Everyone expects FH to be great again but what about everyone else? Mountain ridge lost a ton including the coach who built the program, alco also lost a ton of production that needs to be replaced, southern seems to be trying to turn over a new leaf with a new coaching staff, and northern is always small but tough. Any possible suprised amongst area teams?
Season outlook?
- Thread starter hbpass2
- Start date
Question such as this on the first day of full pads? I'll bite. For Fort Hill, 5-4 possible, 6-3 wouldn't be surprising, 7-2 would be nice, 8-1 sweet, 9-0 shocking. Great skill kids, super-fast, but a very young line. Barring injuries, the coaching staff will turn some of these L's into W's. Unlike some other area teams, FH always improves during the season. They are still the best team in this area, and yes, they will be the team to beat for the State title in December.
I don't really see much changing in the football landscape for the area. I would say that Mountain Ridge may take a step back, with Allegany replacing them as the area's second-best team, but maybe we will have a surprise here and there this season. Awful glad that football will be back very soon.
FH has only 8 seniors on the roster. That is the least amount in the history of the school - or at least in the past 40 or so years of my lifetime. 36 total on the varsity roster. That includes about 8 sophomores moved up. It's just a small senior class for some odd reasons. The 9th and 10th grade classes have roughly 50 players. So that is a good sign that the numbers elevate significantly after this year.
SOUTHERN REBOUND
Good news in Oakland - they have about 27 or so varsity players this season. 9 of them are seniors. I believe their schedule may afford them the chance to play .500 football. Considering they folded varsity football last year that would be an amazing outcome. Also, their JV team has around 34 players. Lack of participation numbers has been their downfall so that's a good thing. New head coach Dave McLaughlin was the right hire. For those that don't know who he is, he has spent a long time coaching many of their youth programs through the years, not just football. His son Hayden was a multi-year starter at QB for Southern during the 2017-18 seasons, the last time they were competitive.
Southern is going to have a very decent football team in 2025. Glad to see them not fold up the tent. It's not easy to get players come out.
SOUTHERN REBOUND
Good news in Oakland - they have about 27 or so varsity players this season. 9 of them are seniors. I believe their schedule may afford them the chance to play .500 football. Considering they folded varsity football last year that would be an amazing outcome. Also, their JV team has around 34 players. Lack of participation numbers has been their downfall so that's a good thing. New head coach Dave McLaughlin was the right hire. For those that don't know who he is, he has spent a long time coaching many of their youth programs through the years, not just football. His son Hayden was a multi-year starter at QB for Southern during the 2017-18 seasons, the last time they were competitive.
Southern is going to have a very decent football team in 2025. Glad to see them not fold up the tent. It's not easy to get players come out.
Yes. Led the team in sacks as a soph. Also lost another senior who would have helped out this year. Another from 2022 will be one of Frankfort's better senior players this fall. Point being that losing players can be a two way street even at a place where the girls are more pretty
Fans will also see a new senior off. tackle for FH at the Quad. Comes and goes.
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Frankfort also got a kid from Keyser who will be one of Frankfort’s better players on both sides of the ball.
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Yeah but think of all the quality FH grads that have moved over to the other side of the river over the years.
Yes, the Babo student from Frankfort. Today is his first day, played varsity football as a freshman but sat out last year. Gotta be 6'4 and 250 a junior. likely play defensive end or tight end so i'm told. This definitly makes FH basketball the area team to beat. They are stacked.
Hey red&blue, can you tell me if any of those kids spent as much as one day at Frankfort High School? I know that Poling, Root, and Raley all said as early as Pee Wee football that they were going to Fort Hill. I don't know about the others, but it's hard for me to believe that the Robbinette boys would even consider any School over Alco.
I still stand by the notion that where a kid goes to school should be determined by the Parents and the student. I go to and root for the falcons, I'll be there on Friday, but they need to man up and stop all the crying. They do play the softest schedule in the area which shows come playoff time. But now I'm really getting off topic.
I still stand by the notion that where a kid goes to school should be determined by the Parents and the student. I go to and root for the falcons, I'll be there on Friday, but they need to man up and stop all the crying. They do play the softest schedule in the area which shows come playoff time. But now I'm really getting off topic.
Did you have the same opinion a few years ago when the Fort Hill faithful was complaining about Dunbar recruiting? I don't really care where anyone goes to play.
I do not know if they stepped into Frankfort high, but they were in the feeder system. I agree on their schedule though. You me and 10 other posters on this board could go 7-3 with that schedule. Doesn’t make them playoff ready but that is my opinion.
My overall statement was to say that kids move around all the time and it affects all programs. I follow all the area programs and am good friends with many of the coaches. I wish them all success. Our area has the ability to have 4/5 quality state worthy teams.
My overall statement was to say that kids move around all the time and it affects all programs. I follow all the area programs and am good friends with many of the coaches. I wish them all success. Our area has the ability to have 4/5 quality state worthy teams.
Recruiting? Define recruiting.
The world has changed through a term called the transfer portal ideal - even in high school. It is widespread in every state now. West Virginia went crazy with the new transfer rules.
Recruiting is the art of contacting players not already at your school and selling them the idea of entering your school. Like private schools are currently involved with on a deeper level using money. High School NIL will cause an even greater transfer concept moving forward.
I have mentioned here that FH has lost a kid from this year to Frankfort, Hampshire and Northern. Another just decided to not play football. Alco through the years has had plenty of players who resided in South Cumberland. None of them were "recruited". I'm sure if this were not small town USA that the kids coming and going would be in larger numbers as opposed to just one or two kids. The transfer concept has gotten out of hand in my book. It's happening everywhere.
For the record, Martinsburg does not recruit. NO need... Everyone just goes there to play football on their own.
There is a big difference between kids moving and going into a program. Dunbar literally has a different team members midseason than they did at the beginning of the season.
Allegany has a big line, probably the biggest offense line they’ve had in years a freshman at running back. Williams and Blowe both out injured first couple weeks. It will be huge when those 2 come back
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Hey Common Sense, sorry, I'm not on here like I used to be. But yes, I always felt that way, I know that others haven't. Bottom line is that Parents should always have the final choice where their kids are concerned. In Baltimore City there are several good football programs to choose from. Dunbar is special and well ahead of all of them (just looking at the privates). From top to bottom, the staff are all football people, and the parents of the kids are "all in". I've been a Dunbar fan since they played Fort Hill in the title game in Hagerstown several years back. But I'm getting off topic here. Parents have the right to give their kids the best experience as they can. Sometimes transferring works out, sometimes it doesn't. But the choice should always be up to the parents.
