The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays fell for the second straight week, as they lost to the Randolph-Macon Yellowjackets, on the road in Ashland, VA, by a score of 17-12.
The game almost did not take place, however, due to the recent string of sniper attacks that terrorized the Mid-Atlantic Region. It was not until midweek that the teams decided that it was safe to play.
As it was, the field conditions proved horrendous, as it had rained heavily the night before. The surface was covered with slippery mud, there were deep puddles in some places, and consequently, neither team mounted much of a running game.
The Jays opened up the scoring on their second possession in the first quarter. After a few plays, freshman quarterback Zach DiIonno threw a strike to sophomore wide receiver Brian Wolcott, who had beaten his defender downfield. Wolcott took the ball into the end zone for the 61-yard touchdown. Hopkins attempted a two-point conversion on a fake extra point, but the pass fell short of the intended receiver, keeping the score at 6-0.
For the next few possessions, the teams traded position on the muddy field until Randolph-Macon mounted a scoring drive late in the quarter. A four-yard touchdown pass finished off a 65-yard drive, and the ensuing extra point put the Yellowjackets up 7-6.
The second quarter saw great defensive efforts by both teams, as the score remained static for most of the half. At one point, Randolph-Macon drove down to the Hopkins five, but senior LB Mike Little thwarted their scoring attempt with a clutch interception for the Jays. The Jays offense couldn't get much going on their next possession, and punted from deep in their territory, giving Randolph-Macon great field position for their next drive.
With about seven minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Yellowjackets started a drive from the Hopkins 47 and made it down the 1-yard line. The Hopkins goalline defense then stuffed 2 rushing attempts, and an incomplete pass on third down forced a Randolph-Macon 20-yard field goal, bringing the score to 10-6.
After a trade of possessions, the Hopkins offense drove the ball down to the Randolph-Macon 30-yard line, but two penalties, a sack and a lost fumble ended hopes of another score before the half.
After recovering the ball, the Yellowjackets offense had the ball at the 38-yard line with only 10 seconds remaining in the half.
The Randolph-Macon quarterback, who head coach Jim Margraff called "the best quarterback we'll face all year," launched a "Hail Mary" which was caught in the end zone for a last second touchdown. This gave the Yellowjackets a 17-6 lead going into halftime.
The Jays came out strong in the second half, scoring on their first possession.
After a long drive, DiIonno once again found an open receiver in Wolcott, and the two connected for a 33-yard touchdown. Another failed two-point conversion kept the score at 17-12.
Unfortunately for the Jays, the score would remain like that for the remainder of the game.
The Blue Jays held out hope during the remainder of the quarter, but a failed fourth down conversion in the closing seconds sealed both teams' fate.The fourth quarter of the game witnessed excellent defense and struggling offense from both Hopkins and Randolph Macon. In the game, the Hopkins defense recorded four interceptions and five sacks.
Although the field wasn't conducive to a running attack, the Jays successfully shut down Randolph-Macon's ground game, limiting them to 15 net yards on the day.
Coach Margraff said junior LB Paul Longo "was terrific on defense," as he recorded 12 tackles, 10 solos and three for losses, and an interception. His play earned him a spot on the Centennial Conference Honor Roll.
The Hopkins offense could not get much going on the ground either, but the new DiIonno-Wolcott air attack was once again the Jay's offensive bright spot.
Wolcott hauled in eight passes for a total of 187 yards, in addition to the two touchdowns. In the last two weeks, Wolcott has scored three touchdowns, and caught 13 passes for 380 yards, averaging over 29 yards per catch. He has also made the Centennial Conference Honor Roll both weeks for performances Coach Margraff called "the best back-to-back games in Hopkins history."
Although the Jays' undefeated start has been followed by two consecutive losses, the team remains very optimistic.
"It's been two disappointing weeks, but we're thankful that we have a big conference game versus Dickinson on Saturday," said Margraff. "We have no time to dwell on the negative stuff, we must focus on next week's game."
Last year the Blue Jays suffered an agonizing overtime loss to the Dickinson Red Devils, and in fact, the Jays have been 1-10-1 against Dickinson in the last 12 years. Margraff said, "This week we want to break the 'Dickinson Curse,' and its a good opportunity for the guys to make their mark on Hopkins football.
