Fort Hill vs Mountain Ridge 1A State Title Game

[bigdawgrefwmd]

I am actually stunned by the outcome...
I believe this is the best Team Ever from Frostburg.... BEALL or MOUNTAIN RIDGE and somehow someway they let this slip away.

 

[Argox66]

I am actually stunned by the outcome...
I believe this is the best Team Ever from Frostburg.... BEALL or MOUNTAIN RIDGE and somehow someway they let this slip away.

Hopefully this will continue being a rivalry for a long while. Two good teams and staffs.

 

[MCsoccerplex]

This game showed the strength of each team’s defense. Both teams have multiple athletes on offense, but most were shut down tonight in key moments.

I have said this multiple times on this forum, and I know another poster said the same thing in an earlier post…high school goal posts are 6’ wider than college goal posts and the hash marks aren’t as wide on a college field. The FG attempt by QC earlier in the fourth quarter would have been good on a high school field.

Playing a state championship game on a college field is a significant disadvantage to a high school team with a good kicker.

Congrats to both teams!

 

[cumbfanatic]

Ridge got conservative in second half on offense, must have thought they had the game in control

 

[MCsoccerplex]

MR’s #8 took a heck of a “clean” hit by FH’s #77 just before the end of the first half…not sure if this had any impact on #8 - a heck of an athlete.

I hope he is okay.

 

[GenSneaky]

Great Game!!! Was a lil surprised, but FH studies film a lot. They came with the right adjustments.

Congrats to Ridge for a hard fought game!

 

[Dwj21]

Hopefully this will continue being a rivalry for a long while. Two good teams and staffs.

MR jv got wrecked this year by FH. It's not going to be competitive for at least a few years. Watch.

 

[encroachmentatthetwenty]

Ridge got conservative in second half on offense, must have thought they had the game in control

I disagree. FH defense shut down MR. Much like MR shut down FH.

 

[beall02]

It will be rough for Mountain Ridge next year. They are losing a ton to graduation. Almost all of the starters are gone. I will be interested to see what the team looks like next year.

 

[beall02]

WOW 4th and 1 on your own 27 and you go for it...? WOW it could be a long trip back to The Burg

At the time I was thinking what in the world are you doing. It had a huge impact on the game. Not just because they didn't make it. It pretty much made the entire fourth quarter be played in Mountain Ridge territory.

The decision was made quickly, hurry up to the line and go for it. Then a timeout. Before the timeout they were lined up under center. After it, they lined up in the shotgun. Not running the play and calling the timeout cost MR the game in more ways than one. It cost them a timeout, they didn't make it, and it forced the rest of the game to be played in MR territory. It should be noted that #8 is MR's normal punter and he was injured. #10 did the last punt of the game. And it didn't go that well for MR.

 

[MCsoccerplex]

I felt like I was watching international football (aka soccer in the U. S.) when considering how many minutes players were given attention on the field in what appeared to be leg cramps due to dehydration.

It happened in the Dunbar game, too, but the players were off the field in a short period of time.

My hope is the leg issues were not anything more serious than leg cramps.

 

[beall02]

I have to go back and rewatch the broadcast. There were so many drives by both teams that I lost track and time and when it happened.

Mountain Ridge had a couple pass plays that were dropped and it not only cost them potential big plays, it set them behind in the chains. If I remember correctly, it happened in one of the drives to end the first half, maybe both, or maybe the first drive in the third quarter.

#8 for MR leaving the game due to injury hurt them on offense, defense and special teams. I believe that someone said it on here, the hit he took towards the end of the first half may have been when it all started.

 

[beall02]

I felt like I was watching international football (aka soccer in the U. S.) when considering how many minutes players were given attention on the field in what appeared to be leg cramps due to dehydration.

It happened in the Dunbar game, too, but the players were off the field in a short period of time.

My hope is the leg issues were not anything more serious than leg cramps.

I don't know 100%, but I believe that #8's injury was something other than leg cramps. But I could be wrong. It is what it looked like, initially, in the first injury timeout.

 

[MCsoccerplex]

I have to go back and rewatch the broadcast. There were so many drives by both teams that I lost track and time and when it happened.

Mountain Ridge had a couple pass plays that were dropped and it not only cost them potential big plays, it set them behind in the chains. If I remember correctly, it happened in one of the drives to end the first half, maybe both, or maybe the first drive in the third quarter.

