Coming into a district tilt at the Stadium of Champions, Hopkinsville High School senior quarterback Treyvon Jefferson had amassed just 53 net rushing yards in five games. On Friday, he nearly doubled that number during one half of football, leading the Tigers to a dominant 59-3 win over the Lakers.
It was the first time Hoptown has reached the half-century mark in a game since dropping 54 against Caldwell County on Sept. 19, 2020, and the most points scored in a game since racking up 62 against Hopkins County Central on Oct. 21, 2016. The all-time record for Tiger points in a single game is 136, set in 1912 against Adams (TN) High School.
Jefferson, who scampered for a 28-yard touchdown run less than two minutes into the contest, carried the ball eight times for 103 yards and racked up a total of three TDs to set the tone for Hoptown, which collected its second straight win for the first time in 2021.
HHS (4-4) nearly forced a running clock with a minute left in the first half, when it appeared Jefferson broke loose for an 89-yard score, but the play was negated by a block-in-the-back penalty on Hopkinsville. Despite the play being wiped off the board, the Tigers still romped from start to finish, pushing their lead in the all-time series against Calloway to 26-9.
Senior running back Jayden Dillard, who wore pink gloves during the game, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also dazzled in the victory. After picking up a combined 19 yards on the game’s first two plays from scrimmage, Dillard finished the night with 32 carries and a pair of TDs on 10 carries.
Dillard and Jefferson each accounted for a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first half, staking Hoptown to a 27-3 lead with 7:51 to go in the second quarter. Then, after an errant long snap sailed out of the end zone for the Lakers, leading to a safety, dynamic Hopkinsville playmaker Daisjaun Mercer made his presence known, catching a 43-yard bomb from Jefferson on the ensuing play.
The Tigers, who came in averaging just over 28 points per contest, went up 36-3 at halftime and never looked back. On the first play from scrimmage to start the second half, Mercer struck again, picking off Lakers QB Kanyon Franklin and returning it 27 yards for a pick-6. It was one of two Mercer interceptions in the game and ran his team lead to five for the season.
As a defensive unit, Hoptown forced three fumbles (two recovered), had three interceptions, a trio of sacks, and two recorded safeties during the onslaught. Coming into the night as the 11th best rush defense in the state, the Tigers held Calloway County to 24 rush yards on 35 attempts.
Franklin, who had put up stats in his first seven games (1,150 passing yards and 16 touchdowns) that were among some of the best in Kentucky, was thwarted by the Tigers. The Lakers’ senior slinger finished 5-of-10 for 52 yards and two picks before being replaced in the second half. It was just the second time this season Franklin was held to zero touchdowns thrown.
Calloway County (3-5) dropped to 1-2 in Class 4A, District 1, finished with just 76 yards of total offense and got its lone points on a 34-yard field goal by freshman Oscar Avila with 5:46 to go in the first quarter, pulling CCHS within 7-3 of HHS. After Avila’s first FG of the season, however, Hopkinsville went on to score 52 unanswered points to move to 2-1 in district play.
Mercer’s interception return for a TD triggered a running clock for the final 21 minutes of the lopsided affair. Hoptown outgained Calloway 272-76 and got a pair of second-half rushing touchdowns from Devin Coleman and JoJo Jackson to round out the scoring.
Trushaun Matt had a highlight-worthy, 22-yard catch in the first half that eventually set up a touchdown. Matt also snagged an interception and had a quality performance on special teams. David Boswell and Jaiden Metcalf were also key defenders during the rout, combining for double-digit tackles.
Hopkinsville will play its final regular-season game on the road next week at Hopkins County Central, before returning to play its regular-season home finale Oct. 29 against Paducah Tilghman.
