Hawks cruise past Rebels

By Ryan D. Murray
Posted 9/27/16

The Bishop Hendricken Hawks downed the South Kingstown Rebels, 35-0, on Friday night under the lights at Hendricken. Senior wide receiver Andrew Hopgood had four receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Senior kicker

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Hawks cruise past Rebels

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The Bishop Hendricken Hawks downed the South Kingstown Rebels, 35-0, on Friday night under the lights at Hendricken. Senior wide receiver Andrew Hopgood had four receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior kicker Andrew Flint chipped in a touchdown catch while going 5-for-5 on extra points in the win.

“He’s doing a little bit of everything,” Hendricken head coach Keith Croft said of Flint. “I’m happy for him, he’s a senior. He’s been working hard in practice. We got a lot of guys that we try to distribute the ball around with. It was good to see him get some touches tonight. He had a heck of a game kicking.”

South Kingstown’s Noah Ladas received the opening kickoff and brought it out to the South Kingstown 18-yard line. Senior Brendan Blessing then handed it off to Anthony Shepard, who rushed six yards to the South Kingstown 24. However, the drive would stall out with South Kingstown mustering only two more yards before it was forced to punt it away.

The Hawks started from their own 40-yard line. First, Matt DiTondo rushed two yards before Chris Hindle, the 6-foot-3 senior quarterback, threw a laser to Hopgood up the middle, moving the ball to the Hawks’ 23-yard line, while giving Hendricken a first down. After a 2-yard rush from DiTondo, Hindle scrambled away from the South Kingstown rush before firing to Hopgood for a touchdown, giving Hendricken a 7-0 lead.

South Kingstown started the ensuing possession from its own 20-yard line. On first down, Blessing threw to wideout Myshon Coppock for a 6-yard completion. Next, Blessing handed to Shepard for a 4-yard rush and a first down at the South Kingstown 30-yard line. But once again, the South Kingstown offense was interrupted, gathering just seven more yards before punting it away on fourth-and-3.

Starting from the Hawks’ 28, Hendricken junior wideout Angel Santana bolted 25 yards for a first down at the South Kingstown 49. A 4-yard run by DiTondo came next. Then, Hindle connected with Hopgood up the middle for a 25-yard gain, moving the chains to the South Kingstown 26. DiTondo then charged up the middle for 13 yards. On first down from the South Kingstown 14, DiTondo rushed again, this time for a 4-yard gain. On second down, Hindle threw to Hopgood for a Hendricken touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 2:38 to play in the first quarter.

South Kingstown started the next series with the ball at its own 35-yard line. Blessing was hurried by the Hendricken blitz on first down and he threw it away. On second down, he completed a pass to junior running back Paul Gonsalves for a 5-yard gain. After gaining just one yard on third down, South Kingstown punted it to the Hawks’ 30-yard line.

On second down, DiTondo ran 25 yards before back-to-back holding calls against Hendricken pushed it back to the South Kingstown 42. Hindle then launched a pass to Flint, who beat his defender, but he dropped the pass. On second down, Hindle ran a keeper for a 6-yard gain to the South Kingstown 40. Then, Hindle connected with Flint for a first down at the South Kingstown 25 with 10:29 left in the second quarter. After coming up short on the first three downs, the Hawks went for it on fourth down and Hindle hurled a bullet to Flint for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead with 9:13 to play in the half.

South Kingstown started its next possession at its own 25. After an incomplete pass on first down, Gonsalves rushed left for eight yards. Next, Shepard rushed three yards for a first down at the South Kingstown 36. Later in the drive, South Kingstown went for it on fourth-and-7. Blessing completed a pass to Austin Hedglen to the Hawks’ 32-yard line for a first down with 4:57 left in the first half.

On first down and second down, the Hawks’ defense stuffed Gonsalves and Shepard for no gain. On third down, Gonsalves charged two yards before South Kingstown faced fourth-and-8 with 2:50 left in the half.

A personal foul was called against the Hawks on the next play, giving South Kingstown a first down at the Hawks’ 15. Hendricken stopped South Kingstown on the first two downs. Then, Shepard broke out a 9-yard dash, taking the ball to the Hawks’ 8-yard line. But, Blessing’s next throw was picked off by Hendricken senior cornerback Anthony Witherstone with 12 seconds remaining in the half. The Hawks took a knee and headed into halftime with a 21-0 lead.

Hendricken’s Devin Rivet returned the second half kickoff to the Hawks’ 38-yard line. Next, Kwity Paye went into beast mode and sprinted 30 yards to the South Kingstown 30. Then, Paye took the rock again, this time up the middle for another 30-yard scamper that ended with pay dirt just 54 seconds into the second half. The Hawks led 28-0 after the extra point from Flint.

South Kingstown’s Shepard took the ensuing kickoff to the Rebels’ 7-yard line. On first down, senior running back Mike Rios ran seven yards. A personal foul against Hendricken on second down moved the ball to the South Kingstown 35. After Gonsalves was leveled for no gain on first down, junior linebacker Dylan Gardner sacked Blessing on second down, bumping the ball back to the South Kingstown 25. After the Hendricken rush pressured Blessing to toss it away on third down, South Kingstown punted it away to the Hawks’ 35-yard line with 7:08 remaining in the third.

On first down, Hendricken’s DiTondo rushed 10 yards for a first down. Two plays later, Rivet scurried 68 yards for a touchdown, giving the Hawks a 35-0 lead with 5:30 left to play in the third quarter.

Croft was happy to see the junior backup running back’s preparation was paying off.

“He’s been working hard,” Croft said. “We’d like to get him going a little bit, so this is a good game for him – a good opportunity to get some work in.”

Despite the blowout win, Hendricken had a few personal fouls.

“We’ve got to clean them up,” Croft said. “When the whistle blows, we’ve got to learn to stop. I like the physicality, but we’ve got to control it a little bit better.”

The undefeated Hawks will return to action on Friday when they host St. Raphael at 7 p.m.

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