Hopewell, a team on a three-game losing skid, was on the ropes, and a 2-0 I-Meck Conference record and the first-ever rivalry win was there for the Huskies to take. They had generally controlled the night.
But momentum in high school football can be a fickle factor, and there was a distinct energy shift that blew across the stadium like the fog from the Huskies’ newly modified scoreboard. When did it occur?
“Fourth quarter, definitely,” said Hough running back Jackson Campbell, who rushed for a game-high 140 yards.
Hopewell (2-3 overall, 1-1 I-Meck) may have only led for 5:20 of its second-ever meeting with Hough (2-4, 1-1), but the Titans made the plays down the stretch, and as the final seconds ticked away, it was Hopewell that had reason to celebrate. The Titans erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to get a dramatic 24-23 win that was secured by a 25-yard field goal by first-year kicker Ryan Santee as time expired (see story, page 40).
“The kids played great,” said Hopewell coach David Johnson. “That’s just huge for the Hopewell community.”
The win was Hopewell’s first since the season-opening 41-13 win over Providence, and it was one that the Titans needed after dropping games to East Lincoln, Ardrey Kell and West Charlotte.
Hough, meanwhile, just missed its third win of the season, a victory that would have vaulted the team beyond last year’s win total.
March to victory
It’s the situation quarterbacks at all levels dream about: You have the ball, and it’s up to you to get your team down the field to win the game.
Hopewell’s Tijuan Sifford found himself in that role as he ran onto the field with 2:06 to play at
Hough. The Titans were trailing 23-21, starting a drive at their own 10-yard line and were out of timeouts. But Sifford was confident.
“We gotta win the game,” he told his teammates. “We can’t lose.”
A swing pass to Denzel Heath got the Titans started with five yards, but it was the next two plays of the drive that put Hopewell in position to win. First, Sifford hit Chris Strickland for a 20-yard gain. Then, Heath ran for 20 yards on a draw. But the sum of 40 yards was boosted by back-to-back personal foul penalties on the Huskies. In just seconds, Hopewell was in field goal range, and Hough was on its heels for the first time all night.
“We had some key penalties,” said Hough coach Bobby Collins.
The 16th and 17th Husky infractions of the night, which brought the team’s penalty yardage to 157, had given Hopewell 30 yards on the critical drive.
Moments later, Santee, who had missed a 32-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter, nailed a 25-yard field goal as time expired. Finally, Sifford could exhale.
“It feels good, and it’s going to continue to feel good,” he said.
Wacky start
Those at the game should not have been surprised by the sudden momentum shift in the fourth quarter. At least not if they saw the unusual early-game moments.
Hough started the game with a pooch kick, forcing a fumble on the return. Nick Burrow recovered for the Huskies, and at that moment, Hough had pulled a fast one. It would essentially get the ball at the start of both halves.
But a great opportunity was soon lost as Hough lost the ball on its first play from its own 48, and Qamar Lane recovered for Hopewell.
Four plays later, Titan Jonquez Williams scored on a 16-yard end around run to give Hopewell the early lead.
Huskies answer
Hough quickly tied the game and set the stage for a down-to-the-wire night. On the ensuing
possession, Campbell answered for Hough at the end of a 74-yard drive to tie it at 7-7. Then a botched snap by Hopewell deep in its own territory resulted in a safety, giving Hough the 9-7 edge after one quarter.
Heath’s big-play ability was put on display early in the second quarter when he took a screen pass from Sifford 56 yards for a score, essentially untouched. The 14-9 Hopewell lead would last less than two minutes, however, and the Titans didn’t lead again until the game clock hit zero.
O’Connor found receiver Sanders Poff amid multiple defenders for a 13-yard scoring strike with 8:40 to play in the second quarter, and Hough took a 16-14 lead into the intermission. A 9-yard pass from O’Connor to Brandon Mobley in the third quarter gave Hough the 23-14 advantage it took into the final 12 minutes.
PATs
Mobley intercepted Sifford in the first quarter. ... Hough ran the ball effectively, finishing with 281 yards. Dre Long had 82 yards and O’Connor 62 to complement Campbell’s production. ... Hopewell safety Dylan Moses is lost for the year with a torn ACL. Titan defensive lineman Tevin Stevenson also missed the game.
