CUMBERLAND — While the outside chatter has Fort Hill pinned as a heavy favorite to win Saturday’s Class 1A state championship, the Sentinels aren’t buying it.
No. 2 Mountain Ridge (11-1) has played No. 1 Fort Hill (12-0) better than any team has over the last four years, and it’s the last line of defense in the Sentinels’ ultimate goal: a 10th state championship and third in a row.
The Sentinels will look to push their winning streak to 21 games in the title bout Saturday (kickoff at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is slated for noon), but they haven’t forgotten their last defeat — a 30-8 shocker at Mountain Ridge in October 2022.
“They’re the most dangerous team in 1A,” Fort Hill head coach Zack Alkire said of the Miners. “They know us better than anybody else in the state. They play great defensively. They’re explosive offensively. They have a lot of weapons.
“I feel like they’ve got nothing to lose. That was one of the messages to the kids today. The community, everyone out there thinks we’re the heavy favorites. We have to stay grounded.
“Bring a physical brand of football down to Annapolis and hopefully we’ll come home with a championship.”
Fort Hill leads the all-time series with Mountain Ridge, 19-2, and won 25 of 27 meetings with Beall.
The Miners ended the Sentinels’ 18-game winning streak last year en route to their first unbeaten regular season; however, Fort Hill got its revenge, downing top-seeded Mountain Ridge, 16-14, in the state title game on a field goal by Quinn Cohen as time expired.
Fort Hill also defeated Mountain Ridge, 51-31, in the 2021 championship.
The Sentinels have won state titles in three classes, winning in 1975 in Class A (3A equivalent), 1997 in 2A and seven of the last nine Class 1A crowns.
They’ve played in 16 title games overall with a 9-7 record.
Fort Hill and Mountain Ridge met during the regular season, a 37-14 Sentinel rout on Oct. 6 at Greenway Avenue Stadium.
Mountain Ridge, which averages 34.5 points per game and allows 14.8, is coming off its most complete victory of the season — a 40-14 rout of Perryville in the state semifinals.
The Miners, winners of six straight, are the only team to beat Fort Hill under Alkire, who is 39-2 at the helm.
The fourth-year Fort Hill head coach is confident his players won’t be looking past Mountain Ridge.
“This is a group of kids that have been really focused all year long,” he said. “They understand the importance of the game. They understand that Ridge could potentially beat them. I don’t worry about them showing up. They’re going to be ready to play.”
The Sentinels have been scarcely tested since a thrilling 36-35 victory over Division 1 Ohio opponent Wadsworth, and they haven’t been scored upon in the first half in more than a month.
Fort Hill had a halftime lead of 27-0 against Allegany in Homecoming, and it’s dominated first halves in the playoffs 48-0 vs. Northern, 50-0 vs. Havre de Grace and 31-0 vs. Cambridge-South Dorchester.
Fort Hill’s offensive line comprised entirely of seniors has moved opposing linemen with ease since the start of the postseason, led by Fordham commit Carter Hess, Brayden Sines and Logan Vanmeter.
The Sentinels have racked up 3,622 rushing yards (301.8 per game) and 49 rushing touchdowns.
Fullback Jabril Daniels has put up historic numbers on the ground, rushing for 1,522 yards and 28 touchdowns on 169 carries. His 29 total touchdowns lead the area, and they’re the most at Fort Hill since Ty Johnson found the end zone 33 times in 2014 — a school record.
Daniels rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in the teams’ regular-season meeting.
Carson Bender is Fort Hill’s second-leading rusher with 587 yards and six scores; Tristan Ross has more than 500 yards of offense and seven touchdowns; and quarterback Deshaun Brown has completed 36 of 53 passes for 756 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
“We’re going to have to be very attentive, focused, physical and fly to the football,” Alkire said. “We need to run downhill. Running backs are going to have to block. We gotta eliminate penalties and turnovers.”
Containing Mountain Ridge standout Will Patterson, who has 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns this season, will be the key for the Sentinels defensively.
Fort Hill was able to take advantage of Mountain Ridge center Cooper Lindeman being out the last time the teams met this season.
The Sentinels were also without their center for that game, but Riley Williams has stepped into that role and the offense hasn’t missed a beat. Mountain Ridge wasn’t so fortunate.
Hess sacked Patterson twice as part of a defense that limited the Miners to negative rushing yards.
Alkire looks for his secondary, paced by the likes of Daniels, Steven Spencer and Braelyn Younger, to play a pivotal role Saturday.
“We need to make sure our defensive backs are focused on their man or their particular zone,” he said. “The DBs have to be aware of what their role is on the field. Not necessarily worrying about what’s going on in the backfield.
“Covering and allowing our line to get to the quarterback and get pressure on him, and then contain him when he does decide to run. Know your assignment.”
For the team as a whole, the assignment is clear: leave with a third consecutive state championship and eighth in 10 seasons.
In what could go down as one of the greatest seasons in school history, Fort Hill first must handle business Saturday. Win and everything else will fall into place.