Johnson, FH cruise past Mtn. Ridge
Senior running back scores four TDs on four touches

FROM STAFF REPORTS

CUMBERLAND — Fort Hill won its City record 23rd game in a row, overwhelming Mountain Ridge in the first half with seven touchdowns to enter next week’s Homecoming Game undefeated with a 55-20 win over the Miners Friday at Greenway Avenue Stadium.

Maryland commit Ty Johnson carried the ball three times, gaining 125 yards and scoring three touchdowns on those carries, and also took in a 15-yard pass from quarterback Rashaan Shives for a touchdown to put his area-leading total at 28 for the season.

Shives would throw another touchdown pass, completing 8 of 14 for 128 yards on the night, working out of a no-huddle offense for much of the first half. Shives’ first TD pass went to junior Ethan York in the second quarter. Alex Barnes rushed for 63 yards, with 42 coming on a first-quarter touchdown run.

The Sentinels (9-0), who totaled 405 yards, led 28-0 after the first quarter and 48-6 at the half.

Fort Hill pushed the Miners from their 27 back to the five to start the game, thanks to a sack of quarterback Michael Strietbeck, forcing Mountain Ridge to punt.

Taking over at the Miners 32, the Sentinels needed just four plays, with Barnes picking up eight and Raen Smith five before Johnson took it down the sideline for the touchdown from 19 yards out for the first touchdown in concluding the four-play, 32-yard scoring drive. Austin Farrell’s kick made it 7-0 at 8:41 of the first quarter.

After recovering a Mountain Ridge fumble at the Miners 37, the Sentinels needed just six plays to put the second score on the board, the big plays coming with Shives finding Brayden Brown for 39 yards, and then York for the touchdown from nine yards out at 6:05.

After another four-and-out by Mountain Ridge, Johnson made short work of the next drive, taking the ball at his 48, hitting the sideline, cutting back to the 40, picking up a block at the 35, then shooting through the secondary for the touchdown, with Mountain Ridge unable to get a clean shot at him. The TD run covered 52 yards, and at 4:55 of the first quarter, Farrell made it 21-0.

The Miners then turned the ball back to Fort Hill on a four-and-out, giving the Sentinels an opportunity to score in four plays, with Barnes closing the deal from 42 yards out at 1:21 of the first quarter, with Farrell’s kick making it 28-0.

After a first down, the Miners punted again to set up a three-play scoring drive by the Sentinels, with Shives hitting Brown on the first two plays. After a penalty on Mountain Ridge, Shives, just before he was hit by a Miners’ pass rusher, then shot a pass across the middle to Johnson, who took it in to complete the three-play, 36-yard scoring drive at 10:10 of the second.

After the fifth Mountain Ridge punt, the Sentinels took over at their 33, and after an incompletion and a pass interference call on the Miners, Johnson burst untouched for 52 yards for his fourth touchdown of the half at 7:47, with Farrell’s kick making it 41-0.

The Miners then got the ball into Fort Hill territory, when Strietbeck scrambled and hooked up with Harry Moore for 33 yards to put the ball on the Fort Hill 37. Dalton Jefferies then picked up 15 to the 22. But the drive stalled when Strietbeck was sacked for a loss of 25, forcing the teams to exchange punts, with the 51-yarder of Fort Hill’s Darron Warner pinning the Miners down to their own one yard-line.

Mountain Ridge wasn’t deterred, though, as it put together a seven-play, 99-yard scoring drive. After Jefferies picked up a first down on a pair of carries, Strietbeck took it out to his 19 before hitting Zach Hager for 29 yards. He then connected with Jalen Washington for 27, and after a facemask call the Miners had the ball at the Fort Hill 15.

On first down, Strietbeck rolled right and found Washington, who had broken away from coverage in the end zone, for the touchdown with 1:07 left in the half.

After the Mountain Ridge try for two was unsuccessful, Fort Hill took over at the Miners 41 after a fine kickoff return by Kris Jackson. The Sentinels then needed just six plays, as Smith took it across from five yards out with 11 seconds left, with Farrell’s sixth conversion making it 48-6 at the half.

Fort Hill picked up where it left off to open the second half, putting together a five-play, 63-yard scoring drive with the help of freshman Brayden Poling’s 54-yard run to put the ball inside the Mountain Ridge 10. On fourth-and-goal from the one, quarterback Lennon Squires sneaked it in for the touchdown at 8:25 of the third.

Mountain Ridge countered with an eight-play, 82-yard scoring drive, with Matt Whetstone capping it with a 15-yard TD reception from Strietbeck with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

Following another beautiful Warner punt, this one covering 53 yards, that pinned Mountain Ridge to its four, the Miners responded the way they did the last time they were inside their five by putting together a long scoring drive. On the next-to-last play of the game on the running clock, Dalton Jefferies battled for an eight-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds left, and on the final play Strietbeck rolled into the end zone for the two-point conversion to put the final at 55-20.

Strietbeck completed 5 of 11 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, while Jefferies rushed for 143 yards on 18 carries.

Fort Hill will take on Allegany Saturday afternoon in the Homecoming Game, while Mountain Ridge (2-7) will close its season Friday hosting Keyser.