Hopkins’ varsity football team learned Thursday night it’s going to have to work harder on defense.
The Vikings dropped a 43-35 non-conference contest to Olivet and saw their overall season record fall to 1-1. They have yielded 73 points in their first two games, having allowed Ravenna 30 points in the season opener a week ago.
The game was only 59 second old when Eagles’ quarterback Sam Heston broke loose for a 76-yard touchdown scamper.
Hopkins responded with a one-yard plunge by Colin Weber to tie it at 7-all.
Olivet kicker Plilly Bryce then booted an impressive 38-yard field goal to put the home team up 10-7, but the Vikings came back to score on a touchdown pass from QB Nolan Smith to Weber, so the visiting unit was up 13-10 at the close of the first period.
Smith tossed another TD aerial to Weber covering 10 yards and then hits his brother, Drew with a two-point conversion pass to give Hopkins a 21-10 lead in the second quarter. The senior signal caller then flipped a TD pass to Cole Marschall and Hopkins was enjoying a 29-23 advantage at intermission.
But the Vikings were destined to score only once in the second half and they were plagued by penalties and fumbles.
Olivet came back in the third quarter to score on a 28-yard run by back Heath Flower and a one-yard sneak by Heston and took a 36-29 lead into the fourth period.
Colin Weber tallied the last TD of the evening for Hopkins by wedging over teh goal line from the one, bring the count to 36-35, but the Eagles countered in the fourth quarter with a 47-yard TD romp by Flower to polish off the evening’s fireworks.
