Queen City Quad this Saturday

[TDHelmick]

The 12th annual Queen City Quad Football Classic would have been played this coming Saturday - August 22 at Greenway Ave Stadium. I sure am going to miss it. Been doing it a long time. Such a great learning experience for all coaches and players. Don't know what you got till it's gone.

The 2011 Quad was very memorable. The only time Dunbar Poets played FH outside of Baltimore. Red Lion was stacked with D1 top talent that season. Sharing some memories on social media sites.

 

[CumberlandHSFB]

If only that 2011 team could have closed the deal that year.

 

[TDHelmick]

If only that 2011 team could have closed the deal that year.

Yep. Some of the most heart ripping FH losses during my lifetime were in Coach Appel's first 4 years.
2008 - Dunbar
2009 - Allegany
2011 - Perryville

Just could not get the state title monkey off the school's back and then it all exploded in record setting fashion.

 

[tim21502]

Yep. Some of the most heart ripping FH losses during my lifetime were in Coach Appel's first 4 years.
2008 - Dunbar
2009 - Allegany
2011 - Perryville

Just could not get the state title monkey off the school's back and then it all exploded in record setting fashion.

Hey TD Helmick, What do you think cost the 2008 game against Dunbar? I figure it was within the last couple minutes when FH attempted to pass and stopped the clock with each incomplete, leaving time on the clock for Dunbar.

 

[CumberlandHSFB]

Yep. Some of the most heart ripping FH losses during my lifetime were in Coach Appel's first 4 years.
2008 - Dunbar
2009 - Allegany
2011 - Perryville

Just could not get the state title monkey off the school's back and then it all exploded in record setting fashion.

That loss in the Semi-Final to Dunbar in 2010 is up there too. That team had little to no business getting that far in the postseason, and to get there and have it end on that iffy call at the goal line was gut-wrenching.

 

[CumberlandHSFB]

If the 2011 team had won the state title that year they'd be remembered as one of the best teams in program history. Up there with 75', 97', 14', and 18'

 

[glamourbyjim]

Yep. Some of the most heart ripping FH losses during my lifetime were in Coach Appel's first 4 years.
2008 - Dunbar
2009 - Allegany
2011 - Perryville

Just could not get the state title monkey off the school's back and then it all exploded in record setting fashion.

Totally agree, These were the worst ...

 

[theprocessworks]

now the best wins of the Appel era imho.....
1. state title #1
2. state title #5 (the only title with Dunbar in 1A)
3. MCC

 

[FHHSAHS]

Hey TD Helmick, What do you think cost the 2008 game against Dunbar? I figure it was within the last couple minutes when FH attempted to pass and stopped the clock with each incomplete, leaving time on the clock for Dunbar.

If I may interject, I dont think anything "cost" Fort Hill that game - inasmuch as Tavon Austin is Tavon Austin. But considering Austin scored that winning 2 pt conversion by about a half yard and it was a short conversion after the DPI on the touchdown, really made it tough to stop him.

But just a couple missed opportunities....Garrett Dolly nearly intercepting a pass on (I believe) that final GW drive. The failed 2pt attempt for FH. A missed FG. Thankfully Dunbar made some mistakes too...that kept it close overall. But the sheer athletic advantage of Dunbar's skill positions on that final drive was just really evident.

As disappointing as that game's final result was, it doesn't sting (for me) as much as the Perryville loss in 2011. Partially because that was my son's senior yr. But that was one of the only few times that I've ever seen FH outcoach themselves. Going away from the successful trap game and trying to run outside on that 3-5 defense, trying (and failing) to punch in a TD at the end of the first half instead of taking 3 points from a really consistent kicker, and then bringing in the throwing QB for the OT series when the trap had been working fine. Can't take away the fact that Gabe Sherrod played the game of his life either. The FH defense was suckered on so many screen passes it wasnt funny.

 

[TDHelmick]

If I may interject, I dont think anything "cost" Fort Hill that game - inasmuch as Tavon Austin is Tavon Austin. But considering Austin scored that winning 2 pt conversion by about a half yard and it was a short conversion after the DPI on the touchdown, really made it tough to stop him.

But just a couple missed opportunities....Garrett Dolly nearly intercepting a pass on (I believe) that final GW drive. The failed 2pt attempt for FH. A missed FG. Thankfully Dunbar made some mistakes too...that kept it close overall. But the sheer athletic advantage of Dunbar's skill positions on that final drive was just really evident.

