Jabril Hill’s five touchdowns carries Fort Hill to another state title

Junior running back rushes for 303 yards against Mountain Ridge in the MPSSAA 1A state final

Fort Hill junior running back Jabril Daniels scored on a 63-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage in Saturday’s MPSSAA 1A state championship game and raced 59-yards for a score on the final play of the first half.

In between he had three additional touchdown bursts and finished the first half with a whopping 292 yards on 19 carries as he helped the undefeated Sentinels (12-0) overpowered Mountain Ridge, their Western Maryland rivals, 45-21, to capture their third consecutive state title and their eighth since 2013.

Hill had scoring runs of 63-, 62-, 42-, 2-, and 59-yards. The four long runs were all breakaways on which he waltzed into the end zone with no one within 15 yards. He finished with 303-yards on 21 carriers and reached 34 touchdowns for the season, breaking Fort Hill’s single season records for touchdowns and points (208).

Mountain Ridge (11-2), which hoped to keep pace with a high-powered offense of its own, answered Fort Hill only once, when quarterback Will Patterson hit Will Ketterman with a 73-yard touchdown strike on the Miners’ first snap from scrimmage. That score, however, was quickly answered by Hill’s second scoring burst as the teams combined for 21 points in the first 35-seconds of the contest.

By the time Hill crossed scored his final touchdown and the Sentinels added the extra-point, the Fort Hill lead ballooned to 42-7, triggering a running clock with a 35-point lead as the second half started.

The Miners eventually got the running clock halted with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, but the outcome was never in doubt.

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Maryland High School Football State Championship Preview (11/29/2023)

Below is our Live Update Feed created as the contest progressed. Read from the bottom up to follow the action chronologically from beginning to end.

FINAL: FORT HILL 45, MOUNTAIN RIDGE 21

4Q: FORT HILL 45, MOUNTAIN RIDGE 21

- The clock is at triple zeros and Fort Hill has its third straight MPSSAA 1A state title and their eighth in the last 10 years.

- Mountain Ridge's offensive backups get a couple of snaps as the clock winds under a minute.

- After an illegal procedure call, the Sentinels will punt it away.

- It's fourth and four. Mountain Ridge calls timeout with 1:45 left.

- Sentinels fumble the exchange but get back on top of the ball.

- The Sentinels keep it on the ground for a gain of five. Just over two minutes to play.

- Fort Hill returns the kick to the 21. First down.

- TOUCHDOWN! Garrett Michaels runs it in for the one and the Miners are on the scoreboard again. Patterson completes a two-point toss to Andrew Ketterman.

- Patterson connects with Cobe Penick for eight, followed by a screen to Eli Rafferty. The Miners are at the one.

- Owen Bannon runs for another first down to the Fort Hill 22.

- Frost has another huge run, this time for 39-yards. Mountain Ridge is at the Fort Hill 34.

- A 15-yard run by Patterson is wiped off by a holding call.

- FIELD GOAL! Cooper Silber kicks a 29-yard field goals for Fort Hill.

- Sentinels call timeout with 5:41 to play.

- Fort Hill faces a fourth and five at the 12.

- Tristan Ross returns the kickoff 64-yards for Fort Hill. The Miners are at the Mountain Ridge 28.

- TOUCHDOWN! On a fourth 10 play, Patterson completes a 42-yard pass play to Andrew Ketterman. Austin Frost follows with a 33-yard touchdown run and the Miners have halted the running clock. The kick, after a procedure penalty, is no good. We have 8:18 left.

- Fort Hill turns the ball over on downs to start the fourth.

3Q: FORT HILL 42, MOUNTAIN RIDGE 7

- An incomplete pass brings and end to the third quarter.

- Fort Hill gets a 27-yard punt return. The Sentinels are at the Mountain Ridge 38. Fort Hill has its reserves in as the third quarter is winding down.

- Fourth and 14. Miners are in punt formation.

- On second and eight, the Miners lose five yards on swing pass. Third down with less than four minutes to play in the third.

- Mountain Ridge comes up with a fumble recovery. They are at their own 49.

- Daniels for three more. First down at the Mountain Ridge 47. Timeout.

- Daniels gains eight on first down. He is now at 300 yards for the game. We're under nine minutes in the second quarter. 

- Fort Hill sets up shop at its own 37.

- We are operating under a running clock with Fort Hill's 35-point lead. Mountain Ridge goes three and out and will punt.

- The second half is underway. Mountain Ridge starts at its own 20.

HALF: FORT HILL 42, MOUNTAIN RIDGE 7

- Jabril Daniels finishes the first half with 18 carries for 292 yards and five touchdown run, four of which were from 40 or more yards.

2Q: FORT HILL 42, MOUNTAIN RIDGE 7

- TOUCHDOWN! Guess who? Jabril Daniels starts left and runs back to the right for an easy 59-yard touchdown run on the final play of the first half. Kick was good.

THAT’S THE RECORD

On the final play of the half, Jabril Daniels scores another touchdown to extend the #FortHill lead to 42-7 over Mountain Ridge.

It’s his 5th of the game, and 34th on the season — he now holds school’s single season touchdown (34) and points (208) record. pic.twitter.com/r3L8HTNBBe

— Fort Hill Sentinels (@FH_Football) December 2, 2023

- Daniels drags a host of tacklers for 16-yard gain. Fort Hill has a first down at the 46 with 16-seconds left.

- Brown takes a deep shot which falls incomplete. Second and 10.

