1A State Title
#17 Fort Hill 20 #21 Douglass 8
Fort Hill and Frederick Douglass have a friendly connection that dates back to a state title game 43 years ago, in the MPSSAA's second year of existence, and the then newly built Douglass's third year of existence. On that late Saturday in November, it was the Sentinels who won their first of what is now 7 state titles, and made their first of what now is 14 state title game appearances.
Coach Charlie Lattimer's Sentinels routed Coach Rex Holliday's Eagles that day in 1975 in the state championship at Friendly High School, 34-8, behind superstar Steve Trimble (1,677 yards, 31 TD, 200 points in 12 games in '75), who rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. Trimble, one of the most iconic names in 'Big Red' lore, would go on to Maryland to join former teammate and quarterback Mark Manges and Jerry Claiborne's Terrapins. Trimble would play 3 seasons in the NFL. There were reportedly 3,000 'Big Red' fans that traveled from Cumberland to Friendly.
The Sentinels and Eagles would reunite in 2007 and 2008 in a pair of regular seasons meetings at Greenway Stadium, both close wins by the home team, 14-12, and, 31-26. Douglass wouldn't make the playoffs until another 15 years after that runner-up finish, and the Sentinels wouldn't win another title until another 22 years later.
But since the Eagles rejoined the post-season mix, both the Sentinels and Eagles have made their presence known in November, time and time again. The Sentinels have made the playoffs in 25 of the 29 years since the 90's, winning 17 of their state record 25 regional titles, and 6 of their 7 state titles. Douglass, meanwhile, has made 21 of the last 29 post-season tournaments, won 11 of their 12 regional titles, and punctuated a state title with an overall #1 ranking by the Maryland Football Writers in 2014.
This was the Sentinels 5th state title in 6 years, falling to the Poets of Dunbar last year, 30-26. The Sentinels now have 55 post-season wins, second to Dunbar, with 58. The Sentinels are now one of just five schools to win at least 7 MPSSAA state championships, joining Seneca Valley (12), Damascus (10), Dunbar (10), and arch enemy Allegany, who still has that edge, for now, with 8. Douglass 22nd playoff appearance is tied for 8th best in the state, its 12 regional titles ranks tied for 11th, and their 27 post-season wins, 12th.
This had donnybrook written all over it, with the Sentinels three toughest contests of the year finding them scoring less than 20 points in all three wins, in addition to the Eagles defense, who came in ranked seventh in the state in points allowed, including three losses where they gave up no more than 7 points.
Fort Hill came out like Fort Hill always comes out - running, running, and running some more. Carter Swan broke open a 55 yard scamper to put points on the board just over three minutes in. Danny King's kick made it 7-0. Douglass came back with a 9 play drive, capped by a 38 yard touchdown pass from Devin Harding to Mark Mason. Mason's two-point plunge gave the Eagles the lead, 8-7. Harding threw 3-3 for 95 yards in the first quarter.
Then, on the next possession, one of the game's most pivotal plays occurred, one of a recurring theme for the Eagles (11 penalties, 79 yards), a costly penalty. This, after Danny King missed his first field goal of the season, a 47 yarder, only to see the miss nullified by a running into the kicker penalty, something that had nothing to do with the miss. Two plays later, sandwiched in between by penalties by both teams, Blake Beal ran in from 19 yards to give the Sentinels a 13-8 lead. Fort Hill would fail on the two-point pass attempt from King. Instead of driving down from their 37, the Eagles were down 5.
The rest of the first half saw two possessions by each team, with 9 yards on 13 plays offensively between them, two 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalties, one by each team, and an interception. The 13-8 score at half mirrored the quagmire of play before intermission. After a perfect passer rating in the opening quarter, Harding went 0-4, with an interception, in the second quarter.
The third saw the Sentinels force the Eagles into a pair of three-and-outs, including the second that gave the Sentinels the ball at the Eagles 33. After gaining 5 yards, the Sentinels looked to King, who's perfect field goal run remained intact, miss-hit the attempt from 45, and the margin remained at 5.
