By season’s end, senior Reece Jesse and sophomore Daisjuan Mercer could lay claim to some of the most significant career records in Hopkinsville High School football history. Their respective performances on either side of the ball Friday not only catapulted both players in that direction, but also led the Tigers to a decisive 27-16 victory over Henderson County in the 2020 season opener.
After months of uncertainly and unknowns surrounding the fate of prep pigskin, both Hoptown and Henderson struggled out of the gate at Stadium of Champions. It was HHS that would find its footing fastest, though, as new Tigers quarterback Trey Jefferson stepped into the spotlight.
Jefferson, who attended Hopkinsville Middle School before stops in Florida and Clarksville, looked right at home in the second quarter, tossing all three of his TD passes during a five-minute flurry. He hooked up with Lane Rushing on a 23-yard rocket to start the scoring at the 9:39 mark.
Then, just over two minutes later, the highly-anticipated duo of Jefferson and Jesse came to life. Jesse found a 32-yard touchdown haul in stride to put Hoptown ahead 13-0, then dazzled the socially-distanced crowd with an 80-yard TD catch in front of the home sideline.
Jesse, who has been offered by a slew of Div. I college football programs, caught just two passes on the night, but made the most of his opportunities with the 112 yards and two scores. He is now alone in fourth place for HHS career TD receptions (19), five away from passing record-holder CJ Henagan.
Additionally, Jesse is six receptions and 116 receiving yards away from passing Victor Moulden for most all-time. Moulden racked up 97 catches and 1,894 yards from 2007-2008.
Trailing 20-0 at halftime, Henderson County attempted a comeback in the third quarter. After tackling Jayden Dillard in the end zone for a safety, the Colonels cut Hoptown’s advantage to 20-9 when Edmund Brooks recovered a botched Tiger punt in the end zone with 2:24 left in the period.
But the Colonels would get no closer.
Dillard bounced back with a 10-yard TD run with less than a minute to go in the third quarter, putting Hopkinsville back ahead by 18 points. Brooks managed to score again on an 18-yard catch from Ben Dalton with 4:42 remaining, but HCHS was unable to overcome four turnovers in the affair.
Half of those Hoptown takeaways came from Mercer, who secured two interceptions and nearly a third on a deflected pass that Mercer tipped into the hands of a tip-toeing Brooks on the aforementioned touchdown grab.
With his pristine work in the secondary, Mercer is now tied with Wilbur Benson for most career INTs with 11. He’s two away from tying Brian Dodd (1998-2001) and Brandon Hayes (1996-1999), who currently sit atop the list.
Mercer also showed his speed and versatility Friday, returning a trio of punts and catching two passes in key third-down situations. His presence in the WR corp, along with Jesse and Rushing, gave Jefferson plenty of reasons to be comfortable in his varsity debut.
Hoptown now owns the all-time series against Henderson County by a count of 6-4. Friday’s meeting was just the fourth with the Pennyrile Parkway foe since 1999. The Colonels hadn’t played a team from Kentucky in its season opener since 2002, when HCHS defeated Union County.
It was the second straight win in a season opener for Hopkinsville (1-0), which must now quickly prepare for an unusual Week 2 showdown with crosstown rival Christian County. The Colonels (1-0) also earned a big win Friday, defeating Madisonville-North Hopkins 28-20 on the road.
— Chris Jung
SCORE BY QUARTER
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q
HCHS (0-1) 0 0 9 7 — 16
HHS (1-0) 0 20 7 0 — 27
SCORING PLAYS
HHS: 2Q (9:39), Lane Rushing 23-yard catch from Trey Jefferson (PAT blocked)
HHS: 2Q (7:08), Reece Jesse 32-yard catch from Jefferson (Zach Moss kick)
HHS: 2Q (4:49), Jesse 80-yard catch from Jefferson (Moss kick)
HCHS: 3Q (6:47), Safety
HCHS: 3Q (2:24), Edmund Brooks 1-yard punt return (Colton Evans kick)
HHS: 3Q (0:50), Jayden Dillard 9-yard run (Moss kick)
HCHS: 4Q (4:42), Brooks 18-yard catch from Ben Dalton (Evans kick)
