CUMBERLAND — Before this season started, Allegany and Fort Hill had been trending in opposite directions.
The Campers have qualified for the Class 1A state semifinals four times in the past five years with a state final appearance in 2023.
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On the other hand, the Sentinels are rebuilding from a one-win season in 2022 and punched a ticket to the region final for the first time since 2019.
But the city rivals are firing on all cylinders and are set for their third meeting of the season in Wednesday’s Class 1A West Region I final at 7 p.m. at Greenway Avenue Stadium.
“This is what we want to see in this area, the Cumberland schools,” Fort Hill coach Zach Steckman said Friday after his team’s win over Clear Spring in the semifinals. “We want to see these guys compete for a region title. So we’re excited, we’re looking forward to it.”
Fort Hill (14-1) swept Allegany during the regular season, but both matchups came down to the wire.
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The Sentinels rallied past the Campers 2-1 during their first meeting Sept. 8.
Freshman Max D’Atri scored in the first half for Allegany before Walker Smith and Jake Rice tallied goals to help Fort Hill rally in the second half.
Fort Hill then claimed the Homecoming Cup with a 3-1 victory Oct. 1. After the score was knotted 1-1 at halftime, the Sentinels earned second-half goals from Luke Joseph and Carson Boyer.
“That’s who we want to play,” Steckman said.
“When you’re playing in the playoffs, you always want to compete with good teams. If we’re No. 1, they’re 1A. They’re a very good team over there. It’s gonna take a solid 80 (minutes) from us because of the old cliche, it’s tough to beat a team three times.
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“We’ve had it circled on our calendar, and it just so happens to be Allegany. We’re excited. I think it’s gonna be a great game. Round three is gonna be just like round one and round two. It’s gonna be tough, it’s gonna be physical (and) fast.”
Fort Hill is seeking its first region title since 2016 and second overall. The Sentinels have won 13 consecutive games since losing 3-2 to Mountain Ridge during the Mountain Ridge tournament Sept. 5.
The No. 1 seed Sentinels are coming off a 3-0 win over No. 5 Clear Spring.
No. 2 Allegany is coming off a thrilling win over No. 3 Mountain Ridge in Friday’s semifinal. After the two teams were tied 2-2 after two overtime periods, the Campers moved on after winning 3-2 in penalty kicks.
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The Campers (13-2) are seeking their second consecutive region title and sixth overall.
“I know who we want and the boys know who we want, and that’s Fort Hill,” Allegany coach Blake Geatz said after his team’s win Friday.
“I like us on any given day if we play our best. I like us against any team in this entire tournament.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
