to provide opponents for everyone equally while leaving room for the WV schools to go schedule teams from in state, especially Hampshire because they'd need more AAA teams, unless you add a Preston County and find some other schools near us all that would classify as AAA in WV.

As for your prediction, I really see the Garrett County schools consolidating sooner rather than later. Southern is apparently dying as a football program and shrinking as a school, and Northern is scrappy as can be but is still so small they rarely provide much of a true challenge for the bigger schools in the area now. And regarding the Cumberland schools, it is my hope as a Keyser fan that they don't consolidate, as they would undoubtedly be huge and Keyser would most likely be unable to play whatever school resulted from the consolidation. I know it's probably going to happen at some point, but Keyser would struggle to compete with the juggernaut that would result from such a consolidation. If they were to consolidate, I'd love to see that team compete with bigger teams within a two hour drive from Cumberland (Martinsburg and Morgantown come to mind).

For the sake of this area's tradition in football and athletics in general, I really hope Cumberland has two schools, because as long as they do, it seems like they, along with Keyser, will still provide us all with match ups we have known for years. Keyser-Fort Hill, Keyser- Allegany (how many times have we watched this game), and Homecoming are all games worth surviving. I can only imagine the headache for KHS if they lose the two Cumberland schools and are trying to fill those gaps along with their usual headaches for scheduling.
 
It's my understanding that if the two Cumberland schools did consolidate, they would be looking at roughly 1400 students. 300 or so would end up in Mountain Ridge and Cumberland would still only be left with a little more than 1000 students. That's how much the enrollments have dropped. Just 20 years ago there were over 1000 students in both schools.
 
Originally posted by TDHelmick:
Well actually the MVAL just split up and it didn't seem to help FH. I think it might in time.

This post was edited on 1/23 8:33 PM by TDHelmick
Click to expand...
Considering we picked up South High, wasn't that directly attributed to the MVAL dissolution - or was that already in the works? I'd like to get Boonsboro or North High back on there too. Wishful thinking.
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

It would make too much sense but the groundwork is being laid to make it almost impossible. The new Allegany is being built and there is no stopping it at this point. The school will open in 2016 or 2017 and all the excitement of a new high school will end any talk of consolidation for at least a decade. The building will be too small to ever close FH and move the students to the new school and the process of closing a brand new high school and changing the building to a middle school is long and very complicated. I don't know about Garrett County but I don't see high school consolidation in Allegany County for a long, long time. But what I do see happening, once the new Allegany opens, is redistricting to make the 3 schools even in pupil population.
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

The school board already has a plan in place if student population keeps dropping. The new Alco would be come the middle school and the high school would be at the current Fort Hill campus.
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

You folks would know far more than me, but I find it hard to imagine Allegany parents and Allegany students willingly agreeing to going to Fort Hill, even if it were renamed. It would be like what they did to Westmar, except no new building, and Allegany has far more of a base, whether it be alums, fans, students, or faculty, and it has far more pull than Westmar did.

But who knows? I just don't see Allegany folks agreeing to letting Allegany kids walk the friendly confines of Fort Hill High, and I imagine many old timers would want to fight to see something as special as Homecoming continue.

At least with the new high school opening, that should keep this discussion at bay for at least a handful of years, if not a decade or two.
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

It's about the Benjamins. The bottom line is both Braddock and Washington Middle Schools are literally falling down. The county cannot afford to build two new middle schools yet alone one. The high cost of remodeling isn't there either. They can barely afford to build the new high school while trying to cut costs everywhere like no athletic fields, no auditorium, no third wing, etc. Allegany right now doesn't even have computers in the school with anything greater than Windows XP. It's a sad state right now. Nobody argues that Allegany shouldn't be closed and a new building built. But there is fighting and concern about not only finishing the new high school, but how to find money to build a new infrastructure such as computer labs, etc. There are a handful of people still fighting to reopen both Bruce and Valley High Schools 25 years later. At some point the decision makers have to rule in the best interest of kids and ignore what some old FH and Alco fans tell them to do with tax money that doesn't exist in the name of keeping Alco and FH separate because of athletics and rivalry. Unfortunately, mccoke is correct. There is already a plan in place because, well, there is no money and liability issues will force them to make a call on the middle schools. The new school will become the middle school, high school will be at Fort Hill, and some kids get shuffled to Mtn. Ridge. Unless we see a massive influx of money (tax base) or big businesses moving in here as we have hoped for the last 40 years, it's only a matter of when, not if.

