The Hopkinsville Tigers forced five red-zone turnovers to beat host Caldwell County 35-20 and notch their first win of the season on Friday night. Hoptown now stands at 1-2 heading into next week’s match-up with Christian County, while Caldwell also sits at 1-2 with Crittenden County set to visit Princeton next Friday.
Hoptown drove down the field on their first possession, with quarterback Jay Bland hitting Reece Jesse for 30 yards down to the Caldwell twenty-yard line. On 4th and three from the thirteen, Bland passed to Ellis Dunn and he dragged tacklers into the end zone to give Hoptown the lead.
Caldwell responded with a 46-yard run by DeEric Hollowell to get to the Hoptown twenty. On 3rd and seven from the twelve, Hopkinsville’s Erick Grubbs stepped in front of a Joby Jaggers’ pass in the end zone and returned it to the Hoptown fourteen yard line.
With four minutes left in the opening quarter, Bland found Tayshaun Barker for 25 yards before connecting with Dunn again to set up 1st and ten from the Caldwell fifteen. Hopkinsville would settle for a 29-yard Mason Marschand field goal to lead 10-0.
Jaggers and Hollowell hooked up for 39 yards two minutes into the second quarter down to the Hopkinsville fifteen. After losing yards on 2nd down, Caldwell was denied on the doorstep again as Jaggers had his tipped pass intercepted by Ventrell Baker on the four yard line.
After a fumble recovery by Trel Riley, Caldwell took over at the Hopkinsville thirty-seven with five minutes left in the half. They thought they had their first points of the game on a 22-yard touchdown run by Jameer Riley, but it was called back for a hold. However, soon after they would cut the lead to 3 after falling on their own fumble in the end zone.
On 3rd and thirty-three, Jordan Hopson ran for 20 yards with a Caldwell face-mask penalty tacked on to put Hoptown in business at the Caldwell twenty. On 1st and goal from the ten, Bland took it in himself for a 17-7 lead with 1:30 left in the half.
The Hoptown kickoff would sail out of bounds, and after a 20-yard gain on a screen to Travis Newsome, Caldwell faced a 4th and four at the Hopkinsville forty-one. Hollowell took a hand off and broke into the open, but Hoptown’s Dunn knocked the ball lose from behind and CJ Walton recovered at the four, ending the half.
With eight minutes to play in the third quarter, Hollowell ran for a 1st down followed by a 1st down pass to Gabe East at the Hoptown thirty-eight. A flag on Hoptown moved the ball to the twenty-four, and Jameer Riley capped the drive with a 24-yard TD run. After missing the extra point, Caldwell trailed 17-13.
A 38-yard run by Hopson and a 24-yard completion from Bland to Jesse set up Hoptown with a 1st and goal from the six. Bland hit Dunn for his second TD catch of the night, but a bad snap on the extra point attempt meant they led by 10.
With four minutes left in the third, Oliver Parker hauled in a pass for a 59-yard gain to the Hoptown seventeen. Hollowell ran it to the six, before punching it in from there to pull Caldwell within 3 at 23-20.
With just under ten minutes to play, JaTorion Dillard and Hopson picked up first downs for Hoptown, before Hopson struck for a 39-yard scoring run to stretch the lead to 29-20. Another bad snap would keep them from adding the extra point.
After a 28-yard pass from Jaggers to Newsome moved the ball to the Hoptown seven, Caldwell would face a 4th and one from the 2 with 7:00 to play. The Hoptown defense rose to the occasion, stuffing a run to force a turnover on downs.
Taking over on their own two, Hopkinsville turned to Hopson to move them away from their own goal line and chew up what time remained on the clock. Five minutes elapsed and Hopkinsville found themselves in a 4th and one on the Caldwell forty-five. Bland rolled out to the right and found room for a 1st down, before a 30-yard TD gallop from Dillard for the final 35-20 score. A bad snap would once again foil the extra point attempt.
A 20-yard strike to Gabe East and a Hopkinsville personal foul gave Caldwell the ball at the Hoptown twenty-two, but a sack and Hoptown fumble recovery would end the game.