As disappointing as that game's final result was, it doesn't sting (for me) as much as the Perryville loss in 2011. Partially because that was my son's senior yr. But that was one of the only few times that I've ever seen FH outcoach themselves. Going away from the successful trap game and trying to run outside on that 3-5 defense, trying (and failing) to punch in a TD at the end of the first half instead of taking 3 points from a really consistent kicker, and then bringing in the throwing QB for the OT series when the trap had been working fine. Can't take away the fact that Gabe Sherrod played the game of his life either. The FH defense was suckered on so many screen passes it wasnt funny.

It sucks to even recall that Perryville game. So many botched plays. The long TD run that was negated by a holding call. The one that sealed the game in my mind was the late game 40 yard bomb on 4th down and like 20 that should have been intercepted near the goal line. Instead the ball tips off the FH defensive back and right into the hands of the Perryville player. If the FH player just knocks it down the game is over. I knew when that happened the football gods were not going to be gracious to the Sentinels that day

 

[TDHelmick]

Hey TD Helmick, What do you think cost the 2008 game against Dunbar? I figure it was within the last couple minutes when FH attempted to pass and stopped the clock with each incomplete, leaving time on the clock for Dunbar.

There were at least a half dozen plays in that game where if the outcome is reversed, the other team wins. The play Dunbar scored on at the end, the center rolled the shotgun snap 10 yards behind the QB, who then ran scooped it up and threw a hail mary in the back corner of the endzone that won the game. That game hurt more than any other. It was a state title, it was Dunbar, neither team deserved to lose.

 

[BoyznBlue]

now the best wins of the Appel era imho.....
1. state title #1
2. state title #5 (the only title with Dunbar in 1A)
3. MCC

So if these are the best wins of the era we basically have to admit he was a good coach who capitalized on a weak 1A. He doesn't have any wins over great, or even very good squads.

 

[TDHelmick]

So if these are the best wins of the era we basically have to admit he was a good coach who capitalized on a weak 1A. He doesn't have any wins over great, or even very good squads.

Damn, not again. Shhhhhhhhhh, HE COACHED A 1A TEAM!

 

[TDHelmick]

now the best wins of the Appel era imho.....
1. state title #1
2. state title #5 (the only title with Dunbar in 1A)
3. MCC

4. at Sherando

 

[CumberlandHSFB]

4. at Sherando

The back to back wins against Allegany in 2012 are on the list.

 

[CumberlandHSFB]

Also, I understand that blowouts arent normally noted as great pieces of a resume, but the 2 blowouts of Mountain Ridge are feathers in Appel's cap in my eyes

 

[hbpass2]

Also, I understand that blowouts arent normally noted as great pieces of a resume, but the 2 blowouts of Mountain Ridge are feathers in Appel's cap in my eyes

Southern playoff game following helmetgate is up there on the list of feathers

 

[Waggle Pass]

The last State Title game over Douglass. It may not have been the best Douglass team, but they were coming off a win over a heavily favored Dunbar. Outstanding performance by the FH defense and the offense did just enough.

 

[bigdawgrefwmd]

2008
14-6 over Baltimore City College
36-28 over Cambridge SD
14-12 over Frederick Douglass
The Disaster that was Dunbar DC
3 point win over Mountain Ridge
4 point win over Allegany
and a 13-7 loss to Keyser
1 point loss in Finals to Dunbar
at this point I was in love with the Schedule and The Teams They were playing and it was
definitely something different at FH over past years.

2009
41-14 over Martinsburg
22-12 over Mt. St Joe's
29-8 over Keyser
12-0 over Thomas Johnson on the road.

2010
losing to Thomas Johnson, Martinsburg & Mt. St. Joe's
and still making it to Finals and losing by 6 to Dunbar

2015 The Ass Kicking of a Champion on the road at Clearfield PA
49-14 that seen them drop FH and not make the trip the next season.

Nothing Beats The Melbourne Catholic,Sherando,Martinsburg or Keyser games to me

 

[theprocessworks]

all great wins.... you got an alco guy trying to diminish a 1 a programs great achievements. I bet he never played a down.

 

[RedPride97]

all great wins.... you got an alco guy trying to diminish a 1 a programs great achievements. I bet he never played a down.

He's not even an alco guy he's a DC guy

 

[TDHelmick]

The end season and playoff run of 2017 was the toughest stretch of any FH football team in a few decades...regardless of class.

