Published: January 16, 2009 08:57 am

Lashley offensive player of year
Fort Hill senior led area in rushing, scoring, Sentinels to region crown

Steve Luse
Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — The power running of fullback Marcus Lashley played a major role in the Fort Hill Sentinels advancing to the Maryland Class 1A state championship game and just missing by seconds of bringing home the title.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior led the area in total rushing yards with 1,396 yards on 267 carries for a 5.2 average. He ran for 17 touchdowns and also kicked two field goals and 26 of 31 extra points for an area-high 134 points.

That production, along with the Fort Hill success, led to Lashley being selected as the Cumberland Times-News 2008 Mort W. Peskin Sr. Offensive Player of the Year. He will receive the award at the 61st annual Dapper Dan Awards Banquet on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Ali Ghan Shrine Club.

Lashley will be honored at the Dapper Dan banquet along with numerous high-school athletes, including Northern’s Zac Lipscomb, the Edward C. “Ebbie” Finzel high school boys soccer Player of the Year; Mountain Ridge’s David Hobel, the Dr. Raul Felipa boys soccer Offensive Player of the Year; and Allegany’s Luke Tompkins, the Joe Rowan boys soccer Defensive Player of the Year.

The Fort Hill football team finished the regular season with an 8-1 record that was capped with a thrilling 26-22 victory over Allegany in the Homecoming Game. The Sentinels then won their first three playoff games before suffering a heart-breaking 20-19 loss to heavily favored Dunbar of Baltimore in the state championship game at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.

“Marcus Lashley is a great athlete and a great all-around kid,” said Fort Hill coach Todd Appel. “As a coach you wish you could put 11 Marcus Lashleys on the field. He worked extremely hard in the weight room to get ready for this season and he did everything we asked him to do.”

The first-year head coach also likes the fact that Lashley is a believer in trying to live up to the Fort Hill tradition.

“Marcus is a Fort Hill kid and knows all the history and football tradition,” said Appel. “I like that.”

Lashley knew he had some big shoes to fill as the successor to two-time Times-News All-Area selection Scott Rice in the fullback position. With the work in the weight room he went from his playing weight of 185 pounds as a junior to his current 210 pounds. He also improved his speed.

“Marcus really emerged this season after being hampered by some injuries in other years,” said Appel. “He became a bruiser and he was able to make some moves to small holes in the line that other backs don’t make. Our ability to control the ball and keep it out of the hands of the opponent helped us win football games. Marcus was obviously a big part of that.”

In the state championship game, Lashley helped keep Tavon Austin and Co. off the field with some long time-consuming drives in the second half and finished with 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 23 carries. His three-yard blast with 8:05 left put Fort Hill ahead 19-12.

In the state semifinals against a Joppatowne team that hadn’t lost a game on the field, Lashley plowed for 200 yards on 33 carries and scored two touchdowns in Fort Hill’s 28-0 victory.

“Marcus just wore people down, which was evident in the Joppatowne game,” said Appel. “Their kids didn’t want to tackle him anymore.”

For Lashley two big highlights of the season were upsetting Allegany on Homecoming and then beating the Campers again for the West Region championship. He rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown in the 21-14 post-season victory over Allegany.

For Dapper Dan banquet ticket information, call The Original Sports Shoppe at (301) 722-5490.

The 2008 Times-News All-Area football and girls soccer teams will be announced in the Jan. 27 Times-News Sports Magazine.