Sentinels defense dominant over Mariners

Nov. 26, 2022
by Jordan Kendall

CUMBERLAND — Since the 21-7 Homecoming win over Allegany, Fort Hill has been dominant in the playoffs. It has won all four postseason games by at least six scores.

The most recent was a 43-6 win over Joppatowne on Friday night at Greenway Avenue Stadium.

“What I’m seeing the most is a lot more leadership,” Fort Hill head coach Zack Alkire said. “Across the board, it’s not just the seniors. We’ve got some underclassmen stepping up as well. When we’re positive, when we’re coming out there and playing with intensity and having fun, things click really well for us.”

The Sentinels (12-1) clinched their eighth trip to the Maryland Class 1A championship game in the last nine seasons.

One of the main reasons why was the performance of Fort Hill’s defense. It held the Mariners (11-2) to 248 yards of offense. The Sentinels combined for 348 yards of offense.

Joppa’s quarterback Anthony Wilson went 10 for 25 for 90 yards and a pick. He rushed 11 times for 31 yards.

“It speaks volumes to the guys in coverage,” Alkire said. “It speaks volumes to the guys getting pressure on the quarterback. Being able to do those two things is the recipe for success on defense.”

Shawn Cain rushed six times for 80 yards and caught five passes for 57 yards. He scored the Mariners’ only touchdown from 81 yards out.

“I was actually right here on the end, I probably should’ve had better contain,” Fort Hill defensive back Steven Spencer said on the long run. “Next thing I know, he’s running down the field.”

The Sentinels had several players on defense contribute. Sixteen players made at least one tackle and five recorded at least four stops.

Fort Hill was led by Bryson Metz who finished with nine tackles.

“Bryson’s all over the place,” Alkire said. “He’s a kid that’s a sure tackler and he’s a smart player and he gets in the right spots. That allows him to make all those tackles.”

Spencer recorded four tackles including three for loss and a sack. Carter Hess finished with four tackles with one for loss and a sack. Shane Welsh had five tackles.

“Keeping them inside the tackles, when they’re passing the ball to get to the quarterback,” Spencer said on the keys coming in. “Keep the coverage, make them have to move around. Let the defensive line do their job.”

In the fourth quarter, Joppatowne let a kickoff land at the 15 where Amar Perry recovered the live ball. Mikey Allen intercepted a pass late in the game that ended a 14-play drive by the Mariners.

Fort Hill has a seven-game winning streak dating back to Oct. 14. Their only blemish was a 30-8 loss at Mountain Ridge. The Miners (12-0) defeated Brunswick 49-20 on Friday.

“We saw in that Mountain Ridge game what happens when you go in too confident,” Spencer said. “Just gotta keep our heads on straight.”

The two teams will meet again in Annapolis next Saturday with a state title on the line. The Sentinels won last year’s meeting at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 51-31.

“That’s probably the most motivating thing that you can give to these guys,” Alkire said about the rematch. “They don’t like to lose, they’re competitors, so it’s everything.”

A win next week would give Fort Hill their ninth state title in school history and their seventh in the last decade.

“This is it, this is the game,” Spencer said. “This is what we’ve been working for ever since that loss. This is what the guys want. We gotta come out strong.”

Kickoff from the home of the Midshipmen is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

“It’s my first year at Fort Hill,” Spencer said on a potential championship. “It’s what I came here to do, it’s what our team’s here to do. It’s gonna mean a lot.”