The Manistee curse has been broken.

The Hopkins varsity football team put a stop to this nonsense with stout defense in the fourth quarter to fight off Northpointe Christian 24-21 and score a particularly satisfying homecoming victory.

The Vikings not once, not twice, but three times had to make heroic plays to halt three potentially game-winning drives by a visiting team sporting a 3-1 record while Hopkins was 1-3.

The curse was born three weeks ago against Manistee, when the Vikings led 24-7 at the end of three periods before the wheels came off in the last 12 minutes and they lost 36-30. It was just about déjà vu all over again the following week against Belding in a 34-30 defeat after leading 24-7.

The game at Godwin was one Hopkins would like to forget entirely. It was playing like a team that had been snake bit, cursed.

It looked like it was all happening again Friday evening.

Hopkins led 24-14 late in the third quarter, but gave up a TD with just 17.7 seconds until that cursed fourth period began. And everything afterward seemed to go the wrong way yet again.

Coach Cody Francis elected to make a gamble with fourth down and one at his own 37. The Mustangs came up with a big stop and took over just 36 yards away from taking the lead for the first time all night.

It appeared the Vikings got a big break on a holding call that took Northpointe back to its own 41 with third and 15, but quarterback Jakel Davis hit Char Willekes with a clutch pass that got the ball down to the nine for first and goal.

Davis on two keepers got the ball down to the five and then Ryan Haveman stopped Jalen Schafer at the two, where Terry Thomas and Mason Schaendorf refused to let the Mustang ball carrier into the end zone on fourth down.

Hopkins then was pinned back within a yard of of a safety and sophomore Nolan Smith’s punt was returned all the way to the 15 by Nolan Blackport. Jake Cleypool and Caleb Ryan came up with a couple stops and a pass fell incomplete, causing the Mustangs to try a 32-yard field goal, which went wide right of the goalposts.

Northpointe’s threats were not finished. Smith’s punt after a three and out was partially blocked, going only 16 yards to the 43. The Mustangs picked up a first down, but then tossed an incomplete pass and Thomas and Ryan collaborated on a zero gain hit. A desperate pass into the end zone was picked off by Hopkins, but referees ruled interference, so Northpointe was given a fresh set of downs at the 12. But with the clock winding down to less than a minute, Cleypool came up with yet another of his big play sacks and Cyrus Miner came up with an interception to put the final nail on the coffin of the curse.

Hopkins at times looked really efficient on offense. The Vikings marched the ball down the field on their first possession, running a lot of smash mouth and then Smith connected with Brock Eller on a nifty 17-yard TD pass. At that point, they broke another nasty curse, 11 consecutive failures to score on two-point conversion attempts. Haveman broke it by running into the end zone for the two points.

Northpointe answered just two minutes later, aided by a crucial penalty, a long run by Willekes and finally a five-yard TD burst by Schafer.

Hopkins came right back by marching 68 yards on 10 plays, once again fooling the Mustangs with an 18-yard Smith aerial to Mark Davis and Haveman added his second PAT.

The home team was up 16-8.

Just before the end of the first half the Mustangs came back with a two-yard TD plunge, but Thomas and friends halted Willekes’ attempt for the conversion.

Hopkins had a really nice TD march after taking the second half kickoff. It went 61 yards in 10 plays, with Haveman and Miner taking turns carrying the mail. Miner went into the end zone from six yards out and scored the PAT, the Vikings’ third in a row after the 11 straight futile efforts dating back to the season opener.

Smith was 6 of 13 for 63 yards and two TDs. Haveman gained 56 yards in 10 carries and Ryan had 10 tackles.

The Vikings will be at home again next Friday for a nonleague contest against Charlotte.

PHOTO: Athletes were elected home queen and king at Hopkins Friday night, Hannah Van de Roovaart, a volleyball player, and Brock Eller, a football player.