As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Sponaugle-Williamson Field, the Hopkins sideline looked bewildered and shocked as the Blue Jays were handed their first loss of the season, a 14-12 heartbreaker against Franklin & Marshall. The win marked the first win F&M recorded against Hopkins since 2007 and brought the Jays’ 22 regular season winning streak to a close, as they were unable to build a lead against a tough F&M team. The win also snapped Hopkins' impressive 20-game Centennial Conference winning streak. Heading into the weekend, the Blue Jays were ranked ninth in the nation among Division III football, making this loss one of the biggest upsets of the season.
The start of the game began with three of the most frustrating offensive drives for the Jays on the season. On each drive, the Hopkins offense made its way inside the F&M 20-yard line, but could not capitalize on any of the opportunities, as the offense turned the ball over on downs on two of the drives and missed a field goal on the third. Franklin & Marshall was also unable to build any offensive momentum of their own against a very stout Blue Jays defense.
The first score of the game didn’t come about until the end of the second quarter, when F&M forced a big fumble on the Hopkins 30-yard line. On the next play after the offense took over, F&M junior quarterback E.J Schneider threaded the needle on a 30-yard touchdown pass into the corner of the end zone, giving the Diplomats a 7-0 lead going into the half after both teams struggled to find any offensive stride throughout the first half.
As the third quarter began, Hopkins looked to strike early against the tough F&M defense. Led by running back Jonathan Rigaud, the Blue Jay offense gained solid yards until they were inside the 10-yard line, looking to put up their first points of the day. However, the heroic effort of the F&M defense was able to force the Blue Jays to turn the ball over on downs on the 4-yard line as Hopkins couldn’t capitalize on a golden opportunity to tie up the game. Schneider came back onto the field and put together a very impressive 7-play, 96-yard drive that was capped off by a 19-yard pass to receiver Jordan Zackery on a nifty screen pass that took the Hopkins defense by surprise.
With the offense struggling and in need of quick scores, sophomore quarterback Braden Anderson came into the game hoping to lead the Blue Jays to the end zone. Anderson was able to convert a third and fourth down play to get the ball into F&M territory. He then threw a strike right into the hands of junior receiver Jared Beekman, who was able to outrun and overpower his defender to reach the pylon for a much-needed Hopkins touchdown. However, the special teams were unable to convert on the extra-point attempt and the offense left more points on the field, as the score was now 14-6 in favor of Franklin & Marshall. On the next Hopkins drive, Anderson was able to lead the offense back inside the 20-yard line before being picked off by Sam Messaro, his second interception of the day. However, the Blue Jays defense was able to stand tall, forcing a punt from Franklin & Marshall to regain possession on their own 16-yard line with only 3:23 to play.
On the ensuing offensive drive, the Blue Jays offense went into overdrive, as Anderson picked apart the F&M defense with a combination of key passes and long runs by Rigaud. The drive concluded when Rigaud ran into the end zone from 7-yards out for a touchdown to solidify a 14-play, 84-yard drive, while Anderson showed poise and leadership on the field. With only 27 seconds remaining in the final quarter and the Jays trailing by 2, the offense elected to go for a two point conversion in an attempt to tie the game and force overtime. As Anderson took the snap, his throw into the corner of the end zone sailed just over the hands of junior receiver Bob D'Orazio and out of bounds, keeping the score in favor of F&M 14-12 with only 23 seconds remaining.
In a last desperation attempt, Hopkins tried an onside kick to regain possession one last time before the final whistle sounded. Unfortunately, Franklin & Marshall smothered the ball and secured the victory shortly thereafter, needing only to take one knee to end the game. The loss was a devastating one for Hopkins as they looked to string together a second undefeated season in a row and keep their Centennial winning streak intact, but the offense was unable to convert on more drives, despite driving inside the F&M 20-yard line six times during the game. Overall, the Blue Jays gained more offensive yards than the Diplomats, 447-317 with Anderson throwing for 153 yards and a touchdown, Rigaud leading the rushing attack with 114 yards and a touchdown, and Daniel Wodicka leading receivers on 10 catches for 102 yards. Senior Taylor Maciow dominated on defense, recording 15 tackles while junior John Arena had 12 tackles and one forced fumble.
The Blue Jays look to get back on track this weekend as rival McDaniel comes into town on Saturday to face off against Hopkins on Homewood Field. While the loss to F&M was a major disappointment, the focus of the team quickly shifted to upcoming McDaniel. Said Rigaud, “The game was definitely an eye opening experience for our team and served as a wake up call. However, we need to focus on the little things going into McDaniel this Saturday. The most important thing is to take care of McDaniel this weekend. Every week is a big game, and preparation starts with practice and film this week.”
Anderson added “Any time you lose your first game of the season it's hard to deal with and it would've been special to go undefeated through the regular season. But our goal of being Centennial Conference champs is still intact. We really look to bounce back this week with our best week of practice and focusing on the task at hand, which is beating McDaniel.”
The Jays have the chance to secure an automatic bid into the upcoming NCAA playoffs and have already clinched a share of the Centennial Conference title. With a win this weekend against McDaniel, Hopkins can secure the conference championship outright and claim a bid into the NCAA tournament. Despite the disappointment of this past weekend’s loss, Hopkins remains one of the most feared opponents in the Centennial Conference and look to be the biggest challenge for opposing teams heading into the NCAA Playoffs.
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