MCC, Friendship, Alco twice, Lackey, Dunbar

Probably a topic for another thread, but some of the best coaching I saw for an individual game under Todd Appel:
- Alco 2012 absolutely both at Homecoming and the playoffs
- That same 2012 season the win at home over Central turned the season around with quite possibly one of the lesser senior classes to come through the school in maybe ever. This was a team just coming off 50 point blow out losses to Keyser and North Hagerstown and Central was pretty dang good.
- The 2015 game at Sherando - what came out of the locker room at halftime was brilliant. Nathaniel Graves had the greatest individual passing game of any QB under Coach Appel that evening.
- The 2018 wins over Mtn Ridge and Southern part II were masterpieces even in blowout. This was the best defense in the Appel era to me and that is tough to say.

If there was any one game I saw Coach Appel learn from the most and make adjustments it would have been in two losses.
- The top choice is the playoff loss to Brunswick in 2012. It was after that loss that Coach Appel dedicated himself to understanding pass defense, plain and simple. He knew, and even told me directly, that learning and teaching this phase of the game was going to be the key to success. Coach Appel really bought into the 7-on-7 summer teachings after that season. He even spend much of the winter months attending pass defense clinics. It changed what FH did defensively. And they had no choice. I'm not saying I am a big fan of the FH secondary coverages since, but it was a game changer for the 2013-2016 record title run.
- The 2015 home game loss to Keyser that broke the win streak was a lesson. Mostly from a personnel standpoint and who should be playing where. FH never looked back after that game and went on another record win streak. In fact, I might even go so far to say that FH doesn't win a state title that year if the loss from Keyser does not happen.

 

[RedPride97]

The bottom line is coach apple's tenure as FH head coach will go down in the books as an era of dominance in 1A football aside from last year's embarrassing loss to a vary good and motivated catoctin team i don't remember any other 1A team handling FH like that

 

[RedPride97]

The end season and playoff run of 2017 was the toughest stretch of any FH football team in a few decades...regardless of class.

MCC, Friendship, Alco twice, Lackey, Dunbar

Probably a topic for another thread, but some of the best coaching I saw for an individual game under Todd Appel:

- Alco 2012 absolutely both at Homecoming and the playoffs
- That same 2012 season the win at home over Central turned the season around with quite possibly one of the lesser senior classes to come through the school in maybe ever. This was a team just coming off 50 point blow out losses to Keyser and North Hagerstown and Central was pretty dang good.
- The 2015 game at Sherando - what came out of the locker room at halftime was brilliant. Nathaniel Graves had the greatest individual passing game of any QB under Coach Appel that evening.
- The 2018 wins over Mtn Ridge and Southern part II were masterpieces even in blowout. This was the best defense in the Appel era to me and that is tough to say.

Those kids on the 2018 defense played fast and with a chip on their shoulder and it showed every time they took the field

 

[theprocessworks]

that D was fast and aggressive. shame dunbar got beat by a tough douglass team. it would have been appels one and only win over the poets. they just couldn't get it done. not fh's fault. fh by two td's easy

 

[TDHelmick]

Those kids on the 2018 defense played fast and with a chip on their shoulder and it showed every time they took the field

I though it was the best defense of the Appel era. And that is saying a lot.

 

[RedPride97]

that D was fast and aggressive. shame dunbar got beat by a tough douglass team. it would have been appels one and only win over the poets. they just couldn't get it done. not fh's fault. fh by two td's easy

Mountain ridge will always stick out in my mind all the hype about the big tail back and at the end what 3 yards major beat down

 

[CumberlandHSFB]

I though it was the best defense of the Appel era. And that is saying a lot.

Might be the best one to ever come through the school.

 

[theprocessworks]

Let's not forget Danny King's contribution to that D. Offenses started at the 20 almost every possession. Not to mention Dan's punting.

 

[westernMD]

So if these are the best wins of the era we basically have to admit he was a good coach who capitalized on a weak 1A. He doesn't have any wins over great, or even very good squads.

Which is why IMO Coach Apple is not the greatest coach in FH history. He is a very good coach and I think a first class individual but be honest if Coach Calhoun could have played the 1A teams in the playoffs that Apple played, he would have won 4 or 5 state titles as well. Calhoun had to coach in 2A which was loaded back in the 90s with good Allegany teams, Dunbar (94), Wheaton, Damascus, Urbana and I could go on and on. I still rank Charlie Lattimer the greatest FH coach of my lifetime as he won a state title in 3A and most of his years were pre-playoffs. But regardless, FH has been blessed with three MD HS Hall of Fame coaches in Lattimer, Calhoun and Apple. You can't go wrong with any of the three.