I sure hate coming across as a downer, but this is the reality. It's all about money that isn't there. The county and BOE are super broke as are most of the students and their families that attend these schools :(

Oh yea, I also have to add that is was crazy 25 years ago when county consolidation began. The parents and communities of Bruce, Valley, Mt. Savage, Oldtown, Flintstone, etc. all argued that smaller schools were better for education among many other aspects. The BOE seat located in Cumberland told them all that's not so, too bad here comes consolidation. However, now that the same issues have hit the Cumberland schools they say it really is better to not consolidate as smaller schools are better. Man, the hypocritical nature of these decisions should make other communities not in Cumberland irate. At first I thought people like Westernport's Tom Marsh was crazy for fighting consolidation as does every one at the BOE. The people that call him crazy now use his same arguments for not consolidating Cumberland schools. Personally, I disagree that small schools are better if they cannot afford newer computers and books. This is mostly a fight among adults because of athletics, rivalry, tradition and the fear of change. Ask any Mountain Ridge student if they want to go back to Westmar/Valley with 400 students or less and see what they say.







This post was edited on 1/27 4:45 PM by TDHelmick
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

I don't understand how it is possible to build a high school without athletic fields, an auditorium or computer labs. Sounds like a sick joke. By today's standards it isn't even a school.
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

Originally posted by Lagmeister:
I don't understand how it is possible to build a high school without athletic fields, an auditorium or computer labs. Sounds like a sick joke. By today's standards it isn't even a school.
Click to expand...
I don't know about the computer labs. But it has been made public via the Times-News that to keep the new Allegany school under budget that they would have to skip building the auditorium and athletic fields. Not sure where they are with all that.
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

That makes it all absurd. As an Alco grad I have come to appreciate tradition more than some rivalry that has succumbed to nothing more that banal bitchery. Cumberland can have its tradition by making the new school the Allegany middle school and moving the city kids to Fort Hill. Keep the FH name because it continues some of the tradition of the city. Folks like myself will still come back an attend all the games we can and you will keep the bulk of the city fans who still attend the games happy. Just do away with the reserved seating please.

Fort Hill is the new tradition. I can get on board with that. Renaming the school will completely wipe out everything that we 'bitter clingers' cling to. Oh well, just a voice crying again in the wilderness.
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

No disrespect to FH but I would'nt be fine with the one school's name staying FH and im sure no Sentinel would want to go to an Allegany High School. I would be fine with a new upgraded HS at the FH Campus but the name would be something like Cumberland High...Sorry Lag but FH will never be the new tradition for us Blue and to even mention something like that is a slap in the face...
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

Well, at least you all could agree on the colors for the new school: Red, White, and Blue.

Fort Allegany?

Cumberland High?

Greenway High School?

That would be a headache. Thankfully if they ever went that route in Mineral County, they'd just call the combination Mineral County High School. Same for Garrett County if they consolidate.
 
A precedence has already been set.


When they closed the smaller schools like Valley, Bruce, etc, they didn't rename the schools to which those students were assigned. Some of the Allegany students will be going to Mountain Ridge - do they rename Mountain Ridge also? I don't know what it would cost to make a name change for a school but it's probably not an expense the board would want to take on.

The problems (if any) would only last until the last of the students that actually went to Allegany graduated, and I suspect that once the first (combined) football win happened that would be the end of any problems.

Now, if we could just change the minds of the alumni!!!
 
Re: A precedence has already been set.

Allegany being combined with Fort Hill is different than Fort Hill absorbing Allegany, isn't it?

They combined Beall and Westmar, thus a name change.

In other cases, schools were absorbed into a bigger one, thus no name changes.

It's a situation where you are either combining, which the precedent has been set for a name change, or you're absorbing, thus no change.

It's obviously understandable why Fort Hill folks wouldn't want to let go of their tradition, but Allegany folks have an extremely impressive tradition as well and they'll apparently have no choice but to let go of theirs. For the sake of everyone getting along and a sense of community, wouldn't it make sense to let them just have a new school identity built on the traditions of the combined programs?
 
Re: A precedence has already been set.

No disrespect intended, but the reasons mentioned here for keeping the schools from consolidating have nothing to do with education and what's best for students. It's the same old song and dance. Tradition, rivalry, fear of change are not reasons to argue with. THERE IS NO MONEY. Debating this topic over football wins and the name of the school will not be factors.
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

Ah yes. The old, "If my school dies your school dies." Erase all the history at the same time.

Some folks would starve their own children to death as long as they could starve the people they hate along with them.

