Maryland high school football notebook (10/11/2023)
When Fort Hill High lost to Mountain Ridge about a year ago, the Sentinels’ grip as the top program in Western Maryland looked to be slipping.
But as ESPN College GameDay mainstay Lee Corso would say: “Not so fast my friend.” Fort Hill re-established its reign with a 37-14 pasting of Mountain Ridge over the weekend.
“We came out in the first half with a lot of energy, a lot of excitement, played really well outside of one play,” Fort Hill head coach Zack Alkire told the Cumberland Times-News.
The undefeated Sentinels pounded their Route 68 rival for more than 300 rushing yards. Junior fullback Jabriel Daniels finished with 210 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.
It was a rematch of last year’s Class 1A state championship game, won by Fort Hill, 16-14, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Mountain Ridge had momentum going in after a 30-8 rout of the Sentinels for its first-ever victory.
Fort Hill football Zack Alkire talks to his team before last Friday's kickoff against Mountain Ridge. The two-time defending Class 1A state champs avenged a loss to their Western Maryland rival last regular season with a 37-14 decision for their 14th straight victory.
Photo courtesy of Fort Hill Football
Fort Hill won, 51-31, in the 2021 1A state final at Navy. A third consecutive title match could be in the works on the first Saturday of December.
The Sentinels (6-0 overall), winners of 14 straight and 32 of 33 since 2021, would be the odds-on favorite.
Mountain Ridge coach Ryan Patterson made a declaration after a disheartening effort in the latest match with Fort Hill.
“From here on out I can promise you I will have our kids ready to go emotionally. I don’t care if we’re playing Fort Hill, I don’t care if it’s Northern next week, anybody in between,” Patterson said to the Cumberland Times News. “Trust me, we’re going to be at a higher emotional level or I’m going to be fired because I’m going to do whatever it takes to get that done.”
Maryland's top high school football games to watch
Bishop McNamara (6-0) at St. John’s (3-3) - The Mustangs look to serve notice as a legitimate contender in the tough Capital division of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference in the nation’s capital against the two-time reigning champ Cadets.
DeMatha (6-0) at Good Counsel (5-1) - Maryland’s top ranking and the inside track to the top-seed in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference playoffs will be at stake.
Dunbar (4-0) vs. Mervo (6-0) at Poly - The winner will take a major step towards the Baltimore City Division I championship, as well as a perfect regular season.
Flowers (5-0) at Wise (5-1) - The top spot in the Prince George’s County 4A league is on the line in a rematch of last year’s 4A state semifinal, won by Flowers.
Northern-Calvert (5-1) at Patuxent (6-0) - The Panthers look to keep their perfect record intact in a key Southern Maryland Athletic Conference battle.
No. 1 battle set in state Top 25
There was no change at the top in the latest Maryland High School Football Media Top 25, setting the table for a huge battle Friday night.
Good Counsel and undefeated DeMatha remain Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference rivals will meet Friday evening at Good Counsel.
Archbishop Spalding, Quince Orchard and St. Frances round out the Top 5. Flowers, Oakdale, Wise, Concordia Prep and Rock Creek Christian complete the Top 10.
Patuxent (6-0; 23rd) and Old Mill (No. 24) make their debut in the rankings. Linganore was the biggest mover this week, advancing from No. 25 to 20th.
Broadneck, 17th last week, tumbled to No. 25 after losing to Anne Arundel County rival Old Mill.
Here is this week's complete Maryland High School Football Media State Poll:
Rank, School, Record, Points, Last week’s rank
1. Good Counsel (8 first-place votes), 5-1, 248, 1
2. DeMatha (2), 6-0, 242, 2
3. Archbishop Spalding, 6-1, 228, 3
4. Quince Orchard, 6-0, 218, 4
5. St. Frances Academy, 2-5, 214, 5
6. Flowers, 6-0, 200, 6
7. Oakdale, 6-0, 185, 7
8. Wise, 5-1, 183, 8
9. Concordia Prep, 5-1, 167, 9
10. Rock Creek Christian, 3-4, 156, 11
11. Milford Mill Academy, 5-1, 146, 12
12. Bishop McNamara, 6-0, 140, 13
13. Georgetown Prep, 4-1, 131, 10
14. North Point, 6-0, 120, 14
15. Northwest, 6-0, 113, 15
16. McDonogh, 4-1, 105, 16
17. Loyola Blakefield, 2-2, 88, 18
18. Fort Hill, 6-0, 85, 19
19. Dunbar, 4-0, 66, 20
20. Linganore, 5-1, 53, 25
21. Mount St. Joseph, 4-3, 48, 21
22. Riverdale Baptist, 3-3, 36, 24
23. Patuxent, 6-0, 30, not ranked
24. Old Mill, 5-1, 18, not ranked
25. Broadneck, 4-2, 9, 17
