ADVERTISEMENT

Fort Hill Hindsight - what's going on?

TDHelmick

Hall of Fame Poster
May 29, 2001
6,736
2,837
113
FORT HILL FOOTBALL DOMINATION
HINDSIGHT - what's going on?

November 19, 2021

Cumberland, MD - For those who understand football, in particular the history surrounding local Cumberland high school football lure, it's hard to ignore what's going on at Fort Hill in 2021 for the undefeated Sentinels.

For those tuning into the Maryland state playoffs at Greenway Avenue Stadium when this group takes the field, it's hard to ignore the sheer and complete domination. The Joppatowne Mariners have to be wondering what hit them Friday night in 32 degree weather right from the start. The school buses parked by the ambulance gate ready to head back to Joppa, just north of Baltimore, were already warming up to start the second quarter and the Mariners would have been well advised to just get out of town at that moment.

Shooting from the hip, no restraints...Joppatowne was most likely the least of any opponent this writer has seen play at Greenway in 2021. Or was it just a case of Fort Hill - now 100% healthy, COVID free and everyone on the roster legally available for the first time in a very long time - being so dominant? Probably a little of both.

The stats from this game are mind boggling. Fort Hill was up 42-0 at halftime. In that 24 minute first half span the time of possession was over 21 minutes for Jopppatowne and just over 2 minutes for Fort Hill. The Sentinels ran seven total offensive plays in the first half, scoring on four of them — and held Joppatowne to 63 total yards on 8 possessions.

REPEAT: The Sentinels ran seven total offensive plays in the first half, scoring on four of them and were up 42-0 on the scoreboard.

It was like watching a bunch of young men beat on a bunch of junior high students. Last week against Northern Garrett was the same exact thing as Fort Hill did whatever it wanted on literally every single play. The second half with a running clock has become an irrelevant norm. The Homecoming against rival Allegany wasn't much different.

We have all seen Fort Hill go on this type of run the past decade. The 2018 championship season was much the same once the playoff stretch began. Yet at the same time it was different for whatever reason. That team just peaked at the right time. This 2021 team hasn't looked back since Labor Day weekend on top of dealing with COVID and a year layoff under the guidance of a first year coaching staff.

But again, shooting from the hip, no restraints...Class 1A football outside of Allegany County is really, really, really bad right now. Splitting Maryland into six classifications instead of the usual four due to a MPSSAA COVID response only watered down the product. Fort Hill (and Mountain Ridge) are now playing in the quarterfinals against Class 1A teams that have posted .500 type records and the same will be the case again next week in the semifinals - a complete mismatch. COVID has wreaked football across the country from participation numbers to playing time to off-season training to basic skills. Oh, it shows up big time. The separation between the haves and have not's is as wide as it's ever been.

There are few people who did not believe that Fort Hill and Mountain Ridge were headed for a state championship grudge match in Annapolis the first week of December. We all have felt it and knew it long ago before the leaves started changing color. Coaches will cringe when it comes to looking ahead but the truth is Class 1A football is really bad. Ooops, said that already. And this sentiment is likely going to be the case next week in the semifinals when Fort Hill tackles Edmondson-Westside out of Baltimore City and Mountain Ridge tackles Perryville. If the MPSSAA had never set up the new six classifications, at least there would still be Dunbar. You remember the Poets? In fact, without the classification break up Mountain Ridge would be headed to Greenway this coming week and the winner would be getting Dunbar in Annapolis for all the marbles. Some things never change. Dunbar is favored to win the newly formed Class 1A-2A championship, one step up in school size from where they normally would be, although that class too is not much better in regards to competition levels.

Despite all this, there is still no question this Fort Hill team is driving a 2021 Porsche with 600 horsepower compared to the competition. The defense isn't large in size (outside of sophomore Carter Hess who may be the best lineman to ever come out of FH) but it's like watching 11 water bugs in a pond swarm to the ball at the lily pad. They are really quick across the board and then some. Offensively, the Sentinels have six to seven skill players who can make a difference and the offensive line, once considered to be an inexperienced question mark back in August, is now blowing open massive holes. Even the special teams coverage has hammered down.