- Mountain Ridge punts. The ball rolls out of bounds at the Fort Hill 32.

- The Miners are going backwards after a sack. It's fourth and 22 back at midfield. We're under a minute to play in the half.

- Things are getting chippy. Mountain Ridge starts its drive inside the Fort Hill 40 after another personal foul call, at the end of the punt.

- A rare three and out has Fort Hill in punt formation. The Sentinels call timeout with 2:18 left in the second quarter.

- Patterson fumbles on the QB keeper. Mountain Ridge recovers, but the ball will go over to Fort Hill on downs. Under four minutes to play in the first half.

- Patterson keeps and gets the five back. Fourth and one from the 18.

- A false start pushes Mountain Ridge back five.

- A reverse and two laters puts the ball back in Patterson's hand for a 9-yard run. 3rd and one for the Miners.

- David Miller gains 23 on a throw from Patterson. That is followed by a 34-yard run by Austin Frost. The Minners at the Fort Hill 27.

- TOUCHDOWN! Tristan Ross gets into the end zone with a 38-yard sprint up the gut. Silber tacks on the extra-point. It's 35-7.

- Another big gainer. Metz takes a short throw from Brown and runs it down to the Mountain Ridge 38.

- After a 48-yard punt, Fort Hill is at its own 30.

- We have a timeout with 7:14 to go in the second quarter.

- Patterson's 3rd and 13 pass falls incomplete. The Miners have to punt.

- Will Patterson is tripped up after a short scramble, but Fort Hill was called for a late hit. Unfortunately for Mountain Ridge, Patterson was also called for a personal foul for his reaction. The fouls offset.

- A penalty nullifies a first down catch by Owen Bannon. Miners face a 2nd and 13.

- Mountain Ridge begins its next possession at the 25. The Miners need to sustain a drive and give their defense a break.

- TOUCHDOWN! Daniels scores his fourth touchdown on a pitch to the left from two yards away. There was a flag dropped but the officials waived it off. Kick is good. Sentinels running away right now.

- Daniels is tripped up for no gain. Third and goal.

- Fort Hill calls timeout with 9:20 to play in the second quarter.

- Daniels goes around left end for five. Second and goal from the two.

- Brown uses the hard count and Mountain Ridge jumps. It's first and goal from the seven.

- Fort Hill faces a fourth and four from the 11. Looks like the Sentinels will go for it. First, they call timeout to think about it.

- Deshaun Brown runs for 17 on the first play of the second quarter. The Sentinels have a first down at the Mountain Ridge 17.

END 1Q: FORT HILL 21, MOUNTAIN RIDGE 7

1Q: FORT HILL 21, MOUNTAIN RIDGE 7

- That will do it for an explosive first quarter.

- Daniels runs inside the 40 for a first down.

- Fort Hill takes over with 2:08 to play in the opening quarter.

- In a near replay of the last interception, Gamil Daniels gets his hands on the ball again, but cannot bring it in near the sideline. Miners punt out to the Fort Hill 48, no return.

- Bryson Metz blows up a reverse attempt for a 9-yard loss. The Fort Hill defense is settling in.

- Mountain Ridge start from their own 20 after the kick.

- TOUCHDOWN! Jabril Daniels is making this his game. He breaks three tackles and gets around left end for a 42-yard score. Kick is good again by Cooper Silver.

- Mountain Ridge tries to counter with another long pass, but this time its intercepted by Gamil Daniels. Fort Hill takes over at the Mountain Ridge 48.

- It's a touchback on the kickoff.

- TOUCHDOWN! Daniels gets the two and 62 more for another runaway touchdown. Kick is good.

- A fourth and 2 upcoming with 5:15 left in the first quarter.

- Brown throws incomplete and Daniels is brought down for no gain. It's 3rd and 10.

- Two runs and the Sentinels have a first down at the 26.

- Frost completes a short pass to David Miller, who slips a couple of tackles before being brought down one yard short of the first down. Fort Hill takes over at the 16.

- Mountain Ridge is stopped on three short runs. The Miners are going for it on 4th and six.

- After a 44-yard punt, Frost returns it past midfield and then a late hit out of bounds moves the Miners to the Fort Hill 25.

- The Miners defens tackles Tristan Loss in the backfield. Fort Hill will punt.

- Deshaun Brown is sacked. Third and 16.

- Unbelievable. Daniels breaks another long one, 67-yards to the house. Unfortunately for the Sentinels, there was an illegal block in the back. It will be 2nd and 14.

- Daniel carries for four yards on first down.

- After the third kickoff in the first minute, Fort Hill start at its own 29.

- TOUCHDOWN! Let the shootout begin. Will Patterson hits a long ball to Andrew Ketterman for a 73-yard score. The PAT is good and we're tied 7-7, just 35-seconds into the game.

- Austin Frost returns the kickoff out to the 27 for Mountain Ridge as they look to counter the Fort Hill score.

- TOUCHDOWN! That didn't take long! On the first snap from scrimmage, Jabril Daniels explodes through the line and rambles 63-yards for the game's first touchdown. Kick is good. Sentinels lead, 7-0.

- We all set. Mountain Ridge in white uniforms and helmets, trimmed in black will kick it away. Fort Hill is in all red with white helmets with red trim.

FORT HILL VS. MOUNTAIN RIDGE

- Mountain Ridge wins the coin toss and has deferred. The Miners will kick to Fort Hill after the national anthem.

- Kickoff is schedule for 12:00 p.m.