This Is No Drill

Hopkins, Rebels, amassing unprecedented air strike capability

Maryville’s Dylan Hopkins warms up on the sideline at a game this season. Photo by Jolanda Jansma

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

Seems a little thing. Then the ramifications kick in.

Maryville junior Dylan Hopkins, the Barley’s/Blount Press Row Player of the Week, completed touchdowns passes to four different receivers in the Rebels’ 56-34 win at Dobyns-Bennett on Friday. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Hopkins also ran for a score.

For the night, the major college prospect finished 16-of-24 passing for 231 yards with scoring throws to tight end Blake Watson (26 yards), receivers DaVon Kimble (25) and A.J. Davis (9) and running back Isaiah Cobb (18). Hopkins also rushed for 94 yards.

This time a year ago, Maryville wide out Kelby Brock was well on his way to demolishing the school’s records for receiving. In a semifinal win over Oakland at Shields Stadium, the now Mercer freshman badly injured his ankle. Brock played in the championship game the following week, but it just wasn’t there.

Hopkins, and Maryville by consequence, relied on Brock last season, which immediately begged the question once his playing days were done: Who would the Rebels turn to for big catches in 2016?

Answer: Put the whole squadron on alert.

Entering last week, Maryville had four players — junior Noah Humphreys (261), Watson (219), Kimble (181) and Christian Markham (148) — with 150 yards receiving. We’ll just go ahead and give Markham, 21.1 yards per catch, the 2 yards.

Each had a touchdown catch entering last week, Humphreys setting the pace with four. All told, seven Rebels had at least one touchdown receiving, the grabs by Davis and Cobb on Friday upping the number to nine.

Which would concern you more: one F-16 inbound, or a sky full of the things?