Published: September 20, 2008 01:09 am      

FH wins by forfeit, 2-0

Dunbar coach takes team off the field with the lead in protest

CUMBERLAND — An unusual ending led to familiar outcome Friday at Greenway Avenue Stadium.

Two exciting pass plays, one to start the game, and two textbook drives were completely erased from existence when Fort Hill won the strangest game at Greenway in over a decade, 2-0, by forfeit.

With 4:04 left on the clock in the third quarter and Fort Hill driving, Dunbar was flagged for three personal foul/unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The ball was moved to the Crimson Tide six-yard line, and Dunbar Head Coach Craig Jefferies took his team off the field in protest. Ahead 14-8, Dunbar was tagged with the loss after retiring to its locker room.

In the past 15 years, two other games have been stopped short at Greenway. Referees halted a 1997 contest between Wilson and Fort Hill in the second half, and a 1995 Bishop Walsh-Allegany meeting was halted prematurely. Fort Hill won 37-12, and the Campers won their game 28-6.

Fort Hill Head Coach Todd Appel declined comment on the events surrounding the forfeit.

Fort Hill (2-1) will stay at Greenway for its next opponent, Cambridge-Dorchester, Friday at 2 p.m.

Before the forfeit took effect, the game was still in doubt.

The fireworks exploded on Dunbar’s first play when Christopher Jefferies took a pass from Tyree White that went 61 yards for the score.

The Sentinels put together an impressive drive to get down to the Dunbar 17-yard line, where they ran into a fourth-and-four situation. Fullback Marcus Lashley picked up the first down with a five-yard run, and Eric Howser got Fort Hill on the board by finishing up the 65-yard drive with a five-yard score on fourth down.

Howser tossed the two-point conversion to Andy Broadwater on a fake kick to give Fort Hill the 8-7 lead.

That would more or less do it for the offenses for the remainder of the first half, as the Fort Hill offense was never able to sustain another drive, while the Crimson Tide couldn’t find the big play.

Dunbar seemed to make some defensive adjustments at halftime, and had a little more success slowing the Sentinels running game and forced a Sentinels punt.

The Tide then had some trouble completing passes, including two dropped by West Virginia University-bound Deon Long. On third down, from its own 39, White completed his second 61-yard touchdown pass using a screen pass to Charles Silar. It was the first completion for the Crimson Tide since White was good on his first four of the first quarter.

Appel saw improvement on both sides of the ball from his players.

“I thought our offensive line play got better, and that Marcus Lashley ran well and we were able to run the ball as a team and keep the ball out of their hands. Defensively, we were able keep the big play to a minimum. Our kids did a good job of preparing this week in practice.”