“Something needed to be done,” HHS senior linebacker Jason Tendam said. “In the first half, there was a lot of I, I, I things that were going on on the field. Once it got into halftime, I just said, ‘It’s no more I or him. It’s us as a unit. It’s us as an entire team.’
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“We came together and finally put things together. It was really good to see (my) teammates after the game in the locker room just very excited.”
Sophomore quarterback Khaliyal Sowell had a breakout performance with 220 passing/rushing yards and two touchdowns, helping Hamilton win its Greater Miami Conference opener.
“That was definitely a needed one for all of us,” Big Blue coach Chad Murphy said. “We’ve got to start faster, and that’s a mentality. But I really liked how our kids responded and finished the game.”
A Friday night trip to Mason is up next for HHS, with the Comets coming off a 21-7 loss to Sycamore after defeating Springboro and Withrow.
Mason hasn’t lost to Big Blue since 2010, but Comets coach Brian Castner is taking Hamilton very seriously.
“We’ve never played a Hamilton team that doesn’t hit hard,” Castner said. “I’ve said it for the last year or two — I think Chad does a really good job. I’m not a blowhard. I’m not saying that just to give you words for your article. I’m a fan of Chad.
“They’re bigger than us, especially defensively in the middle. They’ve got some big cats, and then they’ve got speed on the edge. I’ll be interested to see how that first quarter goes. They’re coming off a big win and we’re coming off a loss, so I think it’ll be a big test to see how we attack Friday night.
“Our whole motto this week was to spit. I want to get this bad taste out of our mouths as soon as possible.”
Mason has three senior college commits — running back Matt Sora (Indiana State), offensive tackle Eric Miller (Purdue) and tight end Christian Hutchinson (Navy). The Comets use a pistol spread offense and a 4-2-5 defense.
Castner said his team wasn’t very efficient offensively against unbeaten Sycamore.
“We were inside the red zone three different times and came away with no points in the first half,” Castner said. “Now that’s a testament to their defense because they’ve got seven returning starters, but it’s also on us to take care of business in the red zone.”
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Sora has 243 yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries. Senior Will Adams is the starting quarterback, though classmate Jake Harris has seen action as well. They’ve combined for 401 yards and three TDs through the air.
Senior linebacker Jake Bracher heads the defense.
“He’s a captain and represents Mason exactly how I want him to represent it,” Castner said. “He takes a lot on his shoulders. He wants that defense to be his defense.”
Mason’s “D” will have to deal with a Big Blue offense that’s coming off a 423-yard ground effort between Maleek Jarrett (25 carries, 145 yards), Sowell (12 carries, 147 yards) and Johnny Jones (eight carries, 131 yards). Zach Reese is also returning from an injury this week.
Jones is usually a wide receiver.
“He’s a guy that played running back in his younger years. We’re just trying to get him the amount of touches he needs,” Murphy said. “The easiest way to get it to him is handing it off to him. His speed is a good changeup to Maleek, who’s been pounding the ball in between the tackles.”
Friday’s game
What: Hamilton (1-2, 1-0 GMC) at Mason (2-1, 0-1 GMC), 7 p.m.
Where: Dwire Field at Atrium Stadium, 6100 S. Mason Montgomery Road, Mason
Last year: Mason won 34-14
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