The Hopkinsville Tigers football team went into their Friday night matchup against South Warren in the playoffs looking to extend their final season one more game, but the Spartans were able to take control of the game and get the 51-23 victory.
South Warren was able to get on the board fairly quickly with a touchdown with just under 10 minutes left in the first, but Hopkinsville was able to answer back with an 81-yard strike to Aiden Jesse. They were also able to take the 8-7 lead after a two-point conversion.
After the Spartans took the lead back with another touchdown in the first quarter, both teams had a couple empty drives in the period, including a missed field goal from South Warren after turning over Hopkinsville on downs.
Another Spartan touchdown made it 21-8, and Hopkinsville thought they had scored on the next drive, but a chop block brought back a 63-yard potential touchdown run by James Bradley Jr. But the Tigers were able to get their score, as Jesse got his second of the day to make it 21-16.
But to end the half, South Warren was able to score yet another rushing touchdown with just 18 seconds left and take a 29-16 lead into halftime after a two-point conversion of their own.
The Spartans were able to break the game wide open with three unanswered touchdown in the third quarter, one of which came as time expires. Another completed two-point try gave South Warren a 51-16 lead heading into the final quarter.
Hopkinsville did what they could with another Jesse touchdown from Jasiah McCarley to make it 51-23, but it was too little too late, as time expired on the Tigers’ final game.
Despite the loss, Tigers Head Coach Dustin Lopez reflected on the season and what the group of players has meant to him.
“Football is long, and there’s some years where you are ready for it to be over, but I enjoyed each and every one of these guys… We had fun every day,” Lopez said. “I didn’t want these guys, especially these seniors, to be lost in the shuffle and forgotten about, so I wanted to give them everything I had, and I didn’t want to let them down. And I’m gonna miss them, but this was a fun group and a good group of young guys.”
Hopkinsville finished their final football season 7-5, with one of those wins being a dominant win in the playoffs.
