Fort Hill adds 3 TIME PA state champions Cathedral Prep to schedule
- Thread starter TDHelmick
- Start date
Very cool. I will drive up to see this one. I scanned their roster from las year and they had around 75 kids. I really do think people are tired of watching fort hill beat up capital Christian and the likes. I would like to drive up there more often to see challenging games. That Melbourne game was a lot of fun.
Cathedral Prep was ranked 4 spots ahead of Good Counsel and 7 ahead of Bishop Gorman (NV) in the MaxPreps national rankings last season. This is the most impressive OOS opponent ever picked up by any MPSSAA school a long shot.
Adding to my comments in the other thread, I will say that this is galactically positive for the FH program and for Cumberland. It positions FH one more step in prominence that only games like this can give. Win or lose, this is where FH deserves to be.
I agree 100% Lag and it’s likely FH will lose. But this is what you’ve been saying for some time on here. This is what the high school experience is all about. It’s about competing and making memories. You can lose 42-6 to Cathedral and have more memories by far than beating Silver Oak.
Moreover, my aforementioned comment was about what FH deserves.... or in other words, where FH has earned the right to be. I see FH as no Silver Oak to Cathedral. I see a helluva well fought game.
And when FH crosses over the 50 and tacks on another 3 points when Cathedral thinks they got 'em stopped.... they will all say, "Did you see that! That kick went another 10 yards."
This would be big time high school football, beyond MD 1A championships and beyond a long winning record. This is slaying a Goliath.
Wow that's a huge pick up. Probably above the heads of FH. Calpreps has Cathedral beating Wise by 14 and Martinsburg by a FG.
My concern for a 1A school is that they now play Morgantownn, Hollidaysburg, and Cathedral Prep in a 20 day span. Why don't they spread these games out?
When FH went to Friendship after just beating Melbourne the kids didnt even show up from mental and physical exhaution..Not to take anything away from Friendship but it was the one of the worst FH outings in 10 years.
My concern for a 1A school is that they now play Morgantownn, Hollidaysburg, and Cathedral Prep in a 20 day span. Why don't they spread these games out?
When FH went to Friendship after just beating Melbourne the kids didnt even show up from mental and physical exhaution..Not to take anything away from Friendship but it was the one of the worst FH outings in 10 years.
Toughest two game stretch in football history. And on back-to-back days no less.
I see Morgantown, but the only problem with Hollidaysburg would be looking ahead to Cathedral. In actuality it would be a proper tuneup. Hollidaysburg is no Melbourne.
The truth about the Cathedral Prep game: This an excellent pick-up by Todd H and whoever else was involved in scheduling the contest. But the team that plays in Greenway is not the same team that won the state 4A title three years in a row (PA has 6 classifications). I reached out to several journalists that cover CP and PA Preps every year and the exact quote was, "Cathedral Prep will be in a rebuild year, a true rebuild year." They are losing most of the talent from those championship teams. I think FH vs.CP will be a tough game and could go either way. Especially playing in Cumberland if the refs call 21 penalties against CP like they did that team from Florida. CP will be favored but it's a very winnable game for FH. Should be a fun night at Greenway. All the journalists said CP is a very well coached team and they will be prepared.
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A hole post. Lag u and the rest of the blue crew should roast this agitater.
People could say the same thing about FH this year. They lost not only the bulk of a smothering defense but ALSO their defensive coordinator. A very successful private school and a very successful 1A school are coming into this season rebuilding parts of their teams. Seems like that negates any "edge" FH has.
FH rebuilds just like any other team does. And has to find the talent from within as opposed to having kids transfer is like a private school.
What if FH scheduled DeMatha or Good Counsel on a "rebuilding" year? Why is there always a "..but"?
FH rebuilds just like any other team does. And has to find the talent from within as opposed to having kids transfer is like a private school.
What if FH scheduled DeMatha or Good Counsel on a "rebuilding" year? Why is there always a "..but"?
Like I said, an excellent pick-up for FH. I don't know anything about CP that's why I reached out to people that cover them every year. There's always a "but" because that's called balanced coverage. I understand fans don't look at it that way. I look at it as a journalist.
Balanced coverage would have had you also pointing out that FH is ALSO rebuilding and is playing the first season in the wake of no longer having their very successful defensive coordinator Coach McKenney as well as losing Coach Palumbo. Two very crucial members of the string of great successes are gone as well as almost the entire defense.
Correct?
Correct?
Everybody on this board already is aware of that. Yes, both squads have lost talent from last season. The PA guys said CP is doing a total rebuild. Personally I don't give assistant coaches a lot of importance at the high school level. If you tell me the new coaches are planning to install a brand new scheme you may have a point, but I don't think that's going to happen. CP will be favored in this game, but it won't be a huge upset if FH wins at Greenway.
Cathedral is not doing a total rebuild after 3 straight titles. They will go for 4. FH is not doing a total rebuild after 5 titles in 6 years. They will go for 6. Both coaches have been here for 20+ years. Seniors graduate in high school every year.
A total rebuild at the high school level for teams of this caliber...especially a catholic private school. LOL.
FH lost more seniors starters than Cathedral. I guess that puts FH in double secret rebuilding mode.
A total rebuild at the high school level for teams of this caliber...especially a catholic private school. LOL.
FH lost more seniors starters than Cathedral. I guess that puts FH in double secret rebuilding mode.
