Hopkins Defeats Dalton 21–6 Behind Dominant Second Half

On Saturday, October 11, the Hopkins School Hilltoppers hosted the Dalton School Tigers for an early afternoon kickoff. The game stayed tight through much of the first half before Hopkins took command after halftime, pulling away for a decisive 21–6 victory.

Hopkins opened the game on offense and wasted no time finding the end zone. On just the fourth play from scrimmage, quarterback Tommy C ’27 connected with Cole B ’27 for a 53-yard touchdown strike. Dylan G ’27 added the extra point to give the Hilltoppers an early 7–0 lead. Both teams traded possessions for the remainder of the half, with Hopkins’ defense making key stops to hold Dalton scoreless. Highlights included a sack by Dillon C ’28, an interception by Dylan G ’27, and a forced fumble recovered by Cole B ’27 after a hard hit by John O ’28.

Carrying that momentum into the second half, Hopkins immediately set the tone on defense. On Dalton’s first play, Aidan F ’26 and Holden S ’27 combined for a forced fumble, giving Hopkins excellent field position at the Dalton 46-yard line. One play later, Tommy C found Cole B again for another touchdown, extending the lead to 14–0.

The Hilltopper defense was relentless the rest of the way, racking up six sacks on the afternoon. Standout performances came from Dillon C (2), Aidan F (2.5), Tommy O ’26, and Nate L ’26. Dalton managed a short touchdown pass late in the third quarter to narrow the margin to 14–6, but Hopkins sealed the win with a 7-yard rushing touchdown by John O ’28, making it 21–6 with just over five minutes left to play.

It was an impressive team effort and a strong second-half performance for the Hilltoppers, who now look ahead to their final regular-season matchup against the Rye Country Day Wildcats in Rye, NY, this coming weekend.

Go Hop!