Parasiliti: Games at Fort Hill are no trips to Disney World
Posted: Sunday, October 18, 2015 11:12 pm
Bob Parasiliti
People look forward to getting out of town.
That’s the chance to see new places, gain new perspectives and — hopefully — build lifelong memories.
The South Hagerstown football team had one of those unique experiences on Friday.
In the end, it was like going to Disney World and getting sick while riding Space Mountain.
You always remember the throwing-up part, forgetting it was done at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Classify South Hagerstown’s 47-26 loss at Fort Hill in that category.
It was a game the Rebels felt they could win — if they played well. They didn’t, putting a serious dent in South’s chances of earning a third straight Maryland Class 3A playoff appearance.
South gave its best, but its best wasn’t good enough against the Sentinels, who were just too polished, too efficient and too powerful to handle.
This is where the collective stomach started gurgling. It was like a bad reaction to clam dip.
In time, the Rebels may look on this as a memory of being part of something special. Playing in Cumberland, Md., is a small world, after all.
Fort Hill — and Allegany, for that matter — are two of the most feared football teams in the region, and for good reason.
They have a reputation for taking no prisoners on the field. They beat teams on the scoreboard, and mentally and physically, to the point where it is felt for weeks to come.
But there is a more visceral part of playing Fort Hill in the environment that is Greenway Avenue Stadium. The venerable home field, just off the back of the school, doubles as a football torture chamber.
Just the imagery surrounding the venue is easily worth 14 points to the home team.
“This is the best venue in football,” said South coach Toby Peer, who should know since he is a native son of the Allegany County area.
In Cumberland, Fort Hill (and Allegany) don’t just play football games. They stage events.
Fans turn out in droves. Most come early to find a parking spot near the stadium. Others show up a couple hours early for the chance to tailgate.
Here, high school football has all the ambience of a college game.
Enter Greenway early and you will see some fans camped out waiting for kickoff. Others are getting that last wiener off the grill or grazing around the school or concession stands.
Yes, even in Cumberland, there is a hint of a late-arriving crowd. But when it gets there, the crowd is there for the long haul.
They are either riveted to their seats, or stand at the fence along the bowl above the stadium. It gives a Christians vs. Lions feel.
As the fans settle, the Fort Hill band’s percussion section takes a lap, parading around the track.
It is the warmup act for the marching band’s lap, as it plays Anchors Aweigh, Fort Hill’s fight song.
The stadium thrives with constant motion and noises that, quite frankly, you never hear in Washington County.
Then it gets serious. A back door to the school flies open — some 25 feet above the field — and the Sentinels storm out of the locker room. They run as a unit down 52 cement steps and get in position behind a tunnel created by a blowup Fort Hill helmet.
Fort Hill hits the field — along with a legion of young Sentinels in waiting — while busting through a huge red sign that reads “Go Big Red” that is draped over the goalpost.
When the game finally starts, fans are fighting for the home team. Most every call and every play generates some comment from the stands.
A foghorn sounds after every big play or score, and there are many.
The whole experience is intimidating, although South Hagerstown seemed to handle it well. But handling it wasn’t good enough when it motivates every move Fort Hill makes.
It is something to be feared. It is something to be envied.
“The folks in this county come out and support their football teams,” Peer said. “Our kids saw the most crowded stadium they will see all year.
“It’s a culture here. It’s the parents and grandparents who still come around to keep it going. It’s a culture we would like to get. It takes more than just the players and the coaches to build this kind of culture.”
It’s true. Cumberland is a throwback to a time when a home high school football game was the top social event of the week. The Sentinels — and the Campers — create excitement and are the focal point for a town’s pride in one of its greatest assets.
Their fans are labeled as loud, self-centered and arrogant, especially when you read the online chat rooms. Usually fans in a winning tradition irk those who wish they had one.
Here in Washington County, and many other places, high school football has become an afterthought. Fort Hill’s crowd was bigger than three — maybe four — Friday night crowds here, combined.
We have become too busy, too bored and too uninspired for such an event. It’s much easier to spend time Hulu-ing on a cell phone than investing a Friday night at a game.
That’s the difference between Cumberland and most everywhere else.
Fort Hill lives in Disney World. Everyone else gets sick on the rides.
Bob Parasiliti is a staff writer for The Herald-Mail. He can be reached at 301-791-7358 or by email at bparasiliti@herald-mail.com.