 

[PowerRamRight]

Which is why IMO Coach Apple is not the greatest coach in FH history. He is a very good coach and I think a first class individual but be honest if Coach Calhoun could have played the 1A teams in the playoffs that Apple played, he would have won 4 or 5 state titles as well. Calhoun had to coach in 2A which was loaded back in the 90s with good Allegany teams, Dunbar (94), Wheaton, Damascus, Urbana and I could go on and on. I still rank Charlie Lattimer the greatest FH coach of my lifetime as he won a state title in 3A and most of his years were pre-playoffs. But regardless, FH has been blessed with three MD HS Hall of Fame coaches in Lattimer, Calhoun and Apple. You can't go wrong with any of the three.

Bill Hahn makes four.

 

[PowerRamRight]

So if these are the best wins of the era we basically have to admit he was a good coach who capitalized on a weak 1A. He doesn't have any wins over great, or even very good squads.

In other words, a total indictment of the quality of the Allegany football program. I'm glad we can agree on that.

 

[Lagmeister]

In other words, a total indictment of the quality of the Allegany football program. I'm glad we can agree on that.

Really?

 

[PowerRamRight]

Really?

Not according to me necessarily....it's a logical conclusion based upon Boyz's comment and dig at Coach Appel as if I did agree..

 

[Lagmeister]

Not according to me necessarily....it's a logical conclusion based upon Boyz's comment and dig at Coach Appel as if I did agree..

Mkay.... Personally, I believe it is much more difficult to get the most out of lesser talented kids, given how easily kids in general give up these days. This is also why I admire what Hansel accomplished last year.

 

[BoyznBlue]

Not according to me necessarily....it's a logical conclusion based upon Boyz's comment and dig at Coach Appel as if I did agree..

I was just giving my opinion about his coaching career. People don't want to hear the truth, lol. I was responding to somebody else saying his 2nd greatest victory was over a 5 loss team. He was a good coach. He was very successful at advancing the culture of Cumberland football as a whole. I said that in the other post. But I don't think he was a great coach. In my opinion you have to beat a great team to be considered a great coach. He didn't even beat any good teams on the road. When he was faced with playing good teams he didn't make the necessary halftime adjustments. I agree he was dedicated and most of the kids liked playing for him.

I know you guys love to play the we are little FH from Cumberland. But FH probably has better combined resources than every 1A school in the state. I know the underdog story plays well though.

 

[Lagmeister]

I was just giving my opinion about his coaching career. People don't want to hear the truth, lol. I was responding to somebody else saying his 2nd greatest victory was over a 5 loss team. He was a good coach. He was very successful at advancing the culture of Cumberland football as a whole. I said that in the other post. But I don't think he was a great coach. In my opinion you have to beat a great team to be considered a great coach. He didn't even beat any good teams on the road. When he was faced with playing good teams he didn't make the necessary halftime adjustments. I agree he was dedicated and most of the kids liked playing for him.

I know you guys love to play the we are little FH from Cumberland. But FH probably has better combined resources than every 1A school in the state. I know the underdog story plays well though.

If Apple wasn't a great coach, you're making it a pretty exclusive club.

 

[BoyznBlue]

If Apple wasn't a great coach, you're making it a pretty exclusive club.

No argument, by definition "great" is supposed to be an exclusive club.

IMO you can't be great with zero wins against your biggest rival. You can't be great if you consistently avoid the best competition. You can't be great if you have zero wins against the best teams in your state for over 10 years. You are good. There's nothing wrong with being good.

 

[Lagmeister]

No argument, by definition "great" is supposed to be an exclusive club.

IMO you can't be great with zero wins against your biggest rival. You can't be great if you consistently avoid the best competition. You can be great if you have zero wins against the best teams in your state for over 10 years. You are good. There's nothing wrong with being good.

All valid points. I would call him great because of what he did with what he had over the long run..... and you know I had my issues with him. If I were FH, I would have done everything possible to keep him.

 

[PowerRamRight]

No argument, by definition "great" is supposed to be an exclusive club.

IMO you can't be great with zero wins against your biggest rival. You can't be great if you consistently avoid the best competition. You can be great if you have zero wins against the best teams in your state for over 10 years. You are good. There's nothing wrong with being good.

Since it's a short list, who do you consider the "great" local coaches? Should be easy to list even if you've done so in an older thread many have not seen.