Hodgson’s 28-23 victory over Cape Sept. 28 is proof positive all three phases of the game matter and that football is indeed a game of inches played on a field spanning thousands of them.

“That was a tough one for our kids – somebody had to lose that one,” said Cape coach Mike Frederick. “That was a good high school football game. It shows that the game is still all areas of the game – it's offense, defense and special teams.”

The Silver Eagles took the field with a banner that promised to end Cape’s three-game win streak. Their confidence was justified on the first play – a Brysheem Davis kick return for a touchdown. It was the only score of the opening quarter.

Defensively, the Vikings remained stout, forcing Hodgson to turn the ball over on downs following a long drive to start the second that featured one touchdown called back on a holding call. Cape used the momentum to march down the field, thanks in large part to Jameson Tingle finding Amari Jackson in the middle of the field for a big gain. Tingle nearly punched the ball in on a scramble but had to wait for the next play, a quarterback sneak, to tie the game 7-7.

Kicker Trent Kauffman was under strict orders to avoid Davis on the kickoff, but the Hodgson playmaker switched with his other return man at the last second to field a squib and take it to the house for the Silver Eagles' second touchdown. 

“They're good on the perimeter, and you saw some of their explosiveness,” Frederick said. “We were aware of it and concerned about it. But, sometimes they just out-execute you.”

Cape’s special teams did not appreciate the sequel and responded in kind when Hodgson kicked off. One of the Vikings’ playmakers, Jayden Messick, fielded the ball, saw a seam, and nearly went untouched into the end zone to help produce the 14-14 halftime score.

Hodgson picked the ball off on the Vikings' opening drive of the second half and drove down the field to score on a Jace Hawkins touchdown. Cape responded with a field goal before recovering an onside kick to maintain possession. Following both teams turning the ball over on downs and a Cape punt, the Vikings' defense breathed life into its team with a goal-line stand.

Unfortunately, the Vikings failed to convert a fourth down, leading to a short field for the Silver Eagles and another Hodgson touchdown.

Trailing 28-17, Messick nearly took another kickoff to the house, but needed to settle for an offensive touchdown. Tingle spotted Messick calling for the ball in the corner of the end zone a few plays later. The sophomore unleashed an accurate ball, but one that sailed toward the sidelines. Messick remained composed with two defenders closing in, extended out, caught the ball, touched his foot down, and made it 28-23.

A quick stop on defense put the ball back in the Vikings’ hands. Tingle relied on Messick again to gain chunk yards before hitting Quardell Richards on a crossing pattern. Richards picked up more than 20 yards on the play but was stopped just short of getting out of bounds to truly stop the clock. 

“Jameson has a really good handle on the offense, so there down the stretch, he was calling his own stuff and getting them lined up – we were helping him when we could – but he knows that kind of two-minute drill,” Frederick said. “He's explosive with his legs and his arm, and he just did a really nice job. He's always calm under pressure, so you never feel like you're out of it.”

The ball was set with mere seconds left and the clock began moving as soon as the officials were set. Tingle spiked the ball believing there was one second left, but the refs concluded that time had run out.

“On the road, in 3A, you really want to have a chance to win at the end, and we did,” Frederick said. 

Cape (3-1) will welcome Saint Mark’s (3-1) for the homecoming game. The kickoff is set for 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4.