Alco, FH agree: Ball control is key

82nd annual Homecoming game kicks off at 12:30 p.m.

Mike Mathews

CUMBERLAND — The longest week and longest wait of the season is just about to end.

It couldn’t come soon enough for Allegany and Fort Hill, who square off for the 82nd time when the city rivals resume their football rivalry today at Greenway Avenue Stadium.

Kickoff is 12:30.

Fort Hill is 9-0, No. 1 in the Times-News poll and Class 1A West Region and No. 8 in the Maryland state poll. Allegany is 7-2 and No. 2 in the region and No. 3 in the area.

A sunny, warm afternoon is forecast, but little else can be as accurately predicted in this long-running series.

Fort Hill scored a touchdown with 18 seconds left to win last year’s Homecoming 26-22. The Sentinels hold a slim 6-4 edge in the last 10 Homecomings.

The teams have split eight meetings over the last four years. Each time, the winner of Homecoming has won the playoff meeting.

“Our week got progressively better,’’ Fort Hill coach Todd Appel said of practices. “Starting out, it’s more like a fanfare type of week. It’s hard to keep away from distractions.

“You can’t treat it like any other week because it isn’t like any other week. The biggest thing is to try to stay focused. You have to remember what the week is all about and stay focused on playing your very best on Saturday.”

Allegany’s Tom Preaskorn agreed.

“We’ve had a real good week and the kids are really focused. We think we’ve been getting better each week, and we need to continue that. Hopefully, the outcome will be in our favor.”

Appel reported no injuries for the Sentinels. Allegany’s Demetreous Taylor (collarbone) and Carter Imes (shoulder) are out. Aaron Leasure, who took a hard hit last week at Northern, and J.D. Hook, who left last week’s game with “a bit of a bruised knee” will play, according to Preaskorn.

At this point of the season, both coaches know plenty about their opponent. There’s likely little that could come as a surprise today. It’s all down to execution, and that one big intangible: turnovers.

“We need to take care of the ball. It seems like turnovers have been the big factor in the last two Homecomings,’’ said Preaskorn. “And they’ve been our downfall at times this year.”

Dakota Welsh leads the Sentinels with 942 yards rushing and is averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Devin Lee has completed 39-of-79 passes for 561 yards and six touchdowns.

Hook leads Allegany with 945 yards in eight games and is averaging 10.3 yards per carry. Dustin Wharton has 737 yards and an 8.9 yard average, and leads the area in all-purpose yardage (166 per game) and scoring (21 touchdowns). Seven of Drew O’Neal’s completions have been for touchdowns. He is 16-for-29 for 418 yards.

Allegany has scored 30 or more points in eight of its nine games, and has scored 417 for the season. But the Campers lost three fumbles in a 28-25 loss to Keyser, and five in a 36-35 overtime loss to St. Albans.

“If we would have eliminated the turnovers in those games, we definitely would have a different record going into Homecoming,” Preaskorn said. “We cannot afford to have turnovers and hope to win this game.”

Last year, Allegany had two turnovers and a punt blocked returned for a touchdown.

The Sentinels haven’t had a turnover problem this year, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a concern. It was the first thing Appel mentioned when listing what was most important.

“We have to hold onto the ball. We need to control the ball and continue to play good defense like we have been.”

The Sentinels have allowed only 69 points, nearly half as many as Allegany, which has given up 130.

“Homecoming’s a game where the team that makes the fewest mistakes usually wins the game. I know that sounds like a lot of coachspeak, but it’s true. So we have to not make many mistakes and we have to play good defense.”

Appel knows his defense, which has allowed a touchdown or less in five straight games, will be severely tested by Allegany.

“J.D. Hook is a big-play threat. We have to make sure we contain him. I don’t know if you can totally control him,’’ he said. “Dustin Wharton’s a go-to back and good player on both sides, and Trevor Jessie’s a good kid and I admire how he plays. Drew O’Neal has a good arm and started a number of games last year.

“Allegany blocks the perimeter well, and certainly the trap well for J.D. They’ve very good, quality guards. They get after you defensively, and Tim Foley does a great job mixing up his defense.”

“Fort Hill ... is just an overall fundamentally sound football team,’’ Preaskorn said. “Their defense is the biggest concern.

“People haven’t been able to move the ball on them to score, or even to gain good field position. Hopefully, we’ll be able to gain some field position and eat up some clock with our offense.”

Who’s the favorite? Most, at least in the Times-News Web site poll, said Fort Hill. Four more points for Allegany, and it would be 9-0 vs. 9-0 today.

“Going into the season, they would be the favorite because of some of the quality kids we lost and the returning players they had,’’ said Appel. “They had four or five sophomores playing against Dunbar in the state championship game two years ago. They’ve got a lot of veterans on the team.

“This is a good, quality Allegany team. Everything they do they do well. They’ve been in big games and they know how to play in big games. We’ve got to be on our toes. A lot of people are saying we’re the favorite, but in the beginning of the year I don’t think they would have said that.”

Preaskorn was rather direct when giving the keys to the game.

“It will all come down to how well we keep care of the football, and if our defense can establish itself on the defensive line.”

In close games, like the two last year, a field goal could come in quite handy.

Allegany’s John Carpenter, 43-for-46 in extra-points, is 4-for-4 on field goals, with a long of 43 yards.

“John’s been a great weapon for us all year and anytime we’re inside the 20 he can put points on the board for us,’’ said Preaskorn. “He’s a great kicker and has been plus. Plus, touchbacks on kickoffs are really important because Fort Hill’s got great skill kids back there.”

Fort Hill’s Josh Borland, also one of the area’s leading soccer scorers, has a strong foot as well, and booted a 41-yarder last week at Mountain Ridge. Phillip Giugliano kicked six extra points.

Mike Mathews is a Cumberland Times-News sportswriter. Contact Mike Mathews at mmathews@times-news.com.