Hopkins: After 29 games, football streak is over

Hundreds of Hopkins football fans rushed the field after the Royals beat Eastview 22-21 in overtime on Friday, the 13th, at Hopkins High Stadium.

The come-from-behind victory buried a 29-game losing streak that dated back to opening night of the 2021 season. New head coach Chauncy Williams-Barefield promised a change in the culture, and it took only three weeks to get his first win.

There were signs of change the first two weeks in losses to Shakopee 58-35 and Buffalo 37-20, then in front of a large home crowd Friday, the Royals pushed the right buttons.

When the game went into overtime, tied 14-14, Eastview had the ball first from the 10 yard line. The Lightning struck quickly with a touchdown and an extra point. Hopkins responded with junior quarterback Dylan Caspers throwing a slant pass to junior wide receiver Jamison Hedman, who dashed into the end zone on a 10-yard play.

The decision to go for a two-point conversion was easy for coach Williams-Barefield. With momentum on his side, he crafted a rollout option pass. Caspers ran right with defenders chasing him. Suddenly, he saw No. 44, Cordell Givance, wide open and put the ball right on his numbers. Givance took two steps into the end zone, and the celebration was underway.

“We had run that play a few times in practice,” Caspers said. “But it’s different in a game. When I saw Cordell wide-open, I just had to make sure I got the ball to him. We waited three years for this.”

Caspers didn’t play during regulation time, but he made sure the coaches knew he was ready for overtime. Although freshman quarterback Tre Moore had played well in his first-ever varsity start, coach Williams-Barefield had a hunch and called on his relief pitcher to finish the game.

This was by no means an easy win. Hopkins let the opening kickoff bounce near the goal line, allowing Eastview possession at the 11 yard line. And on the first play from scrimmage Eastview scored for a 7-0 lead. By the end of the first quarter, Eastview was up 14-0 and looking for a blowout.

Once Hopkins settled down, Eastview’s momentum evaporated.

Hopkins’ ground game was solid with junior Desmond Moody as the primary ball carrier. He scored the Royals’ first touchdown on a 12-yard run at the 6:22 mark of the third period. The extra point try hit the left upright to leave the Royals behind 14-6.

Despite being tagged with three penalties on a drive early in the fourth quarter, the Royals persevered to take the ball into the red zone on a 25-yard run by Tre Moore. Then Moody scored his second touchdown on a 5-yard run. Hopkins needed a two-point conversion to tie the score and Givance scored it with teammates pushing him across the goal line.

The Royals were opportunistic throughout their rally. Chase Radel and Hedman had pass interceptions. Linebacker Luis Lopez sacked Eastview’s punter to force a turnover on downs.

Offensive tackle and captain Nathan Dobbs, a 6-4, 295-pound senior, summed up the team’s thoughts during the postgame celebration: “Finally, the first win! We got off to a slow start, but nobody put his head down. We kept fighting, kept grinding. I feel like I’ve been blessed.”