CUMBERLAND, Md. -- The Johns Hopkins football team went 32 years without winning a championship. Once the Blue Jays captured a share of the 2002 Centennial Conference title with a 27-7 win over McDaniel last Saturday, they weren't about to wait that long again. This time, the wait lasted just a week as Hopkins jumped out to an 18-7 halftime lead and held off a furious rally by host Frostburg to claim a 24-21 win in the 2002 ECAC Southwest Championship Game. The win is the fourth straight for the Blue Jays, who end the season with a 9-2 record. The Bobcats end the year at 6-5.

Hopkins took control of the game early behind a bruising running game and efficient passing by junior quarterback George Merrell (Bloomsburg, PA/Central Columbia). The Blue Jays capped their opening drive with a 32-yard field goal by junior Chris Smolyn (Randolph, NJ/Lenape Valley) less than four minutes into the game to take a 3-0 lead. After exchanging possessions, the Blue Jays put together the first of their three touchdown drives on the day. Merrell capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run less than a minute into the second half. Freshman holder Steve Eno (El Segundo, CA/El Segundo) completed the ensuing two-point conversion pass to junior Jason Lehman (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central), who was left uncovered on Hopkins' swinging gate formation on the extra point, to push the lead to 11-0.

Frostburg, which entered the game averaging over 33 points and 440 yards per game, needed less than two minutes to pull within 11-7 as the 'Cats drove 65 yards in six plays to get back in the game. Junior quarterback Grant Burrough's (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) six-yard touchdown pass to senior Tim Wilkins (Baltimore, MD/Mervo) capped the drive.

The Blue Jays pushed the lead to 18-7 with 6:29 remaining in the second quarter when Merrell threw the first of his two touchdown passes on the day to Lehman. Merrell was 5-of-6 for 57 yards on the drive, which covered 58 yards in nine plays and took 3:31 off the clock.

Frostburg had a chance to close the gap just before halftime as the Bobcats drove deep into Hopkins territory. However, senior cornerback Mark Robinson (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) intercepted a Burrough pass inside the five-yard line and the Blue Jays ran out the last 43 seconds of the first half to take the 18-7 lead into the locker room.

Hopkins took the opening possession of the second half and quickly drove 56 yards in six plays to the end zone. Merrell threw a 10-yard scoring pass to sophomore Brian Wolcott (Harding, PA/Wyoming Area) to account for the scoring. Eno had a key 18-yard reception on the drive and freshman running back T.J. Lyons (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) had a 22-yard run to the Frostburg 10-yard line two plays before Merrell's touchdown pass to Wolcott.

The score remained 24-7 until the fourth quarter, when Frostburg rallied. A 14-yard touchdown pass from Burrough to sophomore Adam Snyder (Scottdale, PA/South Moreland) made it 24-14 with 11:11 to play and a 21-yard touchdown pass from Burrough to junior Roy Olson (Lexington Park, MD/Great Mills) with 18 seconds remaining made it 24-21. However, junior defensive back Jonas Nelson (East Berlin, PA/Spring Grove) covered the ensuing onsides kick and Merrell took a knee on the final play of the game to give Hopkins the victory in its first-ever playoff football game.

Merrell earned the game MVP award as he was 17-of-33 for 190 yards with the two touchdowns against two interceptions. He also rushed for 21 yards and the other score. Lyons led a Johns Hopkins ground game that churned out 213 yards on the day as he rushed 19 times for a game-high 112 yards. Sophomore Adam Cook (New Freedom, PA/Susquehannock) rushed six times for 24 yards and, in the process, became the 19th player in school history to reach 1,000 career rushing yards. He now has 1,007. Cook had a solid all-around game as he piled up 167 all-purpose yards (24 rushing / 31 receiving / 51 on punt returns / 61 on kickoff returns). Wolcott had five receptions for 58 yards and the one TD, while Eno added four receptions for 43 yards.

Burrough was 24-of-52 for 288 yards and the three touchdowns against one interception, while Snyder had game-highs of eight receptions for 88 yards and the one score. However, the Bobcats managed just 53 yards rushing on 23 attempts and the Blue Jays held the ball for over 38 minutes to control the game.

The Johns Hopkins defense held the Bobcats 12 points and 100 yards below its season averages and Frostburg converted just 3-of-17 third-down opportunities. Senior Mike Little (Red Bank, NJ/Middletown South), who had six tackles, one pass breakup and was in on a sack in the victory led the Blue Jay defense.

The win brings to a close the most successful season in Johns Hopkins football history. The nine wins for the Blue Jays are a school record, breaking the previous record of seven wins in a season set eight times. The Blue Jays are also now 11-2 in their last 13 games dating back to last season and 15-5 in their last 20 since the beginning of the 2001 season. In addition, the Blue Jays captured a share of their first-ever Centennial Conference title and won the first playoff game in school history.

Jim Margraff reached yet another milestone with the victory, as it was his 75th as head coach of the Blue Jays. He is now 75-52-3 (.588) since taking over in 1990. Hopkins' four-game winning streak to close the season is the longest season-ending winning streak for a Johns Hopkins team since 1981, when then senior quarterback Jim Margraff guided the Blue Jays to a 7-2 record and a six-game winning streak to close the year.

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