Fort Hill's Carter Hess commits to Fordham

Aug. 12—CUMBERLAND — One of the area's top football talents is heading to New York City next fall.

Fort Hill senior Carter Hess announced his commitment to Fordham University. Hess tweeted his commitment on July 26, choosing the Rams over an offer from Lafayette.

"I went to 13 camps this summer, their camp was the hardest but in a good way," Hess said. "I liked what they had as a team. Their coaches focused on teaching, they break stuff down and take us through the motions. They were more focused on helping us see what they had to offer as coaches."

Hess is one of the area's top returning players, winning area awards in back-to-back seasons. As a sophomore, he was named Lineman of the Year and won the area's Defensive Player of the Year last year as a junior.

Hess will play defensive line in college, but still takes pride in playing on both sides of the ball.

"I think it's pretty important having to play both sides," He said. "The line brings the energy to practice and games. I take a good bit of pride being around my friends and proving myself on both sides. It gives me more chances to show what i can do."

Hess is coming off a season where he led the area with 152 tackles including 22 for loss with five sacks. He was a key part of a Sentinels' team that went 13-1 and won a second straight Class 1A state title.

In the state championship win over Mountain Ridge, Hess recorded nine tackles and a sack. Entering the game, the Miners averaged 44.4 points per game. The Sentinels held them to 14.

"Up front we were eating blocks," Hess said. "The whole game plan was to make it easier for our other teammates to make the play. Up front, we eat blocks, stop the run. That's what took off during the playoffs."

Despite his success, it took Hess a while to earn his first collegiate offer, waiting until May of his junior year when Lafayette expressed interest.

Hess said that playing in Western Maryland impacted his recruiting experience.

"At these smaller schools, a lot of kids get overlooked," He said. "Sometimes with schools like Fordham and Lafayette, they like to see through those things. Once those schools come around, it's easier."

Fordham is a Division I program in the FCS (Football Championship Series) located in the Bronx, New York. Last season, the Rams went 9-3 overall and 5-1 in the Patriot League.

Fordham earned an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs and lost 52-42 to New Hampshire.

Hess joins a long list of Sentinels who have earned an opportunity to play in college. He joins Southern Utah-bound Mikey Allen as one of two Sentinels on the 2022 team who earned Division 1 offers.

Tony Palmisano will also represent Fort Hill at the next level, playing defensive back at Division 2 Frostburg State.

"That lies within the coaching," Hess said. "They really give us the freedom to train and express our talents in ways we can get better. It's individualized, they help each kid individually. If they can see a skill they can build on, they see that and really hone in on that."

Hess enters his senior year at Fort Hill with the chance to win a third consecutive state title. The Sentinels are the last team in Class 1A to do so, winning four in a row from 2013-2016.

"This year's gonna be my favorite year," Hess said. "We have a pretty big line. I think everything's gonna come together. If we can win that third straight title, that'll pretty much wrap things up."

Like many players who earn the opportunity to continue their football career, Hess spent countless hours devoted to his craft. He said that it's paid off with an opportunity to play Division 1 football.

"It means everything, I've played football a really long time," He said. "To be able to go to the division one level, it really helps out. It was worth something, for the next three to four years I can live out my dream of playing in college."

Jordan Kendall is a Sports Writer for the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @JKendallCTN.