Warriors finish season on disappointing note

Penalties, turnovers costly for Havre de Grace as Sentinels run for six TDs

CUMBERLAND — Havre de Grace knew it was a long drive to battle Fort Hill in another Class 1A state semifinal football game.

What the Warriors didn’t know is that multiple bad penalties, poor snaps and turnovers would turn Saturday’s game into another lopsided victory for the Sentinels. Fort Hill (12-0) won 43-6.

“Very disappointed, I mean I felt like we probably gave them more yards in penalties than they actually earned,” Warriors coach Brian Eberhardt said. “Offensively it was tough, they’re a good football team. Then you have some questionable penalties that take them out of a bind, it’s tough, it was tough.”

There were penalties by both teams on the game’s first drive, but that didn’t stop Fort Hill from putting up its first of six rushing touchdowns.

“We came out with the right attitude, it’s just penalties killed us, doing personal fouls and stuff like that,” Havre de Grace senior Jesse Fenner said. “I knew we left it all out in the field, I feel we did very good on that subject, but they’re a great team. I don’t feel, too bad about it. I’m glad we made it this far with this team this year and proud of my team. Thank God for everything.”

The Sentinels overcame a first-down holding call to march 69 yards in nine plays. A Warriors encroachment penalty on a third and one kept the drive alive at the Warriors 37.

Quarterback Blake Beal, a 6-foot-2 senior, sneaked it in from a yard out and Danny King added the kick. It was 7-0 Fort Hill just over four minutes into the game.

Havre de Grace (10-3) went three downs and out on its first possession. A personal foul penalty on second down essentially killed the drive.

The Warriors defense stepped up on the next Fort Hill possession, stopping the Sentinels short on fourth and 2 from the Warriors 34.

The momentum and excitement was gone seconds later when the first poor snap resulted in a fumble and Fort Hill recovery at the Havre de Grace 34. Carter Swan made the recovery.

It was Swan who did most of the damage for the Fort Hill offense. Just 5-6, Swan, a senior, was a problem from the fullback position in the potent Fort Hill Wing-T offense.

Swan ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, but it was counterpart, Tyreke Powell, also a senior, who scored the game’s next points.

Powell raced 20 yards for the score and the Sentinels used a fake extra-point try to throw a two-point conversion pass to senior tight end Wyatt Brehm. It was 15-0 Fort Hill with 3:39 left in the first quarter.

Then it got ugly for the Warriors.