Wow, that will be Cathedrals 6th game of the season. Big Test for FH. Being at home will be a huge help
OFFICIAL Fort Hill Football 2019 Schedule
- Thread starter TDHelmick
- Start date
Ur welcome!
Contracts are not finalized, which makes these social media things frustrating. It should also be noted that another school still has a contract that FH has been waiting on.
Erie Cathedral Prep is the defending Pennsylvania Class 4A consecutive three time state champion. In simpler terms...they have won the state title three years in a row. The fact MaxPreps has them as the No. 2 ranked Pennsylvania team last year is all you really need to know.
I have stated many times that the new MD playoff format would loosen things up with teams that were fearful of scheduling tougher competition and fingers crossed that can become a wide spread effect for everyone. I'm sorry that a team like Clear Spring may have get a running clock put on them in the first round of these new playoffs now. But it also means fans should be able to see more regular season games like this from everyone. My hopes when I organized and submitted this new MPSSAA playoff format three years go have been realized to a degree with all this. Nobody should be penalized for adding Fort Hill or Cathedral Prep, etc to their football schedules. Yes, it can affect playoff point positioning/home field advantage and I would still like to see the MPSSAA award points even if you lose. One step at a time I guess. This is all good. Get your Thursday night popcorn ready (or stadium pizza)!!!!!
Contracts are not finalized, which makes these social media things frustrating. It should also be noted that another school still has a contract that FH has been waiting on.
Erie Cathedral Prep is the defending Pennsylvania Class 4A consecutive three time state champion. In simpler terms...they have won the state title three years in a row. The fact MaxPreps has them as the No. 2 ranked Pennsylvania team last year is all you really need to know.
I have stated many times that the new MD playoff format would loosen things up with teams that were fearful of scheduling tougher competition and fingers crossed that can become a wide spread effect for everyone. I'm sorry that a team like Clear Spring may have get a running clock put on them in the first round of these new playoffs now. But it also means fans should be able to see more regular season games like this from everyone. My hopes when I organized and submitted this new MPSSAA playoff format three years go have been realized to a degree with all this. Nobody should be penalized for adding Fort Hill or Cathedral Prep, etc to their football schedules. Yes, it can affect playoff point positioning/home field advantage and I would still like to see the MPSSAA award points even if you lose. One step at a time I guess. This is all good. Get your Thursday night popcorn ready (or stadium pizza)!!!!!
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FH now hits a three game stretch that includes road games at Morgantown, at Hollidaysburg. That's a super tough stretch to open the season. It should also be noted that all three of these teams have more practice and more games under their belts as they all begin play a week or two before all the Maryland public schools.
Yes and Alco plays Smithsburg Friday night at the stadium. Finding a team to fill the FH final opening has been a torture. So many deals that were almost done but fell through.
Regardless of the community opinions, Great job and thank you for what you do for all the area kids.
Well, if this Cathedral game falls thru, Be prepared for comments such as the following:. Here come the "FH was scared to play somebody who the clock wouldn't run against", "just like Friendship, FH would loose this year and drop Cathedral", "Cathedral really isn't that good, they are not a top 10 team in Maryland", "another team that FH ducked", "just like FH being scared to play Martinsburg" and of course the "FH won't plat Cathedral but we played Dunbar." Do you see the direction Im going with this?
Well, if Cathedral has posted the information, they must have signed on their end. Now, if FH is holding out awaiting someone else.... well, then... there... now. So, let's see how this plays out. But again, if a school posts the game on their schedule, they have signed. If this isn't locked, then it is FH that is holding out for other options.
Cool. Done deal then I suppose. Cathedral has the game on their webpage, so this isn't just social media rumor.
Credit to my brother Todd Helmick. He does it again. FH should pay this man. For many seasons he had given the big red a balanced schedule. Critics hammer him on the Capital Christians and Silver Oaks. But he has also given us Cathedral,Melbourne, Friendship, Sherando, Holidaysburg and Motown. With Keyser and Alco and Mt Ridge FH has had great schedules. Remember, just a season ago many of these same critics had Mt. Ridge, Alco and Southern beating the Sentinels. We see how that turned out. A combined score of 155-17(late td on FH 2nd and 3rd teams in the 2nd Southern game or 155-9) in those 4 games. Still just a 1A school.
Remember, Appel himself criticized Helmick on the radio for scheduling those tough games.
And I dont remember anyone saying FH would lose to all three of those teams, which all happen to be 1A schools themselves.
I am unaware that anybody posted in this forum that Alco would beat FH last year. Hell, they were in total collapse by Homecoming.
Oh, thanks for turning a positive twist in this forum (where folks congratulate FH's schedule) to just another bash-everybody-else type piece of shit thread.
why does everyone have to be so negative? Can't people just be happy the game got scheduled and leave it at that? Instead of turning it into some me against the world us against them. Everyone in the area should be happy and come out and support FH in this challenge. Jeez people give it a break.