Fort Hill freshmen were getting in on the act against Joppatowne. Jabril Daniels, wearing the meaningful #3 jersey in honor of his step brother Saiquan Jenkins, became the first freshman football player to score a varsity touchdown for the Sentinels since Brayden Poling in 2014 — and just the third 9th grader, along with Poling and Andre Pope (2001) to do so in multiple decades. His brother Gamil Daniels (#24) also a freshman, got in on the act and recorded an interception. Good stuff as these two have a really bright future (college coaches take notice). Then there is Blake White, likely to be voted the area's Most Valuable Player, who rushed for 151 yards on just 3 carries Friday night. The FH fullback (yeah, fullback) was blowing away cornerbacks who had the angle like the wind on long touchdown runs. But it's not just his offensive skills that stand out. Defensively he closes quick and covers everyone like glue in passing situations.

At this juncture of the season Fort Hill has become a Big Red Machine, very machine like on almost every play on both sides of the ball with a great deal of depth for the 10th smallest Maryland public school football program.

At the end of the day, given what has transpired since the pandemic, it's great to watch teenagers play football again despite a second half running clock while the Sentinel band is blaring Christmas tunes and the concessions have run out of hot chocolate in freezing weather.

But yea, that championship game looming in Annapolis is as big as it gets when looking back at the past century of Allegany County football. If the playoffs have showed fans anything it's going to be a Ridge versus a Hill. And despite the distance traveled to the state capital by both these teams while playing in the smallest classification, this one is likely to be the most crowded of all the championship games played that weekend by a large margin. Don't look ahead just yet is the ole adage. That's impossible right now.
 
I don't think enough can be said about the overall growth of this team as the year has progressed. It has to have something to do with the coaching staff as well as players finally getting to all play together. This article points that out in many ways.
I was a harsh critic of our last coaches post game interviews. Alkire is saying everything he should and keeping all the personal crap out. It's great to hear a coach praise his team, not diminish his opponent, not blast the MPSSAA, not blame the schedule makers, not talk about a kids grades, not mention work ethic, not call out a particular player for missing a block, and least of all not blaming the fans for not being like another school, all of which the previous coach did. These kids have to appreciate this walking the walk as much as talking the talk. He was very complimentary of his team last night saying that they were superb in all aspects, offense defense and special teams, and he couldn't have asked for more. That troubles me slightly. If he was watching the same game I was, or the radio announcers, or the tv announcers he'd know that the kickoff team is still pretty bad. There are people who are not staying in their lanes, and the missed tackles are amazing considering how sound the fundamentals are on offense and defense. I'm not saying call them out as bad just say you are pleased with the progress and we still have room for improvements. You could also say the offense and defense was great and not even mention special teams. If, and this is probably just him wanting to stay positive amidst all the chaos this season, he just wants to keep things in house and deal with them at the next practice I get that, but if he truly doesn't expect anymore from the kickoff team then that might be where within lies the problem. It's being picky but when you are playing an almost perfect game what else is there?
 
According to footballfridaynight.com thru 2020 Fort Hill has now moved up to the 2nd best “All-time win percentage“ in the country.
 
If they hadn't restructured according to the point average it would've been:

1. Dunbar
2. Fh
3. Sorry Carroll
4. Mt. Ridge

Semis

Mt. Ridge @ Dunbar
South Carroll @ FH
 
If they hadn't restructured according to the point average it would've been:

1. Dunbar
2. Fh
3. Sorry Carroll
4. Mt. Ridge

Semis

Mt. Ridge @ Dunbar
South Carroll @ FH
South Carroll was a 2A school before the MPSSAA broke everything into 6 classes for this year. If there were still only 4 classifications per usual it would have been:
1. Dunbar
2. FH
3. Mtn. Ridge
4. Could have been several teams
 
South Carroll was a 2A school before the MPSSAA broke everything into 6 classes for this year. If there were still only 4 classifications per usual it would have been:
1. Dunbar
2. FH
3. Mtn. Ridge
4. Could have been several teams
Gotcha. Max preps has them listed as 1A. My bad.
 
