Hopewell and Butler squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but Hopewell had to settle for second. They took a hard 42-28 fall against the Bulldogs. While losing is never fun, the Titans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 182nd, while the Bulldogs are ranked 45th).
When it comes to explaining why Hopewell lost, don't look at Zac Jones. Despite the final result, he rushed for 214 yards and three TDs while picking up 11.3 yards per carry. Another back making a difference was Kareem Marshall, who rushed for 87 yards and one touchdown on only six carries.
DeMaurion Thomas-Wright was his usual excellent self, rushing for 90 yards and a pair of scores for Butler. Thomas-Wright also punched in two rushing touchdowns, which is notable because the Bulldogs are undefeated when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 1-6 otherwise. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Dj Starling, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
This is the second loss in a row for Hopewell and nudges their season record down to 4-7. As for Butler, the win snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 5-6 record.
Hopewell does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Butler, they are taking a road trip to take on Mooresville at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Bulldogs' defense better be ready for this one: the Blue Devils have averaged an impressive 28.7 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