This post was edited on 1/29 4:49 PM by Lagmeister
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

~~~~~~~~

This post was edited on 1/29 3:00 PM by Lagmeister
 
Re: Consolidating Alco and FH within 10 years

I went to Allegany since the 7th grade and therefore probably Bluer than almost anybody in this forum... thank you very much!

Once the school moves its location it is history for me. Going to some shabbily built new school doesn't make it Allegany. Watching Korn tank a lead doesn't make it a real Alco team. Watching less than a handful of Arrowettes pretend they are a line of dancers doesn't make it Allegany for me.

Sounds like you are afraid you will lose your memories. Fact is, they will always be there if you want them to. Allegany hasn't been Allegany for quite a while. The football team is just one of the last things to lose its traditions.

Admit that you just want to kill FH along with what Alco has already lost. That is just petty.
 
We have the same problem here at Mtsbg now in scheduling. The Eastern Panhandle does have a league. With the 4 Berkeley County schools and the 2 Jefferson County schools. Dawgs, Musselman, and Jefferson are the competitive schools at the moment in Football. I see you all are playing Sherando, I guess they dropped us. They are a good team year in and out and throw the ball a lot. Winchester area schools have a strong competitive league. Problem is that FH is too good for your area and teams in a way have to duck you to enable themselves to make the playoffs. I think the same applies for the Hagerstown area. Good Luck in 2015.
 
"We have the same problem here at Mtsbg now in scheduling. The Eastern Panhandle does have a league. With the 4 Berkeley County schools and the 2 Jefferson County schools. Dawgs, Musselman, and Jefferson are the competitive schools at the moment in Football. I see you all are playing Sherando, I guess they dropped us. They are a good team year in and out and throw the ball a lot. Winchester area schools have a strong competitive league. Problem is that FH is too good for your area and teams in a way have to duck you to enable themselves to make the playoffs. I think the same applies for the Hagerstown area. Good Luck in 2015."..........................................................................................................................................................
Sherando did not drop Martinsburg, Still playing on Week 2 this year. Sherando has the same problem as Martinsburg, and Fort Hill. Nobody wants to play us. I guess it is good we all are playing each other. We were dropped by Liberty Bealtoin, even after they beat us for the first time in 6 years this year , dropped by Mussleman they were done, picked up Louisa down by Richmond, Dropped by Kettle run in Nokesville, VA, picked up Eastern View out of Culpepper, Va. Dropped by Jefferson, WV, picked up Fort Hill, MD. The local teams that are not in are District (who are required) will not play us, they dont want to get beat and cant handle our Physicality. Thank you Fort hill. And thank you Martinsburg who always gives us a great game to get ready for the playoffs. Looking forward to a great season in the Fall.
 
Glad to hear Sherando is still on the schedule. Great games and your field is always a good place to go to play. Do miss playing Fort Hill, maybe again some year.
 
Fort Hill has 11 teams in their local Class 1A West region. Only the top 4 teams in the region make the playoffs based on wins and losses. Only one team in that region out of 11 will play Fort Hill. Need I say more? FH absolutely has something in common.

Although, please don't take any disrespect to what I am about to type. Don't mean it that way.
The one problem that Fort Hill has that they don't share with Martinsburg and Sherando (which makes it triple tough) is that the school has 800 students. They compete for the playoffs with other schools that have roughly the same amount of students. Yet they have to play competitive schools that are double and triple in size. That's like asking Sherando to play a handful of 8-10 win teams with over 2800 students such as Chantilly, Centreville and West Springfield. At least Louisa County and Eastern View have less than 1400 students. Martinsburg only played one school last year that had more students and that was Tuscarora who had about 100 more.

QUESTION ON ENROLLMENT
Sherando is listed as having 1400 students male/female with the VHSL. Is that for grades 9-12 or grades 9-11? I believe Sherando will be a Maryland Class 3A school if that is for grades 9-12. If it is for grades 9-11 then Sherando will be a Maryland Class 4A school. Need to know for Maryland point calculations. Martinsburg is listed with 1746 students and that is for grades 9-12. They are Maryland 4A. For those that do not know...Fort Hill is Maryland 1A (the smallest).
 
About 1400 students is for grades 9-12 , and yes we do have the same problems as Fort Hill. Those larger schools wont play us, if we wanted to. A. If they beat us they dont get the same power points for beating us as compared to a team with about the same enrollment that they have. B. If they are going to lose to a team , they dont want it to be to a team with much less enrollment like us, the shame factor. C. they dont need to play us, those bigger schools closer to the City have no problem finding a cupcake team to beat with a lot larger enrollment that is close to travel to, if they play us they stand the chance of losing. They wont schedule us.
 
On a final schedule note...Fort Hill will scrimmage DuVal on August 26 in Lanham, MD. DuVal is a Class 4A state semifinalist with an 80 man roster who returns most all of their players. Their coach Dameon Powell expects his Tigers to go even further in the playoffs next season. If anyone wishes to see how Fort Hill stacks up with these type of teams feel free to attend.
 
If I was a Fort Hill fan, I would be thankful for a tough schedule, that's probably what got you all those rings. Nothing like good preparation for the playoffs. I checked out your schedule from last year, looks like Keyser gave you the best game, was that your toughest team on the schedule last year? Not being smart, but it looks like a smaller enrollment team gave you the best game.
 
FH team game 2 different team than FH game 10. Hands down the different line on both sides of the ball. Poetry in motion. Hats off to how the coaches figure out how to get the most from these kids. Not to mention just an awesome group of kids.
 
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