Idk Todd, MPSSAA has South Carroll a 1A as well in football according to their site for the 2021-2023 years.
 
Idk Todd, MPSSAA has South Carroll a 1A as well in football according to their site for the 2021-2023 years.
I saw that as well with South Carroll. Also Harford Tech who is playing in the 1A/2A Semifinals was listed as 1A in the original classifications.
 
Great to see Zack picking up where Todd left off. Still not sure how I would stack this team up against the teams from previous years, but that's really irrelevant anyways. Just good to see another title year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dwj21
Idk Todd, MPSSAA has South Carroll a 1A as well in football according to their site for the 2021-2023 years.
I stand corrected. You are right, I was looking at the 2019 classifications. The 2021-2023 list...South Carroll would have been in Class 1A if they did not split into 6 classifications.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dwj21
FORT HILL FOOTBALL DOMINATION
HINDSIGHT - what's going on?

November 19, 2021

Cumberland, MD - For those who understand football, in particular the history surrounding local Cumberland high school football lure, it's hard to ignore what's going on at Fort Hill in 2021 for the undefeated Sentinels.

For those tuning into the Maryland state playoffs at Greenway Avenue Stadium when this group takes the field, it's hard to ignore the sheer and complete domination. The Joppatowne Mariners have to be wondering what hit them Friday night in 32 degree weather right from the start. The school buses parked by the ambulance gate ready to head back to Joppa, just north of Baltimore, were already warming up to start the second quarter and the Mariners would have been well advised to just get out of town at that moment.

Shooting from the hip, no restraints...Joppatowne was most likely the least of any opponent this writer has seen play at Greenway in 2021. Or was it just a case of Fort Hill - now 100% healthy, COVID free and everyone on the roster legally available for the first time in a very long time - being so dominant? Probably a little of both.

The stats from this game are mind boggling. Fort Hill was up 42-0 at halftime. In that 24 minute first half span the time of possession was over 21 minutes for Jopppatowne and just over 2 minutes for Fort Hill. The Sentinels ran seven total offensive plays in the first half, scoring on four of them — and held Joppatowne to 63 total yards on 8 possessions.

REPEAT: The Sentinels ran seven total offensive plays in the first half, scoring on four of them and were up 42-0 on the scoreboard.

It was like watching a bunch of young men beat on a bunch of junior high students. Last week against Northern Garrett was the same exact thing as Fort Hill did whatever it wanted on literally every single play. The second half with a running clock has become an irrelevant norm. The Homecoming against rival Allegany wasn't much different.

We have all seen Fort Hill go on this type of run the past decade. The 2018 championship season was much the same once the playoff stretch began. Yet at the same time it was different for whatever reason. That team just peaked at the right time. This 2021 team hasn't looked back since Labor Day weekend on top of dealing with COVID and a year layoff under the guidance of a first year coaching staff.

But again, shooting from the hip, no restraints...Class 1A football outside of Allegany County is really, really, really bad right now. Splitting Maryland into six classifications instead of the usual four due to a MPSSAA COVID response only watered down the product. Fort Hill (and Mountain Ridge) are now playing in the quarterfinals against Class 1A teams that have posted .500 type records and the same will be the case again next week in the semifinals - a complete mismatch. COVID has wreaked football across the country from participation numbers to playing time to off-season training to basic skills. Oh, it shows up big time. The separation between the haves and have not's is as wide as it's ever been.

