Published: November 15, 2008 12:30 am
Fort Hill roars past Boonsboro
Mike Mathews
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Marcus Lashley ran for two touchdowns and Eric Howser threw for two more as top-seeded Fort Hill rolled to a 35-0 win over fourth-seeded Boonsboro Friday, setting the stage for a rematch with Allegany next week for the West Region championship.
On a rainy night at Greenway, the Sentinels moved to 9-1 with their eighth straight win. Boonsboro finished 9-2. The region championship game against the Campers, although yet to be confirmed, will likely be Friday night.
Lashley ran 19 times for 124 yards and Howser threw touchdowns passes of 33 yards to Jordan Helmick and 31 yards to Colton Sibley to lead the Sentinels. Howser also ran nine times for 45 yards.
“We knew we had to get over the Homecoming hangover and come out and play well,’’ said Fort Hill coach Todd Appel. “We didn’t play as well as we wanted to in the first half, with three fumbles, and we wanted to play smarter in the second half.
“I thought we played aggressive football in the first half. We just didn’t play smart football.”
The half began well enough with the Sentinels turning three Boonsboro turnovers into touchdowns and a quick 22-0 lead.
Glen Vincent pounced on a Warriors fumble at the Boonsboro 33 on the second play of the game, and five plays later Lashley scored on a three-yard run.
Boonsboro put together a nice 65-yard drive to get to the Fort Hill seven, but just as it appeared the Warriors would even things up, Johnathan Foster picked off a Tyler Walsh pass in the end zone.
The Sentinels marched 80 yards in 13 plays and 6:43, with Lashley and Sam Walker getting 14-yard runs in the drive. Walker scored the touchdown, taking advantage of a big block by Nathan Greise on a three-yard run with 10:53 left in the half. A Howser pass to Andy Broadwater made it 15-0.
On Boonsboro’s next play, Mike Durr recovered a fumble at the Warriors 33, and the Sentinels wasted no time in boosting their lead as Howser hit Helmick for 33 yards and a touchdown, making it 22-0 with 10:33 left in the quarter.
The rest of the half, except for a defensive stand in the final minute, was one the Sentinels would rather forget. They turned the ball over three times in a span of just 3:58, losing two fumbles inside the Warriors 15 and having an interception by Kyle Knowles returned 65 yards to the Fort Hill 10.
But two runs and two pass attempts netted Boonsboro only two yards, and the Sentinels took over on downs at the eight with 21 seconds left.
“We needed a big stop and our defense came through for us,’’ Appel said. “The defensive stand was huge. A touchdown there would have made it a much different, and closer game.
“We have had a tendency to do those types of things all year. It seems like when our kids get up, they let down. That’s one thing we definitely have to work on. We can’t keep getting away with it, and they have to realize that.”
The Sentinels got back to business in the third quarter, relying on the running game and the line play of Greise, Caleb Morris, Clint Johnson, Matt Riggleman and Morgan Absher.
From the 35, the Sentinels went 65 yards on eight running plays. Lashley had a 14-yard gain and Walker an 11-yard pickup before Lashley’s five-yard run for the score.
Stephen Weisenmiller recovered a successful onside kick, and, after an unsportsmanlike penalty on Boonsboro, Howser hit Sibley in stride for a 31-yard touchdown pass, making it 35-0 with 7:54 left in the third.
Appel said the onside kick decision was his, and based on getting his subs playing time.
“We were upset about the three fumbles in the first half, and I wanted to get all of our kids on the field,’’ Appel said. “I knew if we got the ball back we could score again.
“Our kids haven’t had much of a chance to play this year because of the tough opponents we’ve had, I wanted to get some kids playing time. Half of the third quarter and all of the fourth we got kids playing time who deserved playing time. They’ve been practicing hard all year. The opportunity was there, and I thought we should take it.”
The shutout was the first for Fort Hill, not counting the 1-0 forfeit over Dunbar. Boonsboro had three first downs and 84 yards of offense through three quarters.
Branden McLean ran 11 times for 44 yards to lead the Warriors.
Fort Hill receiver Jordan Helmick is about to pull in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Eric Howser inside the 10-yard line during the second quarter of the Sentinels’ Maryland Class 1A West semifinal playoff game Friday evening at Greenway Avenue Stadium. Fort Hill won, 35-0. (PHOTO BY: John A. Bone)