Everyone isn't. The red-jackets are an I'm wonderful-you're-nobody-bite-my-crank bunch of cry-bullies.
PLEASE STOP. No more Alco vs. FH crapping on each other thread. From both sides it's on every freaking thread here.
My last post was in no way directed to alco posters just the ones that disrespected fh early on. Some were even Fh posters if I remember correctly.
Even if a potential rebuilding year, that is a hell of a program. FH really stepping up their competitive game. Hats off to all who made it happen. - lag
Holy Smokes!! this is a must see Thursday night football game. - dawg
Did anyone look on max preps at FH schedule for 9/27 game lol...... It says they play Paw Paw at the constitution park where the tank was lol
I was thinking it, but you said it! After the negative comments toward TH I'm shocked he even tries...now let's just see if he gets hammered for it after fh loses.
This is a really good FH team, they are big, fast, strong and have a kicker. They do not look anything like a 1A football team. This team is going be good.
Now is the time and Greenway is the place.
You know, long term there will be more young men having played football in Cumberland with a 1A ring than not.
But this game.... Ah, this game is a singular best-of-one-against-the-best-of-another and a potential achievement so great that the real risk is all Cathedral's.
I figured FH had to have some dogs for this game to get the stamp of approval. Does anyone know the size of the lineman?
Big thick kids. FH has a junior lineman that no one on here has talked about yet, he is legit D1 and probably a power 5. He just came back from Penn St. Prospect camp and did very well. He should have been on Varsity last year. I have seen a lot of potential D1 kids since the early 80’s. This kid will go.
Some of those kids at the FH youth camp last week looked like they were 20 years old. I know size does not always equate to a great football player but they have some multiple 6'4, 6'3 kids across the board with FH weight room size. If one just looks at them from a physical standpoint it is intimidating.
But if you go through some of the Cathedral Prep google results and look at photos...those guys all look like grown men with top athletic talent. Enough so to make you think this was a bad idea. But it's not a bad idea, even if FH gets trounced now that the playoffs are what they are. I hope bigsavage buys me a slice of stadium pie that night rain or shine
If you look back to the year Coach Appel was a senior (1986 season), Fort Hill played a three game stretch of Frederick, Martinsburg and Magruder. That was as brutal of a stretch as any FH team would see. Frederick was recognized in Street & Smith magazine that year, playing at Martinsburg Death Valley has always been unfriendly and Magruder was an undeniable state champion. This stretch in 2019 won't be easy either. FH is trying to replace an entire defense. Although every year FH is trying to replace large chunks of experience. It was a complete overhaul of the offensive and defensive lines last year. That's how they always roll.
Thanks for the information. These are the games people live for. As critical as I have been in the past of scheduling, I think even myself would have thought twice about scheduling this opponent. Although there's no shame in a loss and everything to gain. I would submit FH has already won by simply scheduling the game and challenging themselves. Todd I'll definitely be at this one... Although buying you pizza would mean I would have to give up my anonymity and that would defeat the purpose of screen names... lol
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Agree on your point here Todd. Great parallel with the 1986 season. Frederick was ranked 25 in the east coast region. We lost on the last play of the game. At Martinsburg we won 23-21 on a FG with about a minute to play and then lost to Magruder in a game we were winning at the half. We were 2-2 and ran off 8 straight wins losing eventually to Magruder again in the finals. A game we were winning 7-6 at the half. This, again, is where I always agree with Lagmonster. That season was fun. An automatic win back then was North and South Hagerstown. We were 2-2 and almost didn’t make the playoffs.Some of those kids at the FH youth camp last week looked like they were 20 years old. I know size does not always equate to a great football player but they have some multiple 6'4, 6'3 kids across the board with FH weight room size. If one just looks at them from a physical standpoint it is intimidating.
But if you go through some of the Cathedral Prep google results and look at photos...those guys all look like grown men with top athletic talent. Enough so to make you think this was a bad idea. But it's not a bad idea, even if FH gets trounced now that the playoffs are what they are. I hope bigsavage buys me a slice of stadium pie that night rain or shine
If you look back to the year Coach Appel was a senior (1986 season), Fort Hill played a three game stretch of Frederick, Martinsburg and Magruder. That was as brutal of a stretch as any FH team would see. Frederick was recognized in Street & Smith magazine that year, playing at Martinsburg Death Valley has always been unfriendly and Magruder was an undeniable state champion. This stretch in 2019 won't be easy either. FH is trying to replace an entire defense. Although every year FH is trying to replace large chunks of experience. It was a complete overhaul of the offensive and defensive lines last year. That's how they always roll.
