FOOTBALL
By: John E. Powers
Two years ago, there was the rebirth of the Hopewell Valley Central High School football team.
Then last Oct. 17, there was the milestone first win against West Windsor-Plainsboro North. And now, not even three years into the new program, the Bulldogs have earned at least a share of a divisional championship.
Saturday afternoon at Timberlane Middle School, the Bulldogs knocked off Ewing 34-21 to lift their overall record to 3-4. They also improved their Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division record to 3-1. West Windsor-Plainsboro North opened the season with a 34-20 loss to Ewing Sept. 8, but beat Hopewell Valley 13-7 the next week. North finishes its season with a divisional game at Allentown Nov. 17.
"I think this validates all the work the players have done and the coaches," said third-year head coach Dave Caldwell. "The kids were really, really excited about winning the game. It’s really a great thing for our program."
They did it the hard way.
The Bulldogs trailed 7-0, rallied to take leads of 13-7, then 20-7 lead, but saw that dissipate into a 21-20 Ewing advantage after three quarters. But the Bulldogs came back to score 14 in the fourth quarter to win.
"It feels great," said senior quarterback Drew Barnabei. "It’s amazing. We had our goals, and of course one of them is to make the (Central Jersey Group II playoffs), but to win a division is special."
Sophomore running back Chris Womack, who ran for 92 yards on 26 carries, scored three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead for good. Steve Giovacchini hit a 26-yard field goal for Hopewell Valley’s first points of the day with 12 seconds left in the first quarter, then added a school-record 46-yarder with one second left in the half to give the Bulldogs a 13-7 lead.
Hopewell pushed the lead to 20-7 on Womack’s first touchdown of the day at 9:41 of the third quarter, but Ewing closed the gap on Matt Musick’s 4-yard run. Ewing went ahead on the last play of the third quarter when Musick intercepted a Drew Barnabei pass and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown.
"It was mis-read on my part," Barnabei said. "I didn’t see the outside linebacker."
But he made up for it in the fourth quarter, directing the Bulldogs to two drives that ended in short Womack runs.
"I knew the offense needed to score; it all came together and we put a drive together," the quarterback said.
"It just seemed like we were clicking," he added. "Everybody was doing their job and we minimized our mistakes."
Barnabei threw for 195 yards, throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Judah Mathaney in the second quarter. Mathaney, who picked off one Ewing pass on defense, caught three passes for 113 yards on offense.
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The challenge will be strikingly different this Saturday when the Bulldogs play at 3-3 Nottingham. The North Stars, who are ninth in the Central Jersey Group III playoff race, were beaten by Lawrence 58-7 two weeks ago. They were off last weekend.
Hopewell didn’t play Nottingham last year, but the Bulldogs lost to the Stars 27-6 in the second game of the 2004 season.
"It’s going to be a tough game," Barnabei said.

