November 28, 2008
FH Next stop: Baltimore
Sentinels dominate Joppatowne, 28-0, to advance to state title game

by Steve Luse

CUMBERLAND — Marcus Lashley pounded for 200 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries and the swarming Fort Hill defense came up with four turnovers as the second-seeded Sentinels shut out third-seeded Joppatowne, 28-0, Friday night at Greenway Avenue Stadium to advance to the Maryland Class 1A championship game.

The Sentinels lifted their record to 11-1 with their 10th straight win and will be facing the winner of today’s game between two-time defending champion Dunbar and Catoctin next Saturday at noon at M&T; Bank Stadium in Baltimore. It was the first actual loss on the field this season for Joppatowne, which had to forfeit three games once it was ruled the Mariners had used an ineligible player.

With Lashley leading the way the Fort Hill offense piled up 296 yards on the ground on 53 runs. That ball control helped the Sentinels have a huge 29:30 to 18:30 advantage in time of possession and helped keep the ball out of the usually-potent Joppatowne defense.

Senior quarterback Eric Howser scored a pair of touchdowns on runs of 10 and 16 yards and also had a couple of key completions for 28 yards on only three attempts. Backup fullback Dakota Welsh came in to score the final touchdown.

Johnathan Foster and Andy Broadwater intercepted passes, while Howser and Colton Sibley recovered fumbles for the four turnovers that the defense created.

Led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Caleb Morris from his tackle spot, and linebackers Welsh and Garrett Dolly, the Sentinels held Joppatowne to only 184 yards in total offense with 118 coming through the air.

“Our kids played great offensively and defensively and beat a great Joppatowne team,” said coach Todd Appel. “We have been able to play together and stay focused on taking just one game at a time all season.

“We put the ball in the hands of Marcus Lashley and he pounded them,” added the first-year Fort Hill coach. “Eric Howser had a couple of great runs calling his own number and had another great game. Our offensive line once again proved it is the best in the area and we just wore them down.”

All the scoring was in the second half after a fast-paced first half in which both teams stopped possible scoring drives with mistakes.

Fort Hill got the kickoff to start the second half, then coughed up the ball on a fumble for its only turnover of the night that was recovered by Joppatowne’s Chris Wright at the Sentinels’ 33-yard line. It took only three plays for the defense to get it back as Howser recovered a fumble by Joppatowne’s highly-touted tailback Epe Henriques at the Fort Hill 36.

Lashley then got the Sentinels rolling as he took the ball outside on an 19-yard run. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior was then handed the ball the next nine plays and capped the 64-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run with 5:38 left in the third quarter. A pass for the two points failed.

The Sentinels got the ball right back when Broadwater picked off a Ben Tucker pass at the Fort Hill 42-yard line at the 3:35 mark of the quarter.

After being stopped for a two-yard gain, Lashley broke loose up the middle for 23 yards and a first down at the Mariners’ 33-yard line. An illegal block helped create a situation for the Sentinels in which they faced fourth-and-five at the 28, and on only his second pass, Howser found Jordan Helmick for 16 yards and a first down.

After a two-yard run by Lashley, Howser called his own number and went the 10 yards for the touchdown with 10:15 left. He then passed to Helmick for the two points and a 14-0 lead.

The Mariners then fumbled again and Sibley returned the ball three yards to the Joppatowne 39-yard line. It took just four Lashley blasts and Howser’s 16-yard sneak to put the third touchdown on the board with 5:34 on the clock. Lashley kicked the extra point.

Appel then decided to give Lashley a much-deserved rest and the Sentinels marched 72 yards on 10 plays behind the running of Sibley and Welsh, who scored on a three-yard run with 55 seconds left. Howser had a 12-yard pass to Devin Lee on the drive.

Fort Hill had the ball 18 of the 24 minutes in the second half.