Hopkins shuts out Hamden Hall

Sunday, November 1, 2009

By Mike Pucci, Register Staff

HAMDEN — At the beginning of the week, Bryan Turkel’s status for Saturday’s football game at rival Hamden Hall was in doubt.

Turkel, the Hopkins running back, suffered a hip pointer in last week’s victory over another rival, Kingswood-Oxford. But he showed no ill effects of the injury as he accounted for all of his team’s touchdowns in a 19-0 Fairchester League victory.

Turkel, a junior, rushed 30 times for 149 yards and scored in each of the first three quarters.

“I’m feeling much better,” Turkel said. “Earlier in the week, it was up in the air whether or not I was going to play. But I was feeling good. I wrapped it up a little bit, and I’m very happy I was able to play today.”

Senior running back Ryan D’Souza added 92 yards on 19 carries for the Hilltoppers (4-3), who didn’t complete a pass and only attempted two the entire game.

The bigger and stronger Hopkins offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and paved the way for Turkel and D’Souza to grind it out on the ground.

“It all started on the offensive line, it always does,” Hopkins coach Tom Parr said. “The offensive line came off the ball and did a great job.”

Parr credited the line and junior fullback Matt Amatruda with allowing the Hilltoppers’ running game to be so successful.

“Matt Amatruda did a great job as sort of our lead blocker,” Parr said. “The running backs ran hard. We’re very fortunate. That (Hamden Hall) is a great football team. We think we beat a great football team. We’re happy to do it.”

Although Hopkins led 13-0 at halftime, perhaps the game’s biggest play came on the first play of the third quarter.

That’s when Hopkins senior linebacker Ben Cabranes intercepted a Dylan Pavone pass on the Hamden Hall 49-yard line.

“That was key,” Parr said. “That interception gave us field position. Once we got that score, we were very conservative. We were conservative anyway, we’re probably the most boring team in the world to watch. That’s not our strength, passing. Our strength right now is our running backs and our line, and that’s what we do.”

After the interception, Hopkins capped a 14-play drive, that included two conversions on fourth down and took over seven minutes off the clock, when Turkel scored from a yard out.

“That was hugely important,” Turkel said. “That interception set us up. Six points was all that really mattered, but the morale boost that we got from turning their chance to score a touchdown into our chance was unbelievable.”

D’Souza also had an interception for Hopkins. The Hilltoppers limited the Hornets (5-2) to just 51 yards from scrimmage in the second half.

Hamden Hall senior running back Eric Warren was held to just 27 yards on 10 carries.

“We were working hard all week,” Turkel said. “The heart of our team is defense. Offense might win games, but defense is a big part of the team.”

Turkel scored on runs of 20 and 4 yards in the first half.

“The offensive line really stepped up big today,” Turkel said. “We have a big offensive line, and we played like it today. They came out with all the heart in the world.”

Mike Pucci can be reached at mpucci@nhregister.com.