The Eagles drove down to the Sentinels 27, and when forced with a fourth and one, lost five yards, and lost the potential lead-changing possession. The Sentinels ate up clock on a 10 play drive, with 6 carries by Swann, and finished with another Beal scramble for a score, this from 22 yards, giving Fort Hill a commanding 20-8 lead with just over three minutes to play. The Eagles would drive down to the Sentinels 16 yard line before time ran out.
The Sentinels rushed for a workmanlike 216 yards on 46 carries, led by Swann, who rushed for 113 yards and a score on 20 carries. Beal added 52 yards and a pair of scores on 8 carries, throwing only one pass. Harding finished throwing 13-23 for 193 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Eagles. Douglass managed just 48 rushing yards on 21 carries.
The Sentinels finished with 12 first downs, Douglass, 11. Fort Hill averaged just 3.6 yards per carry outside of Swann's 55 yard scoring run, and a modest 127 yards in the final three quarters. The Eagles had just one carry for more than 6 yards. Swann also led the Sentinels with 8 tackles. Tyree Newman led the Eagles with 13 tackles, including 1.5 for loss.
Todd Appel is now just one of seven coaches in MPSSAA history to win five or more state titles, joining Bob Milloy (8), Al Thomas (8), Terry Changuris (7), Dave Carruthers (6), Lawrence Smith (6), and Doug Duval (5). Appel's .903 (131-14) win percentage ranks as the best in MPSSAA history (min. 100 games), and with the win, becomes just the fourth coach to win 30 playoff games, joining Smith (36), Thomas (32), and Milloy (30). Eagles Coach JC Pinkney is the Eagles all-time winningest coach (155-48), winning 21 playoff games, including 7 regional titles.
Two historic programs, two legendary coaches. And 43 years later, another Sentinel senior named Trimble (#44, Shakur) winning a state title. Legacies live on in Cumberland, as do state titles, and a region divided by the red and the blue.
#17 Fort Hill 20 #21 Douglass 8
Fort Hill and Frederick Douglass have a friendly connection that dates back to a state title game 43 years ago, in the MPSSAA's second year of existence, and the then newly built Douglass's third year of existence. On that late Saturday in November, it was the Sentinels who won their first of what is now 7 state titles, and made their first of what now is 14 state title game appearances.
Coach Charlie Lattimer's Sentinels routed Coach Rex Holliday's Eagles that day in 1975 in the state championship at Friendly High School, 34-8, behind superstar Steve Trimble (1,677 yards, 31 TD, 200 points in 12 games in '75), who rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. Trimble, one of the most iconic names in 'Big Red' lore, would go on to Maryland to join former teammate and quarterback Mark Manges and Jerry Claiborne's Terrapins. Trimble would play 3 seasons in the NFL. There were reportedly 3,000 'Big Red' fans that traveled from Cumberland to Friendly.
The Sentinels and Eagles would reunite in 2007 and 2008 in a pair of regular seasons meetings at Greenway Stadium, both close wins by the home team, 14-12, and, 31-26. Douglass wouldn't make the playoffs until another 15 years after that runner-up finish, and the Sentinels wouldn't win another title until another 22 years later.
But since the Eagles rejoined the post-season mix, both the Sentinels and Eagles have made their presence known in November, time and time again. The Sentinels have made the playoffs in 25 of the 29 years since the 90's, winning 17 of their state record 25 regional titles, and 6 of their 7 state titles. Douglass, meanwhile, has made 21 of the last 29 post-season tournaments, won 11 of their 12 regional titles, and punctuated a state title with an overall #1 ranking by the Maryland Football Writers in 2014.
This was the Sentinels 5th state title in 6 years, falling to the Poets of Dunbar last year, 30-26. The Sentinels now have 55 post-season wins, second to Dunbar, with 58. The Sentinels are now one of just five schools to win at least 7 MPSSAA state championships, joining Seneca Valley (12), Damascus (10), Dunbar (10), and arch enemy Allegany, who still has that edge, for now, with 8. Douglass 22nd playoff appearance is tied for 8th best in the state, its 12 regional titles ranks tied for 11th, and their 27 post-season wins, 12th.
