The Hopkins football team won its fourth straight Centennial Conference Championship this past Saturday with a 45-30 victor over visiting Franklin & Marshall (F&M) College. It also marked the program’s 500th all-time victory.
On the Jays’ first play of the day, sophomore running back Brandon Cherry took the ball and raced 76 yards to the house to give Hopkins an early 7-0 lead, just over three minutes into the game. However, Franklin & Marshall came right back just four minutes later. The Diplomats drove down the field using seven plays to go 72 yards finished off by senior running back Frank Strumolo who scored his first touchdown run of the day from one yard out. A missed extra point put the game at 7-6, Hopkins.
The Jays answered on their ensuing drive, moving 68 yards on 10 plays. Senior running back JD Abbott bulled in for his first of two scores of the day from one yard out, pushing the lead to 14-6. Franklin & Marshall came right back when senior quarterback E.J. Schneider found junior wide receiver Jordan Zackery from 25 yards out for the score. The Diplomats trailed 14-13 early in the second quarter until Schneider found Zackery again, this time from 14 yards, to give F&M the lead at 20-14. On the Jays’ ensuing drive, they cut the lead in half, 20-17, with a 31-yard field goal from freshman kicker Nick Campbell.
The turning point of the game came late in the second quarter. On second-and-two from the Hopkins 49, Schneider was flushed from the pocket and tried to hit senior wide receiver Tim Muller. Senior defensive back John Arena jumped the route and took the ball 54 yards down the sideline to give the Jays the lead 24-20 into the half.
The Jays came into the second half with all the momentum and freshman Bradley Munday returned the kickoff 50 yards to the Diplomats’ 40-yard line. Senior quarterback Robbie Matey completed two passes to senior wide receiver Jon Monteiro and Brandon Cherry had two rushes of 17 and seven yards to put the Jays on the two yard line. Cherry then capped off the drive with a two yard touchdown rush to put the score at 31-20. Franklin & Marshall answered on their ensuing drive with the help of Schneider who ran for 36 yards. Then Strumolo took the ball 35 yards into the end zone pulling the Diplomats within four at 31-27.
Hopkins would then pull away late in the third quarter. After a nine-play, 56-yard drive, Cherry scored his third touchdown of the day putting the score at 38-27. JD Abbott then added his second score of the day early in the 4th quarter rushing from four yards out. The Jays drove 72 yards in just four plays pushing the lead to 45-27. Abbott’s touchdown run was set up by a 41-yard pass play from Matey to Munday.
Franklin & Marshall freshman kicker Conner Ryan hit a 26-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to bring the deficit to 45-30, but that would be the end of the Diplomats’ scoring day. Hopkins’ senior punter Richie Carbone had himself a day booming two punts for 83 yards, a 41.5 yard average, with a long of 44 yards.
Hopkins totaled 461 yards on the day, including 294 and five touchdowns on the ground. Cherry had his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game totaling 163 on the day. Junior Hani Annabi led the defense with a career high 13 tackles.
The Jays will close off their regular season and look to finish undefeated in the conference next Saturday at McDaniel College. The Jays also clinched a NCAA playoff birth and their opponent will be announced at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17.
