If Friday night was any indication, the Hopkinsville Tigers are now a team primed to make a deep postseason run. In their most impressive performance of the 2021 football season, the Tigers controlled both sides of the ball on their way to a 34-6 win over Paducah Tilghman at the Stadium of Champions, in a game that was not even as close as the final score would indicate.
Hoptown almost ended the game before it really got going. The Tigers took the opening kickoff and drove 74 yards in just four plays, capped off by a four-yard touchdown run from Treyvon Jefferson, to take a 6-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Tilghman fumbled the ball with the Tigers recovering at the Blue Tornado 26 yard line. However, the Tiger offense would promptly go in the wrong direction and ended up missing a 44-yard field goal to leave the score at 6-0.
Tilghman would find the end zone for the first, and only time of the game, on the third play of the second quarter. DiAvian Bradley scored from four yards out with 11:26 to go in the half to even things up at 6-6.
The Tigers made a statement on the very next possession. Hopkinsville drove 74 yards on eight plays to grab the lead and the momentum right back. The drive was capped off with a six-yard run from Jayden Dillard to give Hoptown a 13-6 lead with just over seven minutes left in the half.
After a three and out for Paducah Tilghman, the Tigers reinforced the statement made on their previous drive. Hoptown took over at the Tilghman 47 yard line and went on a 13 play, 53-yard drive that took just over six minutes. Dillard scored his second TD of the half, this one from two yards to give the Tigers a 20-6 lead going into the break.
Hoptown kept pulling away in the third quarter. Treyvon Jefferson found Olajuwon White down the right sideline for a 27-yard score with 2:07 to go in the third to push the lead out to 27-6.
The Tigers would put the hammer down for good early on in the fourth quarter. Jefferson found Daisjaun Mercer down the left sideline, with Mercer making a spectacular catch over a defender and then breaking a tackle for a 42-yard score to extend the lead out to the final score of 34-6.
Hopkinsville would finish the night with 385 yards of total offense. The Tigers rushed for 229 yards and passed for 156 more.
Jayden Dillard led the ground attack with 118 yards. Treyvon Jefferson added 56 more.
Jefferson was 7-12 for 156 yards through the air with two touchdowns.
Paducah Tilghman was limited to 58 rushing yards. Tilghman passed for 170 yards but was only 11 of 31 through the air with one interception.
Hopkinsville improves to 6-4 on the season. The Tigers have won four straight, holding their opponents to just 23 points over that four-game span.
The Tigers will open the Class 4A playoffs next week at the Stadium of Champions.