#8 for MR leaving the game due to injury hurt them on offense, defense and special teams. I believe that someone said it on here, the hit he took towards the end of the first half may have been when it all started.

I think the clean hit by FH’s #77 was the last play of the first half. #8 was not the same player in the second half.

If you watch the broadcast, it is about 1 hour - 8 minutes and 40 seconds into it. It was the last play of the half that resulted in FH’s #1 intercepting the pass.

 

[FHHSAHS]

If it was something other than leg cramps, the trainer flexing the leg up and pressing the heel back into his shin for 10 minutes was the worst thing any health professional could do.

 

[theprocessworks]

At the time I was thinking what in the world are you doing. It had a huge impact on the game. Not just because they didn't make it. It pretty much made the entire fourth quarter be played in Mountain Ridge territory.

The decision was made quickly, hurry up to the line and go for it. Then a timeout. Before the timeout they were lined up under center. After it, they lined up in the shotgun. Not running the play and calling the timeout cost MR the game in more ways than one. It cost them a timeout, they didn't make it, and it forced the rest of the game to be played in MR territory. It should be noted that #8 is MR's normal punter and he was injured. #10 did the last punt of the game. And it didn't go that well for MR.

MR made a huge mistake. They must have thought they were in Frbg in Oct with Kenny J. on the field. At Navy w/out overcompensaters is adv FH.

 

[FortHillFan89]

I said the same thing about the goal posts on the way to the game. If the first fg was good would it had changed mr's play calling being behind. They really should be playing on a regulation high school field. Yes the cramp time outs were excessively long.

 

[FHHSAHS]

MR made a huge mistake. They must have thought they were in Frbg in Oct with Kenny J. on the field. At Navy w/out overcompensaters is adv FH.

I am blown away by the number of Ridge fans on social media talking about how lopsided these refs were and how the better team didn't win.

Did I miss something? This was about as clean a game as I've seen called all season. If calls were missed, they were consistently missed on both sides because I really didn't see much controversy at all.

 

[3rd and goals]

Does anyone know what the total yardage numbers for the whole game but specifically the second half? I’ve been trying to think of how many yards MR could’ve had in the second half

 

[MCsoccerplex]

I am blown away by the number of Ridge fans on social media talking about how lopsided these refs were and how the better team didn't win.

Did I miss something? This was about as clean a game as I've seen called all season. If calls were missed, they were consistently missed on both sides because I really didn't see much controversy at all.

You did not miss anything.

I believe FH was penalized for 50+ yards and MR for 30+ yards.

Those folks need to also consider FH was inside the MR 30 three times and came away without points.

They seem to forget as bad as FH played on October 7th they still had more yards than MR.

Both teams played their hearts out today.

FH won! End of story.

 

[4R341]

I don't know 100%, but I believe that #8's injury was something other than leg cramps. But I could be wrong. It is what it looked like, initially, in the first injury timeout.

I wondered about this. He was hammered pretty hard. Hopefully, it wasn't some sort of nerve pain in his back radiating to his leg(s).

Anyway, he was a big reason for MR's success and I hope it was just cramps.

 

[MCsoccerplex]

Here is a link to all the stats:

https://www.mpssaa.org/assets/1/6/1A_STATE_Final_-_Mountain_Ridge_vs._Fort_Hill.pdf

FH had the ball for 28+ minutes to MR’s 19+ minutes.

Superb and detailed stats!

 

[4R341]

I am blown away by the number of Ridge fans on social media talking about how lopsided these refs were and how the better team didn't win.

Did I miss something? This was about as clean a game as I've seen called all season. If calls were missed, they were consistently missed on both sides because I really didn't see much controversy at all.

It's simple. Losing sucks and some people just don't deal with it very well. I rewatched the game and unfortunately, NFHS's crappy camerawork didn't really show much one way or the other, definitively. Let's face it, we're both from Western MD. The refs downstate hate us equally.

 

[5punisher3]

This might be a conversation for another thread but did anyone else notice certain players dads on the sidelines of FH? Are they on staff or something? I’ve never known parents to be on the sidelines before so it took me by surprise. Maybe I just wasn’t paying close enough attention before.
Either way it seems like a conflict of interest to me and is setting a precedent for every other kids dad to want to be on the sidelines 🤷‍♂️
Anyhow, congrats to both teams for a hard fought battle! Both should be extremely proud of themselves!