There are few people who did not believe that Fort Hill and Mountain Ridge were headed for a state championship grudge match in Annapolis the first week of December. We all have felt it and knew it long ago before the leaves started changing color. Coaches will cringe when it comes to looking ahead but the truth is Class 1A football is really bad. Ooops, said that already. And this sentiment is likely going to be the case next week in the semifinals when Fort Hill tackles Edmondson-Westside out of Baltimore City and Mountain Ridge tackles Perryville. If the MPSSAA had never set up the new six classifications, at least there would still be Dunbar. You remember the Poets? In fact, without the classification break up Mountain Ridge would be headed to Greenway this coming week and the winner would be getting Dunbar in Annapolis for all the marbles. Some things never change. Dunbar is favored to win the newly formed Class 1A-2A championship, one step up in school size from where they normally would be, although that class too is not much better in regards to competition levels.

Despite all this, there is still no question this Fort Hill team is driving a 2021 Porsche with 600 horsepower compared to the competition. The defense isn't large in size (outside of sophomore Carter Hess who may be the best lineman to ever come out of FH) but it's like watching 11 water bugs in a pond swarm to the ball at the lily pad. They are really quick across the board and then some. Offensively, the Sentinels have six to seven skill players who can make a difference and the offensive line, once considered to be an inexperienced question mark back in August, is now blowing open massive holes. Even the special teams coverage has hammered down.

Fort Hill freshmen were getting in on the act against Joppatowne. Jabril Daniels, wearing the meaningful #3 jersey in honor of his step brother Saiquan Jenkins, became the first freshman football player to score a varsity touchdown for the Sentinels since Brayden Poling in 2014 — and just the third 9th grader, along with Poling and Andre Pope (2001) to do so in multiple decades. His brother Gamil Daniels (#24) also a freshman, got in on the act and recorded an interception. Good stuff as these two have a really bright future (college coaches take notice). Then there is Blake White, likely to be voted the area's Most Valuable Player, who rushed for 151 yards on just 3 carries Friday night. The FH fullback (yeah, fullback) was blowing away cornerbacks who had the angle like the wind on long touchdown runs. But it's not just his offensive skills that stand out. Defensively he closes quick and covers everyone like glue in passing situations.

At this juncture of the season Fort Hill has become a Big Red Machine, very machine like on almost every play on both sides of the ball with a great deal of depth for the 10th smallest Maryland public school football program.

At the end of the day, given what has transpired since the pandemic, it's great to watch teenagers play football again despite a second half running clock while the Sentinel band is blaring Christmas tunes and the concessions have run out of hot chocolate in freezing weather.

But yea, that championship game looming in Annapolis is as big as it gets when looking back at the past century of Allegany County football. If the playoffs have showed fans anything it's going to be a Ridge versus a Hill. And despite the distance traveled to the state capital by both these teams while playing in the smallest classification, this one is likely to be the most crowded of all the championship games played that weekend by a large margin. Don't look ahead just yet is the ole adage. That's impossible right now.
But yea, that championship game looming in Annapolis is as big as it gets when looking back at the past century of Allegany County football. If the playoffs have showed fans anything it's going to be a Ridge versus a Hill. And despite the distance traveled to the state capital by both these teams while playing in the smallest classification, this one is likely to be the most crowded of all the championship games played that weekend by a large margin. Don't look ahead just yet is the ole adage. That's impossible right now.
I have to say after all the postings about population decline you'd think there is going to be a big crowd for this game. The FH playoff games have been very poorly attended, and the MR game against Alco didn't even have a full home crowd. To think MR is going to travel well after already being beat soundly by FH is optimistic. The think FH is going to travel well when fans aren't even able to to travel a couple miles to the stadium is very optimistic. I think in 3a you'll see more fans from Linganore alone than than FH and MR combined. I also think in 4a you'll see the same with Quince Orchard. Those schools have students that travel and pack Annapolis the likes city schools never see, or have ever seen. I'd love to be wrong on this one.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT