I've seen on several threads so much rhetoric, and who struck John about why or why not Fort Hill and Martinsburg should play each other. I did some very simple research, and found that during a 73 year period between 1937-2010 these teams played each other 72 times. Basically every year. Fort Hill holds a 46-23-3 advantage. My question is why did they stop playing each other. The real reason. Seems they had a good thing going. Just wondering
Fort Hill V Martinsburg
- Thread starter ravemwp
- Start date
Like I said, I have seen many different opinions of why they should or should not schedule each other. My question is why after 72 games against each other over 73 years what changed after the 2010 season to end the rivalry so to speak. I found that in the history of FH football the only team FH has played more than Martinsburg is Alco. I am not on either side of if they should or shouldn't. Just wondering what happened for its stoppage after the 2010 season. Can't seem to find that info.
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Because FH was no longer competitive with them. Period. And that's fine. Because it USED to matter when you lost games. Now that it doesnt the reasoning doesn't hold water.
FH left the conference by choosing not to play Martinsburg, which in turn caused the other teams to not give them preference anymore if they were going to pick and choose which conference members to play. Makes total sense to me. Had FH not stopped playing Martinsburg when they did and for the reason they did, I still think all those CVAL teams would still be on the schedule.
Flash forward and now the argument against playing Martinsburg is because those other former CVAL teams won't play FH? Sounds like karma to me.
FH left the conference by choosing not to play Martinsburg, which in turn caused the other teams to not give them preference anymore if they were going to pick and choose which conference members to play. Makes total sense to me. Had FH not stopped playing Martinsburg when they did and for the reason they did, I still think all those CVAL teams would still be on the schedule.
Flash forward and now the argument against playing Martinsburg is because those other former CVAL teams won't play FH? Sounds like karma to me.
A better question would be what happened to the CVAL. None of those teams play each other any more.
Put the CVAL back together and FH would jump for joy to play Martinsburg again every year. Can't make it any more simple.
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Thanks. Knowing the reason why they originally stopped playing will help me better understand todays situation
Maybe time to break some bread, and make the peace all around. Get a group in the same room.
That is the one that I most remember. It started going a little sideways when the Hagerstown teams began to pull out.
North Hagerstown dropped out of the CVAL after the 1988 season. From 1989 - 1996, the league consisted of Fort Hill, Hedgesville, Jefferson and Martinsburg (Allegany may have been in for a few years after 1988 but they were not in the CVAL in the mid-1990’s. In 1997, Musselman came into the league.
After FH dropped out of the CVAL, the league evolved into the Eastern Panhandle Athletic Conference (EPAC). It currently consists of Martinsburg, Musselman, Hedgesville, Jefferson, Washington, and Spring Mills.
If FH stayed and the CVAL survived and it evolved with the creation of Washington and Spring Mills, Fort Hill may have 6 guaranteed games per year from the CVAL, then two guaranteed games per year with Allegany and Mountain Ridge. If the league survived the WV ratings system changes that occurred and teams could keep FH on the schedule with the 9 game season change in MD with MD still starting a week later than WV, FH would only need to seek one game per year. But this is a fictional utopia that does not exist.
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Since Coach Hahn at Fort Hill won 4 CVAL titles, it looks like the original, original teams were:
Allegany
Fort Hill
Martinsburg
Hagerstown
Frederick
Handley (have to double check this against the Alco schedule for the 1950s)
*Think I'm right here - Handley Coach Maddex and Hahn were at Shepherd together in the 30's
Handley had a new coach starting in 1961 - probably the reason they dropped out.
In 1957, it became North and South Hagerstown with the other 5....
Handley dropped out starting in 1961.....
Frederick dropped out in 1967 replaced by Thomas Johnson....
TJ dropped out in 1972 replaced by Frederick.....see Todd's post above.....
Will have to research all this in the Cumberland Times-News archives since my
interest is up......hope that fills in some gaps.
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Handley officially withdrew from the CVAL after the 57-58 school year, although they continued to play most of the other league teams for a couple years thereafter. The reason given by the Handley principal in the Winchester paper was that Virginia had a higher age limit for athletes than Maryland or West Virginia, and that some of the league members had apparently objected to continuing an arrangement wherein each school went by their own state's eligibility standards.
In 1960 there was a big VHSL realignment and Handley was able to join the newly formed Northwestern District, which meant dropping most of the CVAL opponents.
In 1960 there was a big VHSL realignment and Handley was able to join the newly formed Northwestern District, which meant dropping most of the CVAL opponents.
Believe in the late 1950's Westminster was in the CVAL. Also played Handley (Winchester) for many years, not sure if they were in the CVAL.
Have you come across, in any of your research, how drastically the population of the FH student body has shrunk and how much the M'burg student body grew?
Old Mill is almost double the size of Martinsburg. Oakdale is about the same size. Enrollment is not the issue.
No I haven't. So in your opinion this 72 game series was ended due to enrollment after the 2010 season. I did however find that FH has played teams with equal to, and greater enrollment than Martinsburg. Growing up in Cumberland FH v Martinsburg was a staple here every year. I've been gone a long time, so not really familiar with recent issues. Maybe there is no single reason for the series to end. Sometimes in order to fix something worth fixing everyone involved needs to take a step back and address the real issues, as opposed to making excuses. If it is not worth saving then all of this is mute. Maybe it's time for many ADs to get in the same room together. Not just FH and Martinsburg, but ADs from Allegany, Garrett, Washington,and Frederick counties. With the new playoff system in place, it could be time for other changes. Just one man's opinion.
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This is a good ole discussion digging way back. Pretty cool.
I do know one of the reasons FH bailed from the CVAL around 2006 or 2007 was to join the newly formed AMAC (Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference). That league was actually formed for football specifically and the then head coach at Southern (Tom Woods) was the first chairman of the league.
The teams were Alco, FH, Mtn Ridge, Northern, Southern, Frankfort, Keyser. The same exact teams in the CAYFL youth league. Guaranteed 6 football games every year.
It also opened up a deal for all sports, not just football. So FH jumped in. Two years later Frankfort was the first to bail out of the football agreement and then Northern. The league existed after that for all sports but football.
At the time it felt like the right move to join the AMAC. Using hindsight it pretty much screwed FH royally. Although I honestly don't believe FH would be in that WV league now even if the AMAC was never formed.
I do know one of the reasons FH bailed from the CVAL around 2006 or 2007 was to join the newly formed AMAC (Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference). That league was actually formed for football specifically and the then head coach at Southern (Tom Woods) was the first chairman of the league.
The teams were Alco, FH, Mtn Ridge, Northern, Southern, Frankfort, Keyser. The same exact teams in the CAYFL youth league. Guaranteed 6 football games every year.
It also opened up a deal for all sports, not just football. So FH jumped in. Two years later Frankfort was the first to bail out of the football agreement and then Northern. The league existed after that for all sports but football.
At the time it felt like the right move to join the AMAC. Using hindsight it pretty much screwed FH royally. Although I honestly don't believe FH would be in that WV league now even if the AMAC was never formed.
I would also add that if FH had scheduled Martinsburg this season and lost, they would have been headed on the playoff road to play at Joppatowne or at Mountain Ridge. You can say home field advantage in the playoffs, who cares. But don't tell one of the coaches that it doesn't matter.
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