On paper, it should have been a bruising showdown between two football powers coming off playoff seasons, Hopkins (9-2) and Muskegon Orchard View (9-1). But it wasn’t.
The Vikings, in their home opener Friday night, has their way against the invading eleven in a 43-0 whitewashing. Orchard view apparently suffered a lot of serious graduations from a squad that went undefeated during the regular season.
The Cardinals looked offensively adept in their first drive, taking the football down into the red zone, but on a fourth down play Colin Weber came up with a sack and started the Vikings on their way to a merry gridiron romp. Senior running back Matt Reynolds, better known for his baseball exploits, started a terrific high-scoring night by capping a 78-yard drive by going the final nine yards. Senior QB Trevor Smith then hit Weber with a two-point conversion pass.
Hopkins put together a 61-yard march to the end zone for a second time, with Smith finding Weber for a 31-yard TD pass and Reynolds taking in the two-point PAT. Reynolds continued his heroics by pouncing on a fumble at his own 38 and then two plays later raced 58 yards to pay dirt and his team was up suddenly by a 22-0 count.
He scored on yet another nine-yard run with less than a minute left in the half to enable the Vikings to enjoy a 28-0 cushion at intermission.
Hopkins wasted no time in scoring right after the half to go up 36-0 and send the contest into the auspices of the running clock. A Smith to Weber 18-yard scoring strike and Reynolds two-point conversion got the job done.
After the Cardinals made yet another mild offensive threat, Brandon Miller came up with a fumble recovery to set up Reynolds’ last TD gallop of the evening, a 65-yard burst early in the fourth quarter and Piper Davis booted the extra point.
Smith completed four of seven passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Reynolds scored four TDs on 211 yards in 15 carries.
The Hopkins defense limited the Cardinals to just 146 yards total offense.
Jason Prather and Jon Tew both had 11 tackles for the night.
Orchard View’s undefeated season was ruined by Sparta in the opening round of the post-season playoffs. Sparta, one of the newest members of the O-K Silver Conference, the Vikings’ next opponent Friday at the Spartans’ lair.
