Fort Hill powers past Northern Garrett for 4th straight title
December 7, 2024
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Fort Hill was dominant on both sides of the ball and leaned solely on its running game to defeat Northern Garrett, 35-0, in the 1A State Championship Game on Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The Sentinels tallied 349 total yards, and every single one of them came on the ground. Senior running back Jabril Daniels was a large part of that offense. Daniels carried the ball 23 times for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns, and has now accounted for 8 touchdowns in Fort Hill’s last two state championship games. Quarterback Noah House attempted only one pass in the entire game.
Fort Hill started out the game a bit sloppily, however. Northern Garrett held possession of the ball for a good portion of the first half. The Huskies were forced to punt after their first possession, but Fort Hill muffed the punt, and the Huskies fell on the ball. But, the Sentinels defense held in the red zone, and the game remained scoreless after the first quarter.
Daniels found the end zone for the first time early in the second, as he ran into the end zone from 14 yards away. Bobby Brauer added the extra point to give the Sentinels a 7-0 lead. The remainder of the half saw both teams turn the ball over on downs. The Huskies advanced into Fort Hill territory and were turned away, and then just before halftime, Fort Hill went for it on 4th down from inside the Northern Garrett 10, instead of opting for the field goal, and the ball was fumbled on the snap. Fort Hill fell on the ball, but was short of the line to gain. The Sentinels took a 7-0 advantage into the locker room.
Fort Hill’s second half was sparked by Tristan Ross who broke a long kickoff return to begin the third quarter. Daniels scored shortly after for the second time on an 11-yard run. House would add a 5-yard run only a few minutes later to extend the Sentinels lead to 21-0.
As play turned to the fourth quarter, Fort Hill stayed in control. Daniels weaved through defenders and ran 27 yards for his third touchdown, and later in the half, Chase Lamb scored from 16 yards out.
Northern Garrett’s best offensive chance came late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Liam Stewart connected with receiver Caleb Hinebaugh on a long pass, but on the next play Stewart threw into the end zone, and his toss was intercepted by Braelyn Younger.
The Huskies finish the best postseason run in program history, having reached the title game for the first time ever. Fort Hill picks up its fourth consecutive 1A title, and has won the championship for the 11th time in school history, and its 9th since 2013.
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