Game Stats
BALTIMORE, MD (Sept. 11) - Senior running back Adam Gentile (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns and Johns Hopkins pounded out 264 yards on the ground as the Blue Jays knocked off visiting Washington & Lee, 31-14 in the season-opener for both teams. The win is the third straight season-opening win for Hopkins against the Generals and improves the Blue Jays' home record to 13-3 since 1996. In addition, JHU has now won three straight season-openers for the first time since 1967-69. The Blue Jays jumped to a quick 10-0 lead as Marc Della Pia (West Caldwell, NJ/West Caldwell) scored on a 56-yard blocked punt return and Matt Andrade (Wyoming, DE/Caesar Rodney) kicked a 25-yard field goal to stake Hopkins to a 10-point lead just 9:19 into the game. Senior Justin Kamm (Warren, NJ/Immaculata) blocked Doug Williams' punt after the Blue Jays had stopped the Generals on their opening drive and Della Pia picked up the loose ball and raced untouched into the end zone.
The Generals, who out-gained the Blue Jays, 412-373 pulled within 10-7 on a 22-yard run by Marc Watson (Marietta, GA/Walton) as the first quarter expired. Watson gained 102 yards on the day and provided the perfect complement to senior quarterback Christian Batcheller (Stuart, VA/Patrick County), who passed for 255 yards on the day.
The Blue Jays took control of the game with a pair of long scoring drive to push the lead to 24-7. Gentile's 11-yard run capped an 11-play, 91-yard drive to push the lead to 17-7 with 4:33 remaining in the first half and Will Cairns (Bridgeville, PA/Chartiers Valley) caught a five-yard TD pass from sophomore quarterback Rob Heleniak (Philadelphia, PA/Germantown Academy) to finish off an 11-play, 73-yard drive early in the third quarter to give Hopkins the 17-point lead.
The team's traded touchdowns in the final 16 minutes of the game to account for the final scoring, with Gentile's two-yard run with 12:53 remaining providing the final margin of victory. Scott Moses (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop) scored on a seven-yard run for W&L which had made it 24-14 before Gentile's final score.
The 180-yard effort helped Gentile move into third place on the all-time Johns Hopkins rushing list. He now has 2,137 career rushing yards and needs just 108 yards to move into second place on the all-time rushing list at Hopkins. In addition, his two rushing touchdowns improve his career total to 18, leaving him just one shy of fourth place on the all-time list at Hopkins.
Batcheller completed 23-of-34 for the 255 yards, but the Blue Jay defense came up with two key interceptions to halt the Generals deep in Hopkins territory. Kamm stopped one drive with an interception in the end zone and Della Pia picked off another at the Blue Jay 24-yard line.
Washington & Lee14
Johns Hopkins31
