Fort Hill spreads wealth, slaughters Jefferson 59-0

Oct 9, 2010
From Staff Reports

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va. — Second-ranked Fort Hill scored at will and prevented winless Jefferson from doing much of anything at will as the Sentinels easily won their second game in a row, 59-0, Friday during the Jefferson Homecoming game.

Garrett Clay, who did not carry the ball at all in the second half, led the Fort Hill offense, carrying eight times for 179 yards and two touchdowns, including an 87-yard run in the second quarter. Ten Sentinels carried the ball as Fort Hill (4-2) racked up 415 yards on the ground and 122 through the air for a total of 537.

Starting quarterback Joe Howser rushed for a pair of touchdowns on runs of 26 and 29 yards, while Ryan Briner picked up 75 yards on 14 carries, all in the second half.

Three Fort Hill quarterbacks combined for a 7-for-13 passing evening, for 122 yards and three touchdowns — a 33-yard scoring striking from Evan Harden to Justin Dawson, a 25-yarder from Harden to Robert Vincent and a 25-yarder from Michael Austin to Jaron Watkins.

Defensively, Fort Hill came up with its fourth shutout, limiting the Cougars to 44 yards rushing on 22 carries. Dylan Clay intercepted two passes while Andrew Blank and Harden both picked off one.

The first Fort Hill possession ended in the Jefferson end zone with a lost fumble, but the Sentinels soon regained possession on a Jefferson fumble at the Cougars’ 24 from where they would need just three plays. Garrett Clay broke a trap on the third play for 19 yards and the first touchdown at 6:28 of the first quarter. Philip Giugliano kicked the first of his eight extra points to make it 7-0.

Fort Hill forced a punt and Watkins put the Sentinels in business with a 45-yard return. On first-and-23 from the 26, Howser bootlegged to his left and proceeded to break three tackles in going the distance for a 26-yard touchdown run at 3:03. A pass to Dylan Clay made it 15-0.

After an exchange of possessions, the Cougars took over at their 15 and used 14 plays to take the ball to the Fort Hill 13, thanks to three completions from quarterback Justin Carter to tight end Daniel Myers. But on fourth-and-nine from the 13, Carter threw an incompletion to give Fort Hill possession and from the 13, Garrett Clay broke over right tackle for an 87-yard touchdown run with Giugliano's kick making it 22-0.

Jefferson took over at its 13 but would soon be returning the ball to the Sentinels as Carter was flagged for intentional grounding from his end zone, giving Fort Hill a safety to make it 24-0.

After taking the ball at the Jefferson 41, Fort Hill used just six plays before Harden found tight end Dawson for a 33-yard TD pass at 3:42, and two possessions later Harden hit Vincent on the final play of the half to send Fort Hill into the break with a 38-0 lead.

Fort Hill opened the second half by taking the ball at the 31 to start its four-play scoring drive, highlighted by gains of 22 by Watkins and 11 by Lance Fullwood, before Howser took it in from 29 yards for the touchdown at 9:41 of the third.

At 5:25 of the third quarter, after taking the ball at the Jefferson 29, the Sentinels got on the board again when Austin hit Watkins on a slant, which Watkins took into the end zone for the 25-yard TD.

With 7:10 left in the game, junior halfback Dillon Darr capped off a 12-play, 87-yard scoring drive with a five-yard touchdown run.

Fort Hill will visit Southern on Friday.

Jefferson is now 0-7.