The Hopkins football team found themselves in unfamiliar territory this past weekend. The 10th-ranked Jays trailed the Ursinus Bears by eight points at the start of the fourth quarter. However, senior wide receiver Dan Wodicka snagged a pair of touchdown catches to give Hopkins a 24-18 victory. “We maintained our poise and kept fighting when things weren’t necessarily going our way,” senior safety John Arena said. “We just focused on working hard to execute our assignments, carrying out the game plan and taking advantage of opportunities when they arose.”
The win gives the team an 8-0 record and, at the very least, a piece of the Centennial Conference title. The Jays can secure a conference title for a fifth straight year and an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament with a win next weekend against Franklin and Marshall.
Hopkins took a 10-8 lead going into halftime. However, the Bears came out with an effective game plan to start the second half. Ursinus erased the lead with a 76-yard touchdown pass and 36-yard field goal to take an 18-10 lead. After the teams exchanged punts, including a booming 42-yard kick from senior punter Richie Carbone, the Jays began a drive at their own 10-yard line. The tandem of sophomore Brandon Cherry and freshman Stuart Walters helped to lead Hopkins on a 90-yard drive. 15 plays later senior quarterback Robbie Matey found Wodicka in the end zone to trim the lead to two points. A two-point conversion failed, leaving Hopkins down 18-16.
Soon after, junior Chris Ibrahim intercepted a pass up the middle to give Hopkins the ball on the Bears’ 33-yard line. After Cherry carried the ball on four shifty runs to the 21-yard line, Matey again found Wodicka for a scoring strike. Matey then scampered in for the two-point conversion and a 24-18 lead with 6:30 left on the clock.
Ursinus had three more opportunities down the stretch to regain the lead. Unfortunately for the Bears, they had to contend with the Hopkins defense. The Jays forced a Ryan Rice interception and a pair of turnover on downs to secure the victory.
Hopkins clearly invested all of their efforts into the win. “I would say the game this past week was a big step for our team. Ursinus is a big rival and to have a comeback win against them as a senior was a great feeling,” Carbone said. “Our team scratched and clawed its way to a win when a lot of things went against us. We’ve had games where almost everything went perfect for us this year as well, so it’s good to know we can win both types of games. This past weekend was the most fun I’ve had on a football field in a long time.”
It became clear from the beginning that it would be a tight game. The Jays scored first off the leg of freshman Nick Campbell. The 32-yard field goal gave Hopkins the lead midway through the first quarter.
Ursinus quickly responded with a 69-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rahill, the leading receiver in the conference. On the ensuing kickoff, Hopkins mishandled the ball in the end zone. Freshman Bradley Munday was tackled in the end zone for a safety to give the Bears an 8-3 lead.
Hopkins responded in the second quarter an impressive 98-yard drive orchestrated by Matey. Senior running back JD Abbott finished off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. The score gave Hopkins their 10-8 lead heading into halftime.
Hopkins totaled 429 yards of total offense on the day, running 92 plays for almost 35 minutes of possession time.
The men working inside the trenches certainly played a big role in securing the Hopkins victory. The offensive line led the way for the running backs, allowing them to total 242 yards on the day. Cherry gathered 122 yards on the ground — his third straight 100-yard rushing game. Late in the second half, the Ursinus defense was visibly worn down. The Hopkins offensive line clearly outsized the Bears. Their hard work throughout the game helped to pave the way for the Hopkins fourth quarter scores.
On the day, Matey was 20-of-33 for 184 yards with the two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Wodicka. Wodicka had five catches for 65 yards while Munday had a career-high eight receptions for 54 yards.
The defense also held strong on the day. Apart from the two long pass plays, the Bears were limited to 178 yards on offense. Ranked seventh in the nation for third down conversion percentage, Ursinus managed to convert on a mere four of 15 attempts. The Bears amassed only 43 yards on 25 rushes.
Moving forward, Hopkins will take on Franklin and Marshall on Saturday at 12 p.m. “Right now, we’re just focusing on scouting our opponent and improving both our individual techniques and our performance as a unit every day at practice,” Arena said.
Watch out for strong leadership from the upperclassmen on Saturday. “For Saturday’s game, we are just focused on improving from last week, that’s our goal every week,” Carbone said. “Since it is senior day, there’s an extra incentive to come out and have a great day.” A victory will guarantee the Jays outright possession of the Centennial Conference championship trophy.