Posted: Sunday, October 18, 2015 11:12 pm
Bob Parasiliti
People look forward to getting out of town.
That’s the chance to see new places, gain new perspectives and — hopefully — build lifelong memories.
The South Hagerstown football team had one of those unique experiences on Friday.
In the end, it was like going to Disney World and getting sick while riding Space Mountain.
You always remember the throwing-up part, forgetting it was done at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Classify South Hagerstown’s 47-26 loss at Fort Hill in that category.
It was a game the Rebels felt they could win — if they played well. They didn’t, putting a serious dent in South’s chances of earning a third straight Maryland Class 3A playoff appearance.
South gave its best, but its best wasn’t good enough against the Sentinels, who were just too polished, too efficient and too powerful to handle.
This is where the collective stomach started gurgling. It was like a bad reaction to clam dip.
In time, the Rebels may look on this as a memory of being part of something special. Playing in Cumberland, Md., is a small world, after all.
Fort Hill — and Allegany, for that matter — are two of the most feared football teams in the region, and for good reason.
They have a reputation for taking no prisoners on the field. They beat teams on the scoreboard, and mentally and physically, to the point where it is felt for weeks to come.
But there is a more visceral part of playing Fort Hill in the environment that is Greenway Avenue Stadium. The venerable home field, just off the back of the school, doubles as a football torture chamber.
Just the imagery surrounding the venue is easily worth 14 points to the home team.
“This is the best venue in football,” said South coach Toby Peer, who should know since he is a native son of the Allegany County area.
In Cumberland, Fort Hill (and Allegany) don’t just play football games. They stage events.
Fans turn out in droves. Most come early to find a parking spot near the stadium. Others show up a couple hours early for the chance to tailgate.
Here, high school football has all the ambience of a college game.
Enter Greenway early and you will see some fans camped out waiting for kickoff. Others are getting that last wiener off the grill or grazing around the school or concession stands.
Yes, even in Cumberland, there is a hint of a late-arriving crowd. But when it gets there, the crowd is there for the long haul.
They are either riveted to their seats, or stand at the fence along the bowl above the stadium. It gives a Christians vs. Lions feel.
As the fans settle, the Fort Hill band’s percussion section takes a lap, parading around the track.
It is the warmup act for the marching band’s lap, as it plays Anchors Aweigh, Fort Hill’s fight song.
The stadium thrives with constant motion and noises that, quite frankly, you never hear in Washington County.
Then it gets serious. A back door to the school flies open — some 25 feet above the field — and the Sentinels storm out of the locker room. They run as a unit down 52 cement steps and get in position behind a tunnel created by a blowup Fort Hill helmet.
Fort Hill hits the field — along with a legion of young Sentinels in waiting — while busting through a huge red sign that reads “Go Big Red” that is draped over the goalpost.
When the game finally starts, fans are fighting for the home team. Most every call and every play generates some comment from the stands.
A foghorn sounds after every big play or score, and there are many.
The whole experience is intimidating, although South Hagerstown seemed to handle it well. But handling it wasn’t good enough when it motivates every move Fort Hill makes.
It is something to be feared. It is something to be envied.
“The folks in this county come out and support their football teams,” Peer said. “Our kids saw the most crowded stadium they will see all year.
“It’s a culture here. It’s the parents and grandparents who still come around to keep it going. It’s a culture we would like to get. It takes more than just the players and the coaches to build this kind of culture.”
It’s true. Cumberland is a throwback to a time when a home high school football game was the top social event of the week. The Sentinels — and the Campers — create excitement and are the focal point for a town’s pride in one of its greatest assets.
Their fans are labeled as loud, self-centered and arrogant, especially when you read the online chat rooms. Usually fans in a winning tradition irk those who wish they had one.
Here in Washington County, and many other places, high school football has become an afterthought. Fort Hill’s crowd was bigger than three — maybe four — Friday night crowds here, combined.
We have become too busy, too bored and too uninspired for such an event. It’s much easier to spend time Hulu-ing on a cell phone than investing a Friday night at a game.
That’s the difference between Cumberland and most everywhere else.
Fort Hill lives in Disney World. Everyone else gets sick on the rides.
Bob Parasiliti is a staff writer for The Herald-Mail. He can be reached at 301-791-7358 or by email at bparasiliti@herald-mail.com.
