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Tonight's games

alex rychwalski, cumberland times-news, md.
·7 min read

Sep. 2—No. 1 Fort Hill at Northern

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Fort Hill leads, 7-0

LAST MEETING: Nov. 11, 2021 — Fort Hill won, 40-14

LAST YEAR: Fort Hill finished 12-0, won Maryland Class 1A State Championship; Northern finished 5-6, advanced to Maryland 1A West Region co-finals

IN THE POLLS: Fort Hill was No. 1 in the preseason Area Top 5

FOR THE RECORD: After only playing five times prior to last season in the lengthy school histories of Fort Hill and Northern, the Sentinels and Huskies met twice last year. Fort Hill won both meetings, 17-7 in the season opener and 40-14 in the Class 1A West Region Co-Final. ... Northern beat Smithsburg in the opening round of the playoffs last year for its second ever home playoff win — the first was in 1992, also over Smithsburg. It was the Huskies' first playoff win since 2000 when it beat Cambridge-South Dorchester. ... The Sentinels are replacing six starters on the defensive side of the ball and eight starters on offense from the starting lineup in the state title game, including the quarterback, one running back spot, fullback, split end, tight end and three on the offensive line.

No. 4 Allegany at Hollidaysburg (Pa.)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Hollidaysburg leads, 3-1

LAST MEETING: Oct. 13, 1995 — Hollidaysburg won, 34-26

LAST YEAR: Allegany finished 8-3, advanced to Maryland 1A West Region co-finals; Hollidaysburg finished 6-5, advanced to PIAA Class AAAAA playoff first round

IN THE POLLS: Allegany was No. 5 in the preseason Area Top 5

FOR THE RECORD: Allegany and Hollidaysburg have met four times and all four games have been decided by eight points or less. The Campers' lone win in the series came in 1994, a 28-20 victory in the final season of Jack Gilmore's first stint as head coach. ... Allegany enters the 2022 season with two significant losses due to injury. Zach Michael is out for the year, and two-way starter Clay Brode will miss the Campers' first two weeks. Quarterback Brody Williams returns for his junior season after rushing for 712 yards and eight TDs last year and completing 34 of 80 passes for 10 touchdowns and eight picks. Allegany's defense is expected to be stout again after allowing 17.9 points per game in 2021, its fewest since 2016. ... Hollidaysburg dropped its first game of the year, 19-9 to Altoona, last Friday. In his first start, quarterback Tucker Rossman shined completing 17 of 38 passes for 240 yards, including a 40-yard TD to Nick Burkey. Three wideouts garnered at least 70 receiving yards, led by Caden DeLattre with seven catches for 88, and running back Elijah Ransom had 18 carries for 103 yards.

No. 5 Frankfort at Hampshire

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Frankfort leads, 34-12

LAST MEETING: Sept. 3, 2021 — Frankfort won, 21-8

LAST WEEK: Frankfort def. Moorefield, 51-0; Hampshire def. Preston, 28-20

IN THE POLLS: Frankfort was No. 5 in the preseason Area Top 5 and is No. 7 in the WVMetroNews Class AA Power Rankings

FOR THE RECORD: Frankfort has won five straight in the series and 14 of 15. The lone loss came in 2016, a 34-21 Hampshire win at Rannells Field in Romney, West Virginia. Last year, Frankfort won 21-8. Both teams had similar yardage numbers, but the Falcons held onto the ball much better, committing just one turnover to the Trojans' four. ... In a 51-0 rout of Moorefield last week, the Falcons rushed for 255 yards and six touchdowns on 33 carries. Their defense held the Yellow Jackets without a single yard of offense and forced four turnovers. Rocky Fontenot and Parker VanMeter were the leading rushers at 61 and 56 yards, respectively. Quarterback Luke Robinette completed 4 of 7 passes for 35 yards and added 38 yards and a TD on the ground. ... Hampshire received an impressive showing from freshman quarterback Landon Eversole last week, who completed 10 of 17 passes for 168 yards and two TDs in a 28-20 win over Preston. Wide receiver Zander Robinson made five catches for 87 yards and a score, and Caleb Vandevander made two catches 55 yards and a score. Hampshire will look to improve its running game against Frankfort after gaining just one yard on 24 carries against Preston.

Southern at No. 2 Mountain Ridge

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Mountain Ridge leads, 8-1

LAST MEETING: Sept. 4, 2021 — Mountain Ridge won, 84-0

LAST YEAR: Mountain Ridge finished 11-2, advanced to Maryland Class 1A Championship Game; Southern finished 1-8

IN THE POLLS: Mountain Ridge was No. 2 in the preseason Area Top 5

FOR THE RECORD: Mountain Ridge's win over Southern in 2021 was the most-lopsided game in the history of Western Maryland football. The next-closest rout came in 1952, when Allegany, coached by Ray Lester, bludgeoned Ridgeley, 81-0, at Fort Hill Stadium. ... After the graduation of Offensive Player of the Year Bryce Snyder under center, the Miners' Uma Pua'auli will get his first varsity start at quarterback on Friday. He'll have a staple of weapons around him, namely Jaden Lee, who accumulated 1,188 yards and 17 on the ground and 417 and two scores through the air. Lee will play out in the slot this year. Mountain Ridge also boasts one of the premier offensive lines and defenses in the area for the second year in a row. Left tackle Peyton Miller (6-foot-3, 300 pounds), who is committed to UMass, figures to be a candidate for Lineman of the Year as a senior. ... Southern will start sophomore Tripp wolf at quarterback, and the Rams' top offensive returner is halfback Gavin Warnick. Southern struggled last year, going 1-8, but by all accounts the Rams will be much more competitive in 2021.

Clay-Battelle at No. 3 East Hardy

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES: East Hardy leads, 1-0

LAST MEETING: Sept. 3, 2021 — East Hardy won, 45-12

LAST WEEK: East Hardy def. Gilmer County, 73-12; Clay-Battelle was idle

IN THE POLLS: East Hardy was No. 3 in the preseason Area Top 5 and is No. 3 in the WVMetroNews Class A Power Rankings

FOR THE RECORD: East Hardy scored the most points in its school's history last week, surpassing the 72 points the Cougars scored in a win over Petersburg in 2014 under coach Chad Williams. Quarterback Mason Miller completed 11 of 19 passes for 203 yards and four touchdowns and added 37 yards and two more scores on the ground. Tyler Tarralo rushed for a game-high 118 yards and a TD, and wideout Dawson Price caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. ... Clay-Battelle's game against Massanutten Military Academy last Friday was canceled. Clay-Battelle had missed the playoffs seven straight years before last season, when the Cee-Bees, coached by Ryan Wilson, finished 8-3 to earn a postseason berth.

Petersburg at Buffalo

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES: First meeting

LAST MEETING: N/A

LAST WEEK: Petersburg def. Berkeley Springs, 54-28; Buffalo lost to Greenbrier West, 33-0

IN THE POLLS: N/A

FOR THE RECORD: Petersburg and Buffalo were supposed to play during the 2021 season, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19. .... In a rout of Berkeley Springs last week, Petersburg QB Bumby Van Meter completed 4 of 7 passes for 156 yards and three TDs. Peyton Day had eight carries for 116 yards and three scores. Ethan Taylor caught two passes for 113 yards, and both grabs went for touchdowns. ... Buffalo was held to -2 yards rushing and 43 yards overall by Greenbrier West during its shutout loss in Week 1, while West gashed Buffalo for 314 yards.

Alex Rychwalski is a sports reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @arychwal.