Archbishop Hoban defeats Trinity Episcopal to remain undefeated
AKRON, OHIO - For the third straight week, the Archbishop Hoban Knights knocked off an out-of-state opponent by defeating Trinity Episcopal (Virginia) 34-6 Saturday night at Dowed Field.
Senior running back Caleb Jones ran for 148 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries for Hoban, the No. 8 team in the SBLive Ohio Power 25. After being the backup to Ohio's Mr. Football Lamar Sperling a season ago, Jones has always been ready for his opportunity.
"(Being behind Sperling) didn't bother me really because I know who I am as a player and I know I can be great," Jones said. "And (Sperling) was great too."
Hoban head coach Tim Tyrrell is quick to remind people that this isn't the first time Jones has seen action at running back for the Knights.
"A lot of people just don't know him because he's not a household name because of the guy that was before him," Tyrrell said. "But you gotta remember he already had 800 yards last year. We know how good he is and everybody else watching film and going forward, will be like 'Hoban's got another tailback.' He's been here the whole time."
Jones scored his first touchdown on a 5-yard run in the first quarter and then added a 3-yard touchdown in the third and a 32-yarder early in the fourth to make it 34-0 and put the game into a running clock. The last touchdown came on a play the Knights have not run yet all season.
"We ran some plays today we didn't we haven't done since two-a-days and they adapted fast and that was one of the ones he scored on, that big long one at the end," Tyrrell said. "(Running backs coach) Matty Richardson saw it and said 'hey guys, we got to do it,' so I called a timeout to make sure they are good and boom, touchdown."
The Hoban defense came up with plays too, highlighted by sophomore Elbert "Rock" Hill IV's leaping interception and return for a touchdown less than a minute into the fourth quarter. It was his second interception of the game, but it was a play he felt he had to make because he had made a mistake on the play already.
"I thought the QB was past line of scrimmage so I was gonna try to come up to make a tackle, but he had thrown it and I was just thinking, 'I have to make this play because my man is behind me,'" Hill IV said. "If I don't make this play, it's gonna be bad. So then I just like locked in and just tried to get the ball and I got the ball and scored it."
Photo of Archbishop Hoban defensive back Elbert "Rock" Hill IV by Jeff Harwell
Senior kicker Ryan Burns made field goals of 35 and 38 yards and just missed one from 50 yards out. He had plenty of distance but missed it just inches to the right.
After defeating Frederick Douglass (Kentucky) in the opening weekend, this was the second defending state champion Hoban has beaten this season, with Glenville and St. Edward still remaining.
"I just think the biggest thing we can do going forward is we just have to stay focused," Tyrrell said. "And we can't let outside things start to bother us. They have to focus on each other, they have to focus on themselves and just kind of get better every week and not worry about everything else going on around them. I think that's a huge thing for us to keep going because it doesn't get easier."
-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh
