Blue Jays extend winning streak to nine straight over McDaniel with 38-14 win

WESTMINSTER, Md. - Hewitt Thomlin recorded his second collegiate 300-yard passing day, completing 26 of 45 passes for 301 in Johns Hopkins' 38-14 victory over McDaniel in Centennial Conference (CC) football action on Saturday.

The Blue Jays (8-2, 7-1 CC) racked up 425 yards of total offense and held the ball for more than 35 minutes to notch their ninth straight victory over the Green Terror (5-5, 3-5 CC) and wrap up their fifth CC championship. By virtue of a 35-32 Ursinus victory over Dickinson, Johns Hopkins claims the outright title and will make their second NCAA tournament appearance.

Tom Massucci (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) finished with 162 yards, completing just eight of his 26 pass attempts to finish his sophomore campaign with 2,000 yards passing, becoming the third different signal caller in program history to throw for 2,000 yards in a season, joining all-time greats Brian Van Deusen and Ron Sermarini.

Matt Cahill (Broomall, Pa./Haverford Twp.) finished his senior season with 173 all-purpose yards, including 88 receiving and an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He caught McDaniel's only other score - a 55-yard strike with 12.8 seconds left in the first quarter.

On the Blue Jays' first possession, Tomlin marched his offense 63 yards on 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead with 10:45 to play in the first quarter. Tomlin found Scott Cremens for a 10-yard touchdown on third-and-goal to cap the drive.

Taking over at his own 25 with 2:23 to play, Massucci found Cahill for an 11-yard gain.

After two Ray O'Hara (Yardley, Pa./Conwell-Egan Catholic) carries took the ball to the 45, McDaniel was forced to take a timeout with 22.8 seconds remaining and the play clock running down.

Out of the stoppage, Massucci found a wide-open Cahill in stride on a play-action pass to even the game.

An interception gave Johns Hopkins the ball at the Green Terror 12. Three Andrew Kase runs for four yards apiece put the Blue Jays back in front by seven with 10:04 to play in the first half.

McDaniel had Johns Hopkins stopped on a three-and-out deep in its own end late in the second quarter but a roughing the punter call gave the Blue Jays a first down and preserved the drive.

Facing second down in the red zone 11 plays later, Tomlin found Tucker Michels for a screen pass that the receiver took 13 yards to the pylon for a score with 36.2 seconds on the clock, giving Johns Hopkins a 21-7 lead at the break.

After no score in the third quarter, the Blue Jays needed just four plays to go 44 yards and take a 28-7 lead with 12:16 to play in the contest.

On its next possession, Johns Hopkins used 14 plays to eat up 5 minutes, 16 seconds before Alex Lachman converted a 21-yard field goal for a 31-7 lead with 5:58 to play.

A Mike Milano 42-yard interception return for a touchdown stretched the lead to 38-7 with 1:21 to play but Cahill returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards to give him a special teams touchdown in each of the last two games against the Blue Jays.

Seniors Travis Wenrich (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser), Patrick Desmond (Frederick, Md./Frederick) and Mike Weick (Holland, Pa./Penn Charter) all finished their careers with double-digit tackles. Wenrich led the squad with 15 tackles while Desmond and Weick had 12 and 10, respectively.

Desmond also had an interception - his first of the season.

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