Chris Appel
CUMBERLAND — Often overlooked by anyone outside of the coach’s office, defensive linemen, much like their offensive counterparts, never get the fanfare of those who line up behind them.
Fort Hill Coach Todd Appel is doing more than anyone in the area to help change that. For the second straight season a member of Appel’s defensive front has been judged the best defensive player the Cumberland Times-News coverage area.
Down linemen are the grease the makes the defensive machine run smoothly, and no area team’s defense was more like a machine than that of the Sentinels. No player was more instrumental to its efficency than senior Glen Vincent. For his role in leading the Sentinels to an 11-1 record and a return trip to the Maryland 1A West Region Title game, Vincent has been awarded the Pepsi-Cola Award as the Times-News Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Vincent, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior, was the leading scorer in the Sentinels’ defensive point system with 237 points. He finished with 58 tackles (36 solo and 22 assists) which was good for second most on the team.
Though 33 tackles behind the team’s leader, he made up for it in the points system by recovering three fumbles and disrupted opposing passing schemes to the tune of seven sacks, three batted balls and one interception. All that also helped him to be named to the second-team of the Maryland 1A-2A All-State defense.
“He wasn’t the leading tackler on our team, but as the stats show he was able to do a little bit of everything for our defense,” said Appel. “He doesn’t play the position that is going to get most of the tackles, but he made as big a difference as anybody on the field.”
While Appel admits that linebacker is the more glamorous position, he likes to believe that perception is shifting throughout his program.
“I think that’s beginning to change over the past couple of years,” he said. “I believe kids are going to want to play this position more from now on because we are not so much a linebacker defense that’s based on making tackles anymore.”
To Appel, it’s about making plays.
“We want guys with great athleticism on the edge. We don’t want big sluggish guys there, and Glen fits that perfectly for us. We got a good line coach in John McKenney, and he gets the guys on the move, making them harder to block. There are big kids that eat up space, and not that Glen is a little kid, but he also runs a 4.7 40-yard dash. Offensive linemen have trouble fighting guys like Glen and Colton Sibley. Those two were the best pair of linemen in the area.”
Vincent’s play making ability was never sharper then during the Sentinels’ third game of the season against Mount Saint Joseph.
“We didn’t think we played very well after the Surrattsville game. Then we played a good first half, but bad second half against Keyser. We weren’t sure of how good we were at that point, we had a big game with a big school coming up, and it was Glen’s interception on a screen pass that was a turnaround for the game, and a confidence builder for the season.”
One play after sacking the Gaels’ quarterback, Vincent stepped in front one of his passes and needed just 12 yards for a touchdown that gave Fort Hill a 15-0 lead. The Sentinels would win 22-12, and use the victory as a springboard that helped them to 41-14 win over Martinsburg the following week.
He continued stepping up in big games by being named the Defensive Player of the Game during the Sentinels’ 17-7 win over Allegany in Homecoming.
So far Vincent is receiving interest from colleges such as Shepherd and Old Dominion, and Appel sees him being able to step up to the challenge.
“I’d love to see Glen play at the next level. He has the potential to put on another 30 pounds and still keep his athleticism, so I think he could play the position he did for us. Glen is the prototypical athlete for the way colleges play his position. He can stand up, or go from a stance, and do just about anything you need him to. He’s the kind of kid coaches are looking at for that position.”
His transition to the college level would be made smoother by his work habits.
“He became an animal in the weight room, and the weight room is big for us” Appel said. “It makes average players good, and good players better.”
“Glen doesn’t like to sit around much,” Appel would add. “He’s not a kid that will stand still, but is always on the move. You hear the stereotypical coach speak about someone having a motor that is always running, well that’s him, and that’s what helps him be such a good player.”
He was also able to shave his 40-yards dash to 4.7 from 4.9 despite adding 25 pounds in the off-season.
The Sentinels’ defense was laden with talent, including a first-team Maryland Small School All-State selection at defensive back in Devin Lee. Vincent was one of three listed on the second-team, along with Sibley and junior linebacker Garrett Dolly.
“I think it shows how good our defense was to get those guys named to the all-state team. Vincent was doing it from a new position after playing nose guard last season. Sibley played the entire season on a torn ACL, and will be laid-up for the next six months because of that. I think that’s a statement to him and his dedication to the Fort Hill program to play all-state football on one good knee.”
It’s also a statement to Fort Hill’s program that Vincent follows former team mate Caleb Morris as the defensive player of the year.
“I think because of those two guys, you’re going to be seeing some changes in how defenses are played around here,” said Appel. “They are changing views on what certain positions have to be in order to succeed.”
Vincent will collect his award at the 62nd annual Dapper Dan Awards Dinner on Sunday, Jan. 31, 4 p.m., at the Ali Ghan Shrine Club.
