STATE CHAMPS: Sentinels delight in deja vu

MIKE MATHEWS
TIMES-NEWS STAFF WRITER

BALTIMORE — On a perfect day for Ducks, the Fort Hill Sentinels proved, once again, that they are the kings of Class 1A football.

With one final dominating half of football and in a pouring cold rain, Fort Hill overwhelmed Frederick Douglass, repeated as undefeated state champions and extended its area record winning streak to 28 games with a 40-8 romp Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Raen Smith ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns, Alex Barnes ran for a score and Rashaan Shives hit twin brother Ryan Shives with a touchdown pass for the Sentinels.

Fort Hill had beaten the Ducks 25-0 in last year’s final, and although the Sentinels never trailed Saturday, the lead was only 14-8 at halftime. But, against a team that had allowed 60 points all season, the Sentinels found every way to score in the second half — field goal, safety and touchdowns — and outscored the Ducks 26-0 after halftime.

“We won the old-fashioned way,’’ said head coach Todd Appel, whose team capped its season with an 8:21 scoring march. “It wasn’t any spectacular thing or things that we did. We ran off tackle, and we ran off tackle with a big fullback.

“I think the differences in the halves was just individual effort,’’ he added. “It was a close game, 14-8, at halftime. We challenged our kids at halftime and they did a good job meeting the challenge. I don’t think it was anything we did scheme-wise... It was just their effort.”

Smith, a 6-foot, 235-pound sophomore, ran for 105 of his yards in the second half, often times breaking tackles and dragging Ducks along the way. He scored on a 3-yard run in the first quarter, a 4-yard run in the third and a 21-yard run in the fourth.

“We just kind of go with the flow, and whatever the other team gives us we’re going to take advantage of it,’’ said Smith. “Tonight, the holes were there, the blocks were there and I?just tried to take advantage of it.”

Ty Johnson ran for 78 yards, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble before hobbling off the field in the third quarter with an ankle sprain. The Sentinels (14-0) led just 14-8 at the time.

His forced fumble, which Brayden Brown recovered at the Duck 22, led to a 20-yard field goal by Austin Farrell with 6:54 left in the third quarter that made it 17-8. Just four plays and two minutes later, a high snap sailed over the head of Douglass punter Tyreek Henderson, who covered it in the end zone for a safety that made it 19-8.

When the Sentinels took the ensuing free kick and went 54 yards in seven plays, with Smith plunging in from the two, the once six-point game had become 26-8 with just a quarter to go.

The third quarter was more than just a 12-0 Fort Hill win on the scoreboard. The Sentinels hogged the ball for nine minutes. The Ducks (12-2) had it for only nine plays. Of those nine, one was a fumble recovered by Brown, one was an interception by Kris Jackson, and two others were for losses totaling 18 yards.

“We kept the ball out of Frederick Douglass’ hands, which was our best defense,’’ said Appel. “It was amazing to watch. We had done that before in the past, but late in the year we had the pleasure of watching 90-yard runs and 80- and 70-yard runs. We scored quick.”

The Sentinels finished with a lopsided edge in time of possession, 32:43 to only 15:17 for Douglass.

“As I said, we did it the old- fashioned way, and my hat’s off to the offensive line, and Raen and the halfbacks and Alex... Everyone blocked their tails off. They did a wonderful, wonderful job and I’m very proud of them.”

Jackson’s interception and 14-yard return to the Fort Hill 45 in the closing seconds of the third quarter set up the 56-yard, 13-play drive that ate up the final 13 seconds of the third period and the first 8:08 of the fourth. Smith ran eight times for 49 of the yards, and Barnes scored on a two-yard run to make it 32-8.

A four-and-out by Douglass gave Fort Hill the ball back quickly, and Smith ran up the middle 21 yards for the final touchdown and 40-8 lead with 1:53 left.

The Sentinels took an early lead in the first quarter after a 17-yard punt gave them the ball at the Douglass 49. Johnson converted two third downs with a 10-yard catch from Rashaan Shives, and a four-yard run to get to the 13. From there, Smith got the call on three straight plays, and scored on a three-yard run by following a big block by Barnes.

D.J. Powell, Rashaan Shives and Barnes converged on Maurice McFadden behind the line of scrimmage on a fourth-and-one that gave the Sentinels the ball at the Ducks 43 a few minutes later. The Sentinels converted another big third down, this one a third-and-11, when Rashaan Shives hit Brayden Brown for a 35-yard pickup to the Douglass 9-yard line, and three plays later, on yet another third down, the Shives brothers hooked up for a five-yard touchdown pass, to make it 14-0 with 6:37 left in the half.

Douglass scored on a 16-yard pass from Dariun Miller to Jordan Wilkes with five minutes left in the half, and a two-point pass cut it to 14-8.

Miller completed 5 of 15 passes for 128 yards for Douglass, which was held to just 39 yards rushing on 22 carries.

The Sentinels finished with 254 yards rushing, converted 7 of 13 third downs and scored on six of seven trips inside the 20-yard line.

Another big key was the kicking game. Punter Darron Warner pinned the Ducks inside the 10 twice and averaged 36.5 yards a punt. Farrell made a field goal, all five extra points, and had three touchbacks on kickoffs.

“I think they played their best football game today, as a team,’’ said Appel, who said he’d let others provide the historical perspective of what his team has done the last two years.

“What does it mean? It means a lot to these kids,’’ he said of the 28-0 run and consecutive state titles. “Going 28-0 is awesome. And it’s something (the players) will be able to talk about with their families down the road, for a long time.

“The rest ... that’s for you guys to decide, certainly not me.”

The state championship was the fourth in school history for Fort Hill, the others being in 2013, 1997 and 1975.