Through adversity, Hawks always find a way

By Matt Metcalf
Posted 11/8/16

A glance at the scoreboard at the conclusion of Friday night's game may have led some to believe that Hendricken is a bit vulnerable going forward. That couldn't be further from the truth. The Hawks had to overcome some adversity in front of a packed

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Through adversity, Hawks always find a way

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A glance at the scoreboard at the conclusion of Friday night’s game may have led some to believe that Hendricken is a bit vulnerable going forward.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Hawks had to overcome some adversity in front of a packed crowd in hostile territory and still came away with a 13-point victory against rival and previously unbeaten La Salle.

Hendricken arguably played its worst game of the season, turning the ball over twice, allowing the Rams to recover an onside kick and showing some weaknesses in pass coverage.

Furthermore, offensive and defensive force Kwity Paye left the game with an injury in the second quarter and did not return.

But, with all that didn’t go Hendricken’s way, its depth was still strong enough to defeat its top contender by two scores with Paye sidelined for more than half the game.

Chris Hindle displayed why he’s the state’s top quarterback, coming back to toss for two touchdowns and rush for another after getting intercepted on the first play from scrimmage.

The Hawks also had players like Andrew Flint, Sam Hill and Devin Rivet step up and play crucial roles in the victory.

Flint was excellent in the punting game, pinning La Salle deep in its own end twice late to help Hendricken preserve its lead.

At receiver, Flint was equally impressive, reeling in a 23-yard touchdown pass from Hindle in the second half – the Hawks’ lone score in the final two quarters.

“It’s a play we worked on all week,” Flint said about his touchdown catch. “I’m glad it worked as well as it did, being that open, but it was great that (Hindle) hit me.”

Hill, who has been a standout all season at linebacker, specifically stepped up in the second half with Paye out.

He made a number of key tackles in the running game, and also pressured the quarterback on numerous occasions.

As a senior captain and leader, Hill knew he would have to elevate his game over the final 24 minutes and motivate others.

“A big part of football is depth,” Hill said about losing Paye. “Most of our twos are just as good as our ones, most of our twos can start on other teams. When they came in we just told them ‘This is what you come to Hendricken for, to play La Salle. Man up and get the job done.’”

“I told him in the second half, ‘You’re our senior leader right now on defense, we can’t lose you. Stay out there, keep your head in the game and keep hitting.’ He was huge for us,” Hendricken head coach Keith Croft said about Hill.

Rivet, a junior, potentially came up with the biggest play of the game.

After La Salle’s Craig Kelleher made a tremendous grab in the corner of the end zone to tie the game at 7, Rivet took the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown, pushing the Hawks back in front.

If anything, Hendricken proved that it’s a tougher team to beat moving forward after taking some hits and coming away with the 27-14 victory on Friday.

La Salle certainly showed that it can compete with Hendricken, but the Hawks are still the team to beat.

The two teams will most likely meet again on a bigger stage in about a month, and if Hendricken can get back to full health and limit some mistakes the second time around, a wider margin of victory for the Hawks shouldn’t be ruled out.

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