 

[FHHSAHS]

This might be a conversation for another thread but did anyone else notice certain players dads on the sidelines of FH? Are they on staff or something? I’ve never known parents to be on the sidelines before so it took me by surprise. Maybe I just wasn’t paying close enough attention before.
Either way it seems like a conflict of interest to me and is setting a precedent for every other kids dad to want to be on the sidelines 🤷‍♂️
Anyhow, congrats to both teams for a hard fought battle! Both should be extremely proud of themselves!

One of them is the team chaplain. I don't think it's really all that new of a thing though. Nothing really to see here.

 

[Waggle Pass]

One of them is the team chaplain. I don't think it's really all that new of a thing though. Nothing really to see here.

Yes. It's not the first time.

 

[4inarowtopthat]

I won't say the number, but again, the tailback runs out of bounds three yards short instead of trying to plow ahead for the needed yards. FH must put the shoulder down and plow forward. They look as flat as when they met the first time.

he wasn't the only one. on a reverse that was looking like a td with one man to beat our back just ran out of bounds. he didn't put a shoulder down, or cut back, just ran out..watching the replay back i still can't figure out why he did that.

 

[4inarowtopthat]

4th down at the 33 and you punt? WTF? touchback punt for 13 yards smh

This might go down as just one of the most perplexing calls in the history of FH football. What were you hoping to gain? If you wanted to pin them deep then why punt it towards the end zone? Not that it was a smart call, but if you truly think it is then punt to the sideline so it at least has a chance to roll out of bounds instead of the end zone.
I have never seen FH's special teams so out of it as they have been all season. Between not fielding punts, missing extra points, snaps going over the head of the punter, or nearly over, hardly any decent returns...this needs to be looked at big time in the off season. Is somebody new coaching special teams...if they are that would explain it.

 

[FHHSAHS]

On the contrary, FHs special teams played a huge part in keeping them in this game. And winning it. Imo

 

[3rd and goals]

On the contrary, FHs special teams played a huge part in keeping them in this game. And winning it. Imo

Cohen averaged 50 yards a punt and was able to flip field position when needed in the first half and also kept ridge pinned inside their 20 on his kick offs.

I also think this was the best kick and punt coverage team FH May have ever had. They made great open field tackles.

 

[TDHelmick]

This might go down as just one of the most perplexing calls in the history of FH football. What were you hoping to gain? If you wanted to pin them deep then why punt it towards the end zone? Not that it was a smart call, but if you truly think it is then punt to the sideline so it at least has a chance to roll out of bounds instead of the end zone.
I have never seen FH's special teams so out of it as they have been all season. Between not fielding punts, missing extra points, snaps going over the head of the punter, or nearly over, hardly any decent returns...this needs to be looked at big time in the off season. Is somebody new coaching special teams...if they are that would explain it.

What high school coaches always forget is that a field goal attempt is the same as a punt in high school. The other teams gets the ball wherever it lands. So a missed FG attempt into the end zone is a touch back. I would have tried a FG instead of punting it from that spot. Although the thought was FH could pin Mtn Ridge back inside the 20. Just didn't get the punt to stick. Had he, it would have been a great call.

 

[Tony54]

This might go down as just one of the most perplexing calls in the history of FH football. What were you hoping to gain? If you wanted to pin them deep then why punt it towards the end zone? Not that it was a smart call, but if you truly think it is then punt to the sideline so it at least has a chance to roll out of bounds instead of the end zone.
I have never seen FH's special teams so out of it as they have been all season. Between not fielding punts, missing extra points, snaps going over the head of the punter, or nearly over, hardly any decent returns...this needs to be looked at big time in the off season. Is somebody new coaching special teams...if they are that would explain it

I was wondering the same thing. If number five Had fielded the one bad punt it was a clear touchdown no one from the defense on that side of the field. Not fielding Punts is a real head scratcher

 

[Dorito88]

Md

I was wondering the same thing. If number five Had fielded the one bad punt it was a clear touchdown no one from the defense on that side of the field. Not fielding Punts is a real head scratcher

agreed he catches that punt on the bounce and takes off down the fort hill sidelines no one was even close