This had donnybrook written all over it, with the Sentinels three toughest contests of the year finding them scoring less than 20 points in all three wins, in addition to the Eagles defense, who came in ranked seventh in the state in points allowed, including three losses where they gave up no more than 7 points.
Fort Hill came out like Fort Hill always comes out - running, running, and running some more. Carter Swan broke open a 55 yard scamper to put points on the board just over three minutes in. Danny King's kick made it 7-0. Douglass came back with a 9 play drive, capped by a 38 yard touchdown pass from Devin Harding to Mark Mason. Mason's two-point plunge gave the Eagles the lead, 8-7. Harding threw 3-3 for 95 yards in the first quarter.
Then, on the next possession, one of the game's most pivotal plays occurred, one of a recurring theme for the Eagles (11 penalties, 79 yards), a costly penalty. This, after Danny King missed his first field goal of the season, a 47 yarder, only to see the miss nullified by a running into the kicker penalty, something that had nothing to do with the miss. Two plays later, sandwiched in between by penalties by both teams, Blake Beal ran in from 19 yards to give the Sentinels a 13-8 lead. Fort Hill would fail on the two-point pass attempt from King. Instead of driving down from their 37, the Eagles were down 5.
The rest of the first half saw two possessions by each team, with 9 yards on 13 plays offensively between them, two 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalties, one by each team, and an interception. The 13-8 score at half mirrored the quagmire of play before intermission. After a perfect passer rating in the opening quarter, Harding went 0-4, with an interception, in the second quarter.
The third saw the Sentinels force the Eagles into a pair of three-and-outs, including the second that gave the Sentinels the ball at the Eagles 33. After gaining 5 yards, the Sentinels looked to King, who's perfect field goal run remained intact, miss-hit the attempt from 45, and the margin remained at 5.
The Eagles drove down to the Sentinels 27, and when forced with a fourth and one, lost five yards, and lost the potential lead-changing possession. The Sentinels ate up clock on a 10 play drive, with 6 carries by Swann, and finished with another Beal scramble for a score, this from 22 yards, giving Fort Hill a commanding 20-8 lead with just over three minutes to play. The Eagles would drive down to the Sentinels 16 yard line before time ran out.
The Sentinels rushed for a workmanlike 216 yards on 46 carries, led by Swann, who rushed for 113 yards and a score on 20 carries. Beal added 52 yards and a pair of scores on 8 carries, throwing only one pass. Harding finished throwing 13-23 for 193 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Eagles. Douglass managed just 48 rushing yards on 21 carries.
The Sentinels finished with 12 first downs, Douglass, 11. Fort Hill averaged just 3.6 yards per carry outside of Swann's 55 yard scoring run, and a modest 127 yards in the final three quarters. The Eagles had just one carry for more than 6 yards. Swann also led the Sentinels with 8 tackles. Tyree Newman led the Eagles with 13 tackles, including 1.5 for loss.
Todd Appel is now just one of seven coaches in MPSSAA history to win five or more state titles, joining Bob Milloy (8), Al Thomas (8), Terry Changuris (7), Dave Carruthers (6), Lawrence Smith (6), and Doug Duval (5). Appel's .903 (131-14) win percentage ranks as the best in MPSSAA history (min. 100 games), and with the win, becomes just the fourth coach to win 30 playoff games, joining Smith (36), Thomas (32), and Milloy (30). Eagles Coach JC Pinkney is the Eagles all-time winningest coach (155-48), winning 21 playoff games, including 7 regional titles.
Two historic programs, two legendary coaches. And 43 years later, another Sentinel senior named Trimble (#44, Shakur) winning a state title. Legacies live on in Cumberland, as do state titles, and a region divided by the red and the blue.