When all is said and done, FH has made their way to state champion by playing all playoff games on their home field except the championship games. If they don't end up with home field advantage and have to play a tough opponent on the road such as a Gwynn Park or Dunbar I for one won't think it was worth it. Getting into the playoffs is one thing but having that home field has meant everything to FH in the most recent years.Some of those kids at the FH youth camp last week looked like they were 20 years old. I know size does not always equate to a great football player but they have some multiple 6'4, 6'3 kids across the board with FH weight room size. If one just looks at them from a physical standpoint it is intimidating.
But if you go through some of the Cathedral Prep google results and look at photos...those guys all look like grown men with top athletic talent. Enough so to make you think this was a bad idea. But it's not a bad idea, even if FH gets trounced now that the playoffs are what they are. I hope bigsavage buys me a slice of stadium pie that night rain or shine
If you look back to the year Coach Appel was a senior (1986 season), Fort Hill played a three game stretch of Frederick, Martinsburg and Magruder. That was as brutal of a stretch as any FH team would see. Frederick was recognized in Street & Smith magazine that year, playing at Martinsburg Death Valley has always been unfriendly and Magruder was an undeniable state champion. This stretch in 2019 won't be easy either. FH is trying to replace an entire defense. Although every year FH is trying to replace large chunks of experience. It was a complete overhaul of the offensive and defensive lines last year. That's how they always roll.
Since the FH title run began in 2013, they have played 18 playoff games - all of them at home. The only game that might have been different had it been on the road was Lackey in 2017. The other 17 games would have been blowouts regardless of where the game was played. That is what 1A has become.
Assuming FH continues their same success, losing to Cathedral Prep and finishing 8-1 or even 7-2 isn't likely to push them out of home field. Although you may be right about Gwynn Park. Since they dropped back to 1A their schedule went from being monster to really bad. And of course, if FH has to go on the road to play Dunbar in something other than the title game then you can say Cathedral Prep was a mistake. But has the world really become this, where now it's not just about scheduling to make the playoffs but scheduling to get home field playoff games? I dunno, ask Keyser. I guess so. Sigh.
After the last 2 playoff runs. You don’t need to schedule for home field, you need to schedule to guarantee you meet havre de grace in the semis. Dunbar cakewalked past them 2 years ago and won the title and FH did the same thing last year. Whoever gets havre de grace in the semis wins the title.
Thing is that with the new playoff format Havre de Grace might not make it out of the quarterfinals. Since they reseed and rank 1-8 based on points after the regional semifinals there is a chance they end up matched up with say the 2nd team from the 1A West in the quarters and don't ever make it Fort Hill or Dunbar.
Home field is huge no doubt, but scheduling blowouts to get home field comes at a cost. And that cost is money. When scheduling, one has to keep butts in the seats as a priority. Melbourne is a great example of that and we won. It’s time to have a couple weeks where people look forward to Friday nights again. At least 2 games would be good. The kids thrive on that energy too. Again, all part of the experience. Going back to 17 and that season I will say this, FH should have beat Dunbar. I believe FH was drained after the Alco and Lackey playoff games. I believe if FH played Dunbar 2 weeks earlier FH wins by 2 td. I don’t think playing MCC or Friendship hurt FH at all. Two things stand out on that loss to me, the overly conservative playcalling and the two tough playoff games that preceded.
So why not just play Martinsburg?
I am pretty stoked for this Erie game. And I'm hoping that maybe now that the playoffs have adjusted to allow for a little more of a competitive schedule without as much worry, that we will see a few more of these tough games. And while I understand FH cant just say "hey Martinburg, lets play now" as schedules are already set, my point is hopefully, moving forward, with an earlier start to scheduling after this season we can see some (or even one) tough "closer" opponents on the schedule. Martinsburg, Linganore, hell Dematha again, etc..some top notch Maryland schools and so forth. Perhaps even if FH were to lose this game and still show they can get to the ship, that anxiety will ease a bit.
Good job on getting this game set up.
Should be a huge crowd that night. I like the Thursday night game, although I wish kickoff was 7pm instead of 6pm. Had Dunbar DC signed the contract there would have been a doubleheader on that Friday with FH playing at 4pm and Alco/Smithsburg at 7pm. This is much better for the fans and even if FH loses a game or two early, they have an easy schedule the second half of the season to get healthy for Homecoming and the playoffs.
When Allegany dropped out of the CVAL they really beefed up their schedule in 1994. I think that was the toughest schedule any local team ever played and Alco went 9-0 until losing to FH twice. Alco played Morgantown, Damascus, Linganore, Hollidaysburg and Thomas Johnson plus Keyser and Southern were strong that year. 2A was loaded. The final four of Alco/FH/Dunbar/Cambridge were a combined 43-1 with the only loss being Alco losing homecoming 28-21. A lot of people thought Cambridge might have been the best overall team with a hard to stop passing attack but they lost to Dunbar on a 99 yard fumble return. Then FH lost to Dunbar a week later in the state finals. Probably the overall best season of HS football I ever saw week to week.
