No. 8 Edmondson boys shut down Fort Hill in 1A

ROCKVILLE — Fort Hill boys basketball has put up points in bunches this season with a 3-point arsenal that led to 22 wins.

What the Sentinels from Cumberland quickly learned in Wednesday’s Class 1A state semifinal against Edmondson is that Red Storm sophomore point guard Darnell Dantzler Jr. can also put up points in a hurry.

With the Red Storm up seven points at halftime, Dantzler came out to start the third quarter looking to make the difference. He hit a 3-pointer on the Red Storm’s opening possession, followed with a dazzling drive that resulted in a 3-point play and then drove in for another basket.

The eight-point blitz came in a 1:12 stretch, providing a comfortable lead that was never threatened as No. 8 Edmondson claimed a 67-51 win over Fort Hill at Richard Montgomery High School.

Edmondson, which fell to Lake Clifton in last year’s title game, will return in a bid to bring home the program’s third title and first since 2014. The Red Storm (19-7) will meet No. 6 Lake Clifton, which beat CMIT North, 65-58, in the other semifinal, at 1 p.m. Saturday at University of Maryland’s Xfinity Center in College Park in a Baltimore City showdown.

In addition to Dantlzer’s game-high 19 points, the Red Storm got strong inside play from 6-foot-7 Marcus Johnson (18 points) and 6-10 Chase Foster (eight points) and shut down the Sentinels’ outside shooting.

On Saturday, an entirely new starting lineup from last year’s final will be on the floor for the Red Storm — a testament to the program’s sustained success under coach Darnell Dantzler Sr.

“I’m happy for the kids because it’s all about them,” Dantzler Sr. said. “We’re so young only having one senior, so for the kids to strive and listen to the coaching staff [is impressive]. We took some hits early in the season and throughout the season, so for the kids to come listen to our game plan and keep playing as hard as they could, it’s just good for the kids, good for the school and good for the community.”

The coach’s son, a sophomore transfer from St. Frances, has been instrumental in the Red Storm’s strong team play.

To start the second half, he saw opportunities and pounced.

“It’s definitely a humbling moment, a great experience. We just came out and knew we had to play hard,” Dantzler Jr. said. “We were up [at the half ] and I knew we had to come out and step on their neck while they were down and finish out strong.”