Maryland state champion Fort Hill forfeits five football games

The three-time defending Class 1A state champs played with an ineligible player; the Sentinels remain eligible for the state playoffs which get underway this week

The Fort Hill football has forfeited five games for unknowingly playing an ineligible player. The Sentinels, however, remain in the MPSSAA Class 1A state playoffs where they will have an opportunity to win a fourth straight state title. / Fort Hill Football Instagram

Fort Hill, the three-time reigning Maryland Class 1A state football champions, has forfeited five victories due to an ineligible player.

According to a report by the Cumberland Times-News, Fort Hill received an anonymous report early last week that a player on its varsity football team was not a resident of Allegany County (Md.) which is a violation of Allegany County Public Schools and Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) rules. 

The Allegany County school system determined that the student in question was residing in another state, and enrollment information provided to Fort Hill’s administration contained fraudulent information. 

"The investigation didn't reveal any wrongdoing or lack of diligence by the Fort Hill administration or football coaching staff," a press release from Allegany County Public Schools said.

The press release stated the school system contacted the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association to report the violation as required by the Code of Maryland Regulations 13A.06.03.05. which requires a school to forfeit all games in which an ineligible player participated.

The Times-News said the player in question did not participate in the Sentinels’ first game of the regular season. 

According to the release, the Allegany County school system was to appeal the penalty to the MPSSAA Appeals Committee Monday. 

The final MPSSAA football point standings along with the postseason brackets were released Monday morning, showing Fort Hill a 2-7 record in the final 1A West Region standings. The Sentinels were 7-2 after defeating league rival Allegany Saturday.

The Cumberland Times-News reported Monday afternoon that there wasn’t enough time for the appeal to be heard before the state playoff brackets were finalized. 

Since 2021, every Maryland public school football team is eligible for the state tournament.

Fort Hill, which was the No. 1 seed in the West Region entering last week, is now the No. 6 seed and will play Allegany Friday evening at Greenway Avenue Stadium, a venue the two Cumberland (Md.) schools play home games.

The winner will play at No. 2 seed Clear Spring next weekend for a spot in the state quarterfinals. 

Barring major upsets in the other 1A region playoffs, Fort Hill, ranked No. 17 in the latest Maryland Top 25 Maryland High School Football State Rankings, will be on the road through the state semifinals, something it hasn’t had to do during its championship run. 

Fort Hill, seeking to match its 1A four-peat run of 2013 to 2016, last played a state postseason road contest in 2010. The Sentinels lost to Dunbar in a 1A state semifinal contest at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.

Fort Hill may be ready for a new path to the state final at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Sentinels played Dunbar, the three-time defending 2A/1A champ in Baltimore (Morgan State University) during the regular season and, last season, played at Briar Woods, a Northern Virginia power.