CUMBERLAND — All Fort Hill needed was a little breather.
After being outplayed for much of the first half, the Sentinels felt changes needed to be made for the final 40 minutes.
Out of the break, No. 1 Fort Hill looked like a rejuvenated team, scoring two second-half goals in a 3-1 win over No. 2 Allegany Thursday night at Greenway Avenue Stadium.
The Sentinels swept their city rivals and captured the Homecoming Cup with the win.
“We know what those guys got over there,” Fort Hill coach Zach Steckman said. “That’s a really good program, it’s a really good team. But we think we are too. We think we’re one of the best also, and our guys are starting to believe that.”
The first half score was 1-1, but Allegany led 10-4 in shots and dominated possession during the final 20 minutes.
So at halftime, Steckman challenged his players to press higher on the Campers’ attack.
The adjustments immediately worked for the Sentinels (8-1) as they came out as the dominant team once the second half started.
About eight minutes into the second half, a Sentinels player was taken down outside the box. As a result, Fort Hill was awarded an indirect free kick.
Anthony Palumbo fired it to Luke Joseph, who tapped it into the bottom corner to give Fort Hill a 2-1 lead.
It was the senior captain’s first career goal.
“To be honest, I thought I missed it,” Joseph said. “But I just kicked it. Kudos to Anthony and Hunter (Nyland), they tapped it in a little bit and helped.
“I feel like that gave us the boost we needed. Obviously any goal is a good goal, so I think that just really sent it over.”
At around the halfway point of the half, John Reinhardt launched a cross from the left side of the field to Carson Boyer, who put the finishing touches to make it a 3-1 game.
Boyer, a sophomore, scored for the first time in his varsity career.
“We asked them to move up on the field,” Steckman said. “We said ‘Get higher, get on their touch.’ Because their wingers, their guys like Noah Simmons, (Luca) Jacovino, Cole Ricker, they were tearing us up in the first half.
“Our job is to relay that, and it’s their job to put it out there. And they absolutely put it all together in the second half.”
Fort Hill struck first at the 25:25 mark when Reinhardt received a pass and dished it to freshman Walker Smith, who then found an opening.
After giving up the goal, Allegany (9-2) possessed the ball a lot more and created a few chances at the net.
The Campers tied the game with 5:48 left in the half when Jacovino kicked it into a wall and the rebound attempt went into the net.
Allegany outshot Fort Hill 16-8. Sentinels goalie Bobby Brauer was forced to stop an onslaught of shots, finishing with 13 saves.
One of Brauer’s saves came on a penalty kick. With Fort Hill leading 1-0, a Sentinels player tripped a Camper in the box, resulting in a penalty.
Ricker stepped up to take the penalty, but Brauer dove to his left and prevented Ricker’s shot from going in.
“Bobby’s our savior,” Joseph said. “He goes above and beyond. He’s the best goalie in the area. He was the best goalie in the area last year. Without him, we would not be as good as we are. He goes out of his way to make extraordinary plays. He has the best punts in the area. I mean there’s nothing more I could say.”
Eston Powell made four saves for Allegany, which has lost twice to Fort Hill for the first time since 2019.
“I thought we played a great 40-minute first half, I thought we played a terrible 40-minute second half,” Allegany coach Blake Geatz said. “You can’t play 50% of the game and expect to win. It doesn’t matter how many shots were taken.”
Fort Hill will take on Bishop Walsh on Saturday at 1 p.m. Allegany hosts No. 3 Mountain Ridge on Monday at 5 p.m.