Well, with us being down to 2 regional teams and that game being a rematch, it seems there is little to talk about left for this season other than POY awards. So, thought maybe I'd start this that could carry over towards next year that may keep the board alive during the high school football winter. One thought I had is that I realize FH does not rebuild, they just reload, but can they possibly replace the quality seniors leaving this year with equal or better for next year? I personally feel that 3 and 4 year starting players such as #4, #5, #20 of FH will be extremely hard to replace with equal talent. So does that mean FH may come back a bit towards the rest of the pack? Also, will next year be Southern's year to challenge the Cumberland schools? Will Northern or Mt. Ridge improve enough to make next year a 1-4 Allegany and Garrett County regional playoffs. Of course none of us know for sure, but always enjoy the discussion.
I know it's early but some upcoming 2018 thoughts and predictions?
- Thread starter Redwhite90
- Start date
I'd hope we would at least get through a couple of basketball games and the rest of THIS season before we start on next year.....can we hold off?
Do you have any idea how many posts there were before the season even started about fh not being nearly as good this year...why? The reason was because they lost so much. One poster said we had no qb, one said we had no db's, one said we had no speed..before a game was played! The problem with a team winning state is the next year people are comparing them to that team and thinking because you lost a lot that you are going to be less. You never know who is next in line. Did anybody think there'd be a brown after there was a johnson?
Here's my personal opinion. The way fh plays you have to have a durable, dependable fb. Last year #20 came along later so we was actually the backup. There isn't anybody like that right now...is there somebody ready to step into that?
You need speed to get outside, we got that. I'm very impressed with a few players that have all gotten limited playing time but made the most of it, all juniors.
You need a great line to make all this work. You can't teach size so it comes down to do we have enough to stick with the only style we know. If we find that size we'll reload...if not, something has to give.
Yes from what I've seen no worries with speed in the backfield for next year for FH. Some of those underclassmen backs look faster than the seniors! The line as always is the key to that equation. Good post 4!
I understand that practice is part of FH's success, however, if you don't have "the horses in the barn", makes it quite difficult to field a successful team. How much practice would it take for Clear Spring or Brunswick to compete for the 1A title next year? By making season success = practice time, you are totally disregarding the countless hours that other teams put in over the year to try to improve. While FH's work ethic and program is proven, they are also benefitting from many of Cumberland's best athletes choosing to go to FH to be part of the machine. It's nothing illegal or immoral, its just a benefit that they currently enjoy that no other 1-A team ( besides ALCO ) west of Catonsville enjoys. So yes, they do "reload" and then practice!
I expect FH to be a top contender again next year for a number of reasons:
- Mark Manges told me that the depth Todd is building from top to bottom and from seniors down to the youth league teams has created a pipeline of bench strength that is scary. Todd gets it here, so that's a big part of the success.
- Speed is big, as most of you have said. There are a couple of FH football coaches who are track coaches as well, most notably Zack Alkire. Probably another one or two there also. Todd himself was involved with coaching track for years, which he probably doesn't do anymore, but he knows it's a direct contributor to his programs success. We'll throw the strength program in this point as well, which is obviously big.
- Continuity at the coaching positions, from freshman to varsity, also a key aspect. If you lose a coach here and there, which is normal, not a big deal. If you lose a few every year and always have new faces around, it's a little bit of a concern.
- Adapting each years overall strategies to personnel is another layup. When FH had Ty, Brayden, etc. those guys weren't just stars, but they commanded a lot of attention from defenses, thus opening up a lot for other players and other plays. With those guys gone, Todd & Co. have largely gone back to the Cumberland staple of power football, and it's worked very well.
Lot of things going well for FH because from top to bottom, they've rebuilt the program with all of the key aspects in mind after Coach Lattimers departure roughly a decade ago.
- Mark Manges told me that the depth Todd is building from top to bottom and from seniors down to the youth league teams has created a pipeline of bench strength that is scary. Todd gets it here, so that's a big part of the success.
- Speed is big, as most of you have said. There are a couple of FH football coaches who are track coaches as well, most notably Zack Alkire. Probably another one or two there also. Todd himself was involved with coaching track for years, which he probably doesn't do anymore, but he knows it's a direct contributor to his programs success. We'll throw the strength program in this point as well, which is obviously big.
- Continuity at the coaching positions, from freshman to varsity, also a key aspect. If you lose a coach here and there, which is normal, not a big deal. If you lose a few every year and always have new faces around, it's a little bit of a concern.
- Adapting each years overall strategies to personnel is another layup. When FH had Ty, Brayden, etc. those guys weren't just stars, but they commanded a lot of attention from defenses, thus opening up a lot for other players and other plays. With those guys gone, Todd & Co. have largely gone back to the Cumberland staple of power football, and it's worked very well.
Lot of things going well for FH because from top to bottom, they've rebuilt the program with all of the key aspects in mind after Coach Lattimers departure roughly a decade ago.
Alco has a pretty good jv team coming up. They should be good for runner up once again lol It sucks being the 2nd best team in 1A the past few yrs but it just shows how strong Cumberland football really is..
If the pasting the Alco freshmen gave the FH freshmen in the rematch is any indication, I would agree.
Well , Mt Ridge returns a pretty good athlete at QB , Northern returns a lot of their offensive backfield and Southern loses some backs but returns their entire OL and DL nearly intact as well as their QB, most of whom have started since sophs. I am hoping all 3 of those teams are better next year to set up some good, close regional games next year.
I'd love for the entirety of Western Maryland to be looked on as a contender every year, statewide.
Totally agree with you "Argox66", however what sucks is that after our teams make it through the playoffs we all get to drive through 6 county's to go to a stadium that seats between 30 and 60 thousand, pay $6 a cup for hot cocoa, $5 a cup for coffee, then wondering if your car's gonna be vandalized while at the game, just griping, forgive me please. Just get tired of "our" end of the state always getting hosed because them folks that live in a county 120 miles east of us run the state, including the highschool sports. Okay I'm done......thank goodness the wind died down.
Greenway would be able to handle a championship game, couldn't it?
Absolutely! Plus you wouldn't get held up at gates being frisked searched or going through metal detectors, and you'd be able to take a few items in other than a water in a clear plastic bottle, you know like they do at the prisons.
I'm glad that ALCO gets to play Dunbar again game one in 2018. Get em early and hopefully tag them with a loss early on. Will be a tall order to go down there and win but I think they have a much better chance early in the season.
not gonna happen. mark it down, make sure to call me out if i'm wrong. i won't be.
Any pro or high-level stadiums in Western Maryland I'm not aware of? And there is no more chance for something to happen to your car in Annapolis than there is in South Cumberland.
Lmao yeah right.. Every FH fan that I talked to had Dunbar winning big.. Some are even now saying BUT they won't beat them next yr. In Baltimore..
Crickets?? Give me time to respond lol. You might check this board every 15 mins but I don't..
So when you say they you weren't referring to me or you would know that it is an inaccurate statement. Earlier this year you responded to one of my emails and said "i always tell the truth" but you seem to think others don't always tell the truth. I predicted alco would win, and I was very happy that they did. In the end, fh needed that point to have home field advantage against lackey.
I told you I hate losing to allegany but that doesn't mean i don't want them to win so we get more points. I'm not saying next year I don't want allegany to win i simply said it's not going to happen. if you were really interested in discussing football and not being defensive i think you would have asked me why i felt that way.
I've complimented you on your posts because 99% of the time I agree with them and enjoy them and find them accurate. A discussion with different opinions is fine too. I'm a little disappointed you didn't want to have that discussion. no hard feelings.
??? Are you talking to me??? I've never responded to any email so I think you have the wrong guy..
Sorry, for late response. Every FH fan that has a clue about football including many Baltimore Sun posters picked Allegany over Dunbar. They know their poets don’t start the season as well greased as Allegany. Maybe that’s your problem, you are hanging around the wrong people to talk football. There were fort hill fans on here that picked you guys. I told my family you guys would win. I just don’t think you understand the difference in week 1 and week 14. And you may never learn if you can’t get out of your region. Or can you look back far enough when you got spanked by Dunbar in a title game. You should feel lucky FH and Allegany were in different classifications for so long. With the record you have against us head to head you wouldn’t have 8. The difference is I’m proud of your 8 but it burns you it only took us 4 years to put a dent in that lead.
yep, you were the one that said "they all said that this year"...try to keep up, i'll type slower
It took a little more than 4 years. Allegany won thier 8th title in 2005 so it took at least 11 years to still be 2 behind
Probably burns about as much as losing a state title to a team that couldn't beat your rival
I cant believe you admit that Fort Hill didnt get better from week one until the end of the season.
Explains losing, though, doesn't it.
It's nice seeing you so happy that Fort Hill has finally found success scraping the bottom of the football barrel. Imagine all your crying if Cumberland hadnt rotted away and Fort Hill still had to play in 2A or 3A.
You have to remember that FHFan is the guy that thought Fort Hill would beat Dunbar by 14 points.
Let me type slower.. I was responding to your post about me replying to one of your emails. NOT TRUE I've never sent you an email in my life and I sure as shit didn't say you always tell the truth..Lmao you have me confused with someone else.. No hard feelings just get it straight and don't put words in my mouth..
