Fans packed the Mt. Hope High School stadium Friday, Oct. 26 as they cheered on their Division II Huskies varsity football team to an easy 47-0 victory over the Juanita/Wheeler/PCD Football Co-op Knights and crowned this year’s Homecoming King and Queen.

The Huskies’ domination of the scoreboard began less than a minute into the start of the game, when, following junior Benjamin Ferreira’s fumble recovery near the Knight’s goal line, junior Jalen Kopecky burst through the middle for a ten-yard touchdown run. Before the quarter was up, Mt. Hope would strike twice within a fifteen-second time span. After sophomore Jordan Pompey threw a twelve-yard touchdown pass to senior Cameron Rancourt deep into the endzone, plus a successful two-point conversion attempt, senior Kyle Dias recovered the second Juanita/Wheeler/PCD fumble of the night to put the ball right back in the Huskies’ possession. Senior Anthony Bernardo was wide open for Pompey around the ten-yard line, dodging two tackles as he ran the ball in to make it 20-0.

It was clear that the Huskies weren’t going to show the Knights—who had already given up 315 points this season, before Friday’s matchup—any mercy.

“I know they’re 0-6, but you just got to keep doing what you’re doing; you can’t stop,” said Kopecky.

Kopecky and his teammates would prove that they simply couldn’t be stopped; within the second quarter’s opening moments, Pompey launched a 27-yd pass to Bernardo for his second touchdown of the night. A 17-yd pass to senior Caedin Pacheco made it 32-0 by halftime.

Still, there was plenty more to be celebrated; following the crowning of Cody Moniz and Yvonne Ramos as the 2018 Homecoming King and Queen, the Huskies returned to the field still hungry for more. Junior Isaac Hart made it 38-0 with a three-yard touchdown run, and senior Zachery DaCosta was able to kick his first field goal of the night. Freshman Aidan Ramaglia, replacing Pompey as quarterback for the remainder of the evening, handed off the ball to sophomore AJ Brooks for a two-yard touchdown run before capitalizing on another two-point conversion effort to make it a final 47-0.

“I’m pleased with the way we played, and I’m happy for our seniors, especially, to get a win like this on Homecoming night and on Senior night,” said head coach TJ DelSanto.

The win improved the Huskies overall record to 5-3, but with the upcoming playoff game against the East Greenwich Avengers, all eyes are already focused ahead. In preparation, Mr. DelSanto plans to watch as much film as possible to develop a strategy that will lead his players to victory against a team they weren’t able to see during the regular season.

“We’ll keep going as far as we can,” he said.

Mt. Hope will face off against the Avengers at East Greenwich this Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 pm.