Early in the 1st quarter, after an opening touchdown drive, the Devils found themselves in uncharted waters – in a situation that they had yet to experience in their 2024 campaign.
As the Hill School faced a 3rd and 7, and a threat of going 3 and out with their first possession, the Hill School Blues struck gold. Looking to answer the Devils’ opening drive touchdown, which was a quick pass to senior Sean Brett, Hill’s post-grad running back Steward took the ball right through the middle, shrugging off two Devils defenders as he ran all the way into the end zone for a 65-yard run that left the Devils stunned.
SCH – 7 , HILL – 7
For the first time all season – the Blue Devils were tied with a team, other than 0-0.
When asked about the team’s emotions, junior defensive tackle Sadiek Wills said, “The biggest thing was, we’ve faced some talented teams throughout the season, but that was the first adversity we’ve faced all season. So the big thing for us was to just embrace it.”
Most teams might doubt their confidence, or tempers may flare – but Willis said that the moment was even bigger fuel for the Devils.
With the ball back in their hands, and the game tied, the Devils drove down the field, getting down to the 1-yard line, before sophomore running back Colin McFadden coughed up the ball, giving the it right back to Hill School.
It wasn’t the start Blue Devils fans were used to, to say the least. Not only had they let up a long rushing touchdown, but they fumbled the ball right on the goal line right afterwards.
But, as they say – pressure makes diamonds. And with the pressure building, SCH shone.
After forcing a quick 3 and out and a shanked punt that gave the Devils excellent field position, they went back to the ground game, dominating with run after run, before senior Finn Whittle punched in a touchdown from the 4 yard line.
SCH – 14 , HILL – 7
As Hill attempted to answer, the Devils once again forced a 3 and out, senior captain and lineman Matt McTamney and junior Sadiek Willis combined on a sack, crushing the QB as he tried to scramble around, returning the ball to the Devils, and ending the first quarter.
With the ball back in his hands, Junior QB Liam Zelman went to work himself this time. A few of his runs were by design, but he had some great scrambles and passes where he kept calm when the play broke down, and made something out of nothing, even when the play seemed to be doomed.
But, at the end of the day, it was Whittle who found the end zone, displaying great patience as he danced around at the 2-yard line before punching it in for his second score of the night.
SCH – 21 , HILL – 7
Not to be undone, the Hill School drove all the way downfield, getting themselves right down to the goal-line, where SCH forced them to 4th and goal and where Willis managed to loop around the side as the rest of the Devils defense crashed down, stopping the Blues from scoring.
As the Devils drove straight downfield, time was running out, and despite getting to the red zone, they were unable to punch in a score, Zelman taking a hard hit as his pass fell incomplete.
Despite the lead, things weren’t perfect. Sophomore DT Josh Griggs suffered a lower leg injury that saw him taken off on the cart. He certainly had his teammates worried for him. Even though he’s young, Griggs is a key contributor on the Devils defensive line.
Out of the break, the two teams traded punts, both defenses doing a wonderful job, before the Devils took 8 plays, going 80 yards, where they then ran the ball in with Zelman from the 2-yard line, punching it in for a score.
SCH – 28 , HILL – 7
Despite a huge lead, the Devils foot never came off the gas. You know the story by now. SCH forced another 3 and out, and this time, it only took seven plays for the Devils to drive downfield, where this time, it was Colin McFadden who punched it in, extending the lead out to a 4 score lead.
SCH – 35 , HILL – 7
Hill put together a sustained drive, mixing in runs and passes as the Devils brought out Whittle and replaced him with sophomore DB Sean Simmonds, likely aiming to keep him fresh. Hill targeted Simmonds, throwing quite a few passes his way, but the defense held firm, keeping the score stagnant.
The Devils still had a job to do, this time aiming to get right down and score again, trying to make the clock a running one, now in the 4th. This time, the play was designed to go to Junior WR Aaron Clark where he made himself known.
Taking a reverse out of the 5-wide formation, Clark cut it right up the middle, running behind the line before cutting back, taking the ball wide to the left, where he picked up a big block from Zelman and got in for another Blue Devils touchdown.
SCH – 42 , HILL – 7
That score held, as SCH came away with the win to move to 4-0. They scored 35 unanswered points, and most importantly, dominated the ground game. They racked up 383 yards and 4 TDs on the ground, coming into their own.
Granted, their start was shaky, and a little bit slow for SCH. But this team showcased their identity, not worrying about the early struggle, and pushing right ahead – picking up a huge win at the Hill School.
Their next game is at home, where they’ll be taking on Lawrenceville for homecoming this Saturday, at 2PM! Students, show out for support, and if you can’t, catch the broadcast live on Gametime Sports, which goes live at 1:15PM!