ATHENS, Texas – Late turnovers in the final minutes destroyed the chances of Blinn College football holding on for a victory as No. 11 Trinity Valley Community College scored 19 straight points to steal a 36-28 victory Saturday night in Athens.
With the loss, the Buccaneers fall to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference.
Blinn came out looking strong as D’Anthony Hopkins scored the first touchdown of the game with a four-yard rush to give the Buccaneers a 7-0 lead with 3:35 left in the first. After a Trinity Valley field goal early in the second quarter, Blinn tacked on another touchdown on a connection from Caleb Hill to Tre’veon Hamilton for 49 yards and a 14-3 lead with 13:23 left in the half.
Trinity Valley would score 14 straight points to close out the half to claim a 17-14 lead at the break.
Blinn was able to strike first in the second half when Hill tossed his second touchdown of the game, this time to Brandon Hower for 57 yards to give the Buccaneers a 21-17 lead with 4:03 left in the third.
The Blinn lead expanded when Hopkins crossed into the end zone again, this time from 19 yards out to give the Buccaneers a 28-17 lead with 13:13 left in the game. Unfortunately for Blinn, that would be the final points scored in the game as Trinity Valley took advantage of some late Blinn turnovers to score 19 consecutive points to end up with the 36-28 victory.
Blinn will look to bounce back after two consecutive road losses with a home game against Kilgore College on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.
The football game against Kilgore will be Blinn’s Adam’s Angels fundraiser game, with proceeds benefitting Adam’s Angels Ministry, a nonprofit organization founded by Donna and Tim Culliver of Brenham as a way to reach out to families that have been affected by childhood cancer. All monetary donations and fundraising proceeds raised from Saturday’s game will allow Adam’s Angels to assist families with living expenses, fuel costs, medical parking and meal vouchers. For more information, visit www.adamsangelsministry.org