Hi everyone, welcome back to another edition of Hopkins Sports in Review! After a great Thanksgiving break, the Blue Jays have returned back to action with some seasons wrapping up while others just begin. Come with us as we take a look at some of the best results from the week.
Football: W (17 – 14)
The NCAA playoffs are here! Our football team faced off against the #12 Grove City Wolverines at Homewood Field in the second round. After an early season falter against Salisbury, the Blue Jays gained momentum and looked to build on their seven game winning streak.
The Jays started out hot by establishing the running game, allowing them to march down the field and score an opening possession touchdown. The game then descended into a defensive battle, a surprise given the high-octane Wolverine offense has averaged 43 points per game this season. Nevertheless, Hopkins was stout and unforgiving, limiting Grove City to only 260 yards on the day (their second worst performance of the season).
The teams traded punts for large stretches of the game until midway through the third quarter. Following an important defensive stop on fourth down, the Blue Jays executed a 64 yard drive that ended with a field goal, putting them up 10-0. Hopkins pushed for more, managing to increase the lead to 17 midway through the final period with a touchdown pass from quarterback James Rinello to wide receiver, EJ Talarico.
Just when the game seemed all but over, Grove City managed a response, scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive, followed by a Hopkins punt being blocked and returned for a TD. All of a sudden the game was suddenly within three points, only for the situation to worsen as Rinello threw an interception with two minutes left. Grove City then proceeded to make a late push, moving downfield to the 20 yard line, however a missed field goal sealed the game for Hopkins.
With the win, the Blue Jays have advanced to the next round of the playoffs and are set to face off against #9 DePauw in Indiana on Dec. 7 for a chance at the quarterfinals.
Women’s Volleyball: W (3 – 0), W (3 – 0), W (3 – 0), W (3 – 2), L (2 – 3)
The volleyball team looked to continue their dominant season into the NCAA tournament. Their first matchup came up against Bridgewater State as the top seed in the group, as the Blue Jays sought to reach a milestone 30 season wins for just the third time in school history. Hopkins dominated the matchup, winning both of the first two sets, 25 – 9, and the third set 25 – 12.
The next match came against Carnegie Mellon on the next day. While the match was closer than Bridgewater State, Hopkins still managed to win in straight sets. Despite the closer set scores than the previous match: 25 – 17, 25 – 23, 25 – 20, the Blue Jays dominated in hit % with the closest set percentagewise being the second (0.433 to 0.297 in favor of Hopkins).
The previous two wins cemented Hopkins’ spot in the Regional Championship with a matchup against #20 Ithaca. This was by far the closest matchup of the tournament — the largest margin was in the first set that Hopkins won 25 – 20. The second and third sets were decided by only 2 and 3 points, respectively, however Hopkins managed to clinch the match in straight sets once again, capping off a dominant tournament run.
Finally, the team came up against #7 Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. The quarterfinals have historically been a challenge for the Blue Jays, having sent them home the last two years… but no longer. The match was a closely fought battle with both teams trading sets back and forth until the fifth and final. Hopkins were able to reach the requisite 15 points, vanquishing their demons and advancing to the next round where they faced off against Wisconsin-Whitewater for a shot at the championship.
Unfortunately, this would be where the tournament run would conclude as the Blue Jays lost in a five-set thriller. After trading the first four sets back and forth, they entered the final stretch with the hope of a berth in the National Championship. Spoilers on the day, Whitewater would prove just a bit too good, finishing on a 12 - 5 run after starting close at 3-2 that would ultimately seal the match.
While the season didn’t end in the way the team had hoped, it was nonetheless historical as they recorded the second most wins in school history, an impressive feat!
Men’s Basketball: W (84 – 69), L (59 – 76), L (74 – 78), W (79 – 75)
The basketball season is now officially back in the swing of things, and the Men’s team have played in a slew of games.
Hopkins travelled to Michigan to take part in the Great Lakes Invitational and immediately were faced up against #3 John Carroll University, a difficult task for the Jays. Nevertheless, Hopkins came out with guns blazing as they outscored the Blue Streaks 40 – 25 in the first half. They wouldn’t relent going into the second half either, maintaining their lead en route to an 84 – 69 win, their first against a top-5 opponent since 2020. Guard John Windley led the way with an impressive 23 points and 8 assists, backed up by Jeb Williams and Brian Johansson who both scored in double digits.
Unfortunately, the team faltered in their final game of the invitational in a 59 – 76 loss against Wisconsin La Crosse. They returned to Baltimore to take on Eastern University, however the skid continued in a close loss to the Eagles in spite of a spirited late game rally.
Coming up against the Hood College Blazers, it initially looked like the losing may continue for the Blue Jays. Falling behind 43 – 29 at the end of the first half, the team had difficulty keeping up with the Blazers. A second half rally saw Hopkins draw level with just two minutes left in the game, giving hope to a game that seemed all but lost. 20 point games from both Brian Johansson and John Windley, as well as some crucial free throws from Charlie Jackson, saw the Blue Jays over the line in a close 79-75 win.
Hopkins will be back in action this Saturday, Dec. 7 as they head to Pennsylvania to take on the Swarthmore Garnets, looking to improve their record in conference play.
