Big Red Machine - that is the term that comes to mind this evening after the 56-0 shut out Fort Hill put on Mountain Ridge. It could have been 84-0. It was machine-like with crazy precision. I have to tip my hat to this FH coaching staff. I like to play armchair QB all the time and many times question X's and O's with any game I may be watching, but I'm in awe tonight at the job the coaches have done with these kids. And it is seemingly every year that this team gets better each week. This current team is miles ahead of where they were through the first three weeks of September. For anyone that doesn't understand what the team keeps preaching about when they talk about preparation, hard work and dedication...well, try driving by the front of the school oval sometime on a Saturday in July at 12 midnight and there is a good chance Coach Appel will have his truck still parked there. He doesn't need a listening device in helmets to tell his players what play the opponent is running before the snap. They know because he prepared them to know it. One of the greatest coaching lines I have ever heard was a preseason August quote in the Times-News Preview about 4 years ago when FH had lost a ton of seniors and were dealing with all new faces. Coach Appel said, "We don't rebuild, we practice." It rings so true. FH had to replace the entire OL this season. Yes, the entire OL from TE to the other tackle spot. Tonight they were smashing huge holes in the Miner defense all evening. Some credit to the OL this week - they deserve it.
The Miners have been winning games, but as I mentioned on the WCBC Thursday football show I had to see how their defense stacks up. They were giving up 25 points a game, 54 points in the previous two outings and over 500 yards given up in a win over Spring Mills last week. I thought if FH could minimize their penalties and fumbles they had a chance to put up some big scoreboard numbers. Well, they did and the scoreboard went ballistic.
This defense though is lights out, has been all year. It's extremely quick across the board. Let me say this about the big gun Sefa for Mtn Ridge...he had nowhere to run tonight. No daylight period. I don't know him and would never belittle his accomplishments. But I will say that if he is a Division I college player, then FH has about 2-3 kids that are D1 players. But this recruiting business is many times about who you are and who you know. I hope to see Sefa on TV some Saturday down the road, so this is no knock on him in the least. But even he would probably agree FH has some top tier talent of their own on the defensive side.
I have seen a ton of FH games in my lifetime. Tonight was one of the most dominating performances I have ever seen. Offense, defense, special teams. No punts, every possession a TD. No first downs for Mtn Ridge (until the last series). Interceptions, Pick Six, fumbles created, punt returns for touchdowns (called back time and time again), etc. Just a complete domination from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. FH will be a tough out for any team down the road.
The Miners have been winning games, but as I mentioned on the WCBC Thursday football show I had to see how their defense stacks up. They were giving up 25 points a game, 54 points in the previous two outings and over 500 yards given up in a win over Spring Mills last week. I thought if FH could minimize their penalties and fumbles they had a chance to put up some big scoreboard numbers. Well, they did and the scoreboard went ballistic.
This defense though is lights out, has been all year. It's extremely quick across the board. Let me say this about the big gun Sefa for Mtn Ridge...he had nowhere to run tonight. No daylight period. I don't know him and would never belittle his accomplishments. But I will say that if he is a Division I college player, then FH has about 2-3 kids that are D1 players. But this recruiting business is many times about who you are and who you know. I hope to see Sefa on TV some Saturday down the road, so this is no knock on him in the least. But even he would probably agree FH has some top tier talent of their own on the defensive side.
I have seen a ton of FH games in my lifetime. Tonight was one of the most dominating performances I have ever seen. Offense, defense, special teams. No punts, every possession a TD. No first downs for Mtn Ridge (until the last series). Interceptions, Pick Six, fumbles created, punt returns for touchdowns (called back time and time again), etc. Just a complete domination from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. FH will be a tough out for any team down the road.