I don't know anything about CP, but 3 journalists that cover them and schools that region all basically said the same thing. One is quoted as "total rebuild," another is quoted as "true rebuild." I encourage everyone to reach out to people in that area and ask them, especially journalists because you usually get the best and unbiased info from them.
Of course they are in rebuilding mode. Teams of this high caliber are almost always in rebuilding mode. FH is always in rebuilding mode. Cathedral is always in rebuilding mode. It's called seniors graduating.
Stating most here know FH lost a bunch of talent would be an understatement. FH lost the entire defense - all 11 starters. They lost the QB, the star FB, both half backs, the WR and both TE. How is that for a total rebuild? Yet they will be a favorite to continue their same success.
It's the same at Cathedral if not more because they pull kids as a normal catholic private school. They have won 3 straight PA titles - at some point they had to "rebuild" during such a stretch. It's like saying Alabama is in rebuilding mode this year. More like reload.
So if FH lost seniors and Cathedral lost seniors, that still should make the Ramblers a heavy favorite. And Cathedral will be right back pushing for another trip to Hershey. And FH will be right back pushing for another trip to Annapolis. Stop being a hater.
Here's an excerpt from a 2018 Cathedral Prep preview:
https://westernpafootball.net/news/cathedral-prep-2/
Despite needing to totally rebuild the defense and fill the shoes of players that were nearly impossible to fill, they cruised to another state championship. I suspect they'll reload just fine.
https://westernpafootball.net/news/cathedral-prep-2/
Despite needing to totally rebuild the defense and fill the shoes of players that were nearly impossible to fill, they cruised to another state championship. I suspect they'll reload just fine.
So what you have is two teams coming off state championship wins, who have lost a ton of seniors, and in FHs case, also two assistant coaches. Sounds like both teams are coming in doing what they do every year - finding voids to fill after a banner year.
Exactly. Every year FH and Cathedral reload, not rebuild. It should be noted that Cathedral did find a new QB. He threw for 1312 yards and ran for 922.
Or as Coach Appel was quoted by the Times-News, "We don't rebuild, we practice." One of my all time favorite Appel quotes.
Over the year's especially last year the d line at FH wold have walked through fire for coach Mckenney. He will be hard to replace.
You do realize that McKenney actually opened up the FH defense playbook and in fact, installed new looks that past defensive guys never quite accomplished, right? He was not only given a HUGE amount of autonomy on calling the defense from the sideline, he was the on-field coach/leader as Appel was up top. I'm obviously not downplaying Appel's leadership and success, but if you "dont give [Coach McKenney] a lot of importance" in the defensive success FH has had over the past 11 years, then I'm not sure you are fully aware of how much influence he has had over the defensive cohesion on these teams. As someone else pointed out, the defensive players played as hard for John as they did for Todd. He had a great deal of ability over rallying the troops and squeezing more than 100% out of those kids when they needed it. The FH offense has thrown a couple wrinkles in here and there, but for the most part the offense hasn't changed much from year to year - but if you dont see the way McKenney revamped the defense, I'm not sure you watched the games with your eyes open. I think the last 5 titles FH has won, were made possible by a stifling defense that adapted better than many we've seen over the last 25 or more years.
I'm sure FH will stick with a lot of the schemes and plays McKenney put in place, but his presence (or lack thereof) will be hard to replace quickly. I'm sure the next coach will be more than capable, but they very well know they're stepping into some big shoes.
Losing McKenney will suck. But if you think Appel didn't have anything to do with calling the defense then you don't know Appel too well.
When does FH ever get to have "rebuild" years? Or is it just FH opponents that are always rebuilding? FH is a 1a public school. I take it CP has the ability to recruit. Which is a huge advantage and aids in rebuilding. They're 3x defending 4a pa champs. To cut it any other way than to say this is a huge pick up is just being petty, trivial and throwing shade in my book.
As any good head coach would he had a hand in there but Mckenney handled the defense.
When I ran everything thru my Lagorithm, the Lagmonster said agitation does not violate my social media rules.
There should be no doubt that Cathedral will have speed, a high octane offense and be well coached. The challenge will be like Dunbar against Alco, will Cathedral be able to muscle up against the type of offense that comes out of Cumberland.
We know they will study the tapes, but when it comes to knuckle-busting time, will Cathedral adjust. If not, then FH can still run 6 minutes or more off the clock, keep the game close with a score and shock the high school football world with a long field goal to win.
Boyz has to throw in the refs. Go back and watch the MCC game, all but maybe two of the penalties were legit, a third was a judgement call on a spearing that could have not been called on a slowed replay review, not calls were accepted and there were probably a half-dozen holding calls not called on MCC. Don’t ignore that FH had about 11 penalties.
Cathedral is not an NFL team so they are apparently not a good pick up for a hater.
Also, Boyz, by delegitimizing the loss of defensive and offensive coordinators calls into question your football experience. Yes, at FH and most every football team at any level the HC is king but the coordinators are vital at all levels. They know the schemes and adjustments to make as good or even better than the HC’s.
Cathedral is not an NFL team so they are apparently not a good pick up for a hater.
Also, Boyz, by delegitimizing the loss of defensive and offensive coordinators calls into question your football experience. Yes, at FH and most every football team at any level the HC is king but the coordinators are vital at all levels. They know the schemes and adjustments to make as good or even better than the HC’s.
Actually, I find the tenor of this thread so much better than the woke-scoldery found almost everywhere else.
I know of Of Coach Danny May. He’s had these kids in the lower levels :ie Patriots / Saints. But who is Toby main?
