The Hopkins football team took the Centennial Conference crown once again with a win over Franklin and Marshall this past Saturday. Hopkins has now won the Conference title three years in a row. The team, which is now ranked eighth nationally, will now move on to play against some of the best opponents in Division III during the upcoming NCAA playoffs.
With all this success, it is sometimes difficult to notice all of the contributors to the team. One may see captains John Arena, Dan Wodicka, Armand Jenifer, and Robbie Matey consistently in the spotlight. Yet one player who hangs behind the scenes is freshman kicker Nick Campbell, who has been named Special Teams player of the week for the Centennial Conference. Due to his consistent performance and his recent accomplishments, Campbell was awarded Athlete of the Week by The News-Letter.
Campbell, a California product, says he was deciding between Hopkins, University of Chicago and Occidental College in California while making his final decision. However, when he narrowed it down between University of Chicago and Hopkins, he says, “My trip to Hopkins was extremely fun, and although the academics of both schools are very good, the social life and football team seemed like a better match for me at Hopkins than at The University of Chicago. I really liked the coaching staff here at Hopkins, and the guys that I met on my recruiting trip were all very welcoming.”
Campbell spoke about his approach to this season saying, “Coming into this year, I didn’t even know that I was going to be starting. As a freshman I was hoping to come into the program and do whatever I can to help the team improve, whether that meant playing or not. Luckily I got the starting spot, and the team has been doing extremely well, so I am glad that I have been able to contribute.”
During the Centennial Conference matchup with Franklin and Marshall, Campbell made all six of his extra points and hit a 31-yard field to help complete the victory. As of this week Campbell’s statistics on the season are 45-of-46 extra points and 9-of-9 on field goal attempts, the furthest totaling 36 yards. The consistent kicker also leads the team in scoring with 72 points, good for the third highest total in Jays’ history.
One teammate known to be the mentor for the young kicker is senior punter Richie Carbone. Campbell spoke of Carbone saying, “Richie really is my best friend and mentor here. He has had a huge influence on me as a player, student, and just as a person altogether. If I miss a kick in practice, he is always there to cheer me up, and is always the first one there to celebrate with me if I make one. I am extremely grateful to have such a cool guy to hang out with and to learn the ropes from.”
The humble Campbell does not take all the credit for his success saying, “This season has gone pretty well so far for a number of reasons. Moral support from Chris and Rob Matey (my long snapper and holder) has helped me tremendously when I am not performing my best. It also helps to have a guy like Richie that I know will have my back. Overall, the whole team has been extremely welcoming and I believe I have performed well because of it.”
As for the rest of the players, they view Campbell not only as a young player on the team but as a friend, teammate, and equal. Carbone spoke of the kicker saying, “Nick just does his job. He came in with a strong leg and a ton of talent, but he’s shown how tough he is by hitting kicks under pressure. He is a great teammate and I am happy I have gotten the opportunity to spend a year with him.”
Saturday was not only a huge victory for the Jays but it was senior day as well. Campbell spoke of his senior teammates saying, “We have a large senior class made up of some really great guys. Next year is going to be tough without them all. Our offensive line is full of great seniors, with guys like Armand Jennifer and Vinnie Bonnadio. The younger O-lineman will have some very big shoes to fill (pun intended — those guys are huge).
Despite the difficult task ahead, Campbell acknowledged that the youth on the team, including himself, are ready for the challenge.
“That being said, we are very confident that the younger guys will step up and fill in their spots well. Also, losing more offensive powerhouses like Robbie Matey, JD Abbott and a group of unbelievable receivers will be hard, but we have great depth of excellent players that are ready to answer the call and step up next year. Defensively, it will be tough without John Arena, Joe Detrolio, and some other big names. Luckily we have some great players returning that can fill their spots. I’m looking forward to the rest of our season moving forward into the playoffs and I believe that we have a chance to do something special in the NCAA playoffs.”
The Jays will face McDaniel next week in the Centennial Conference finale. However, they have already clinched a playoff birth and will need their young kicker to remain being clutch as they make a run for the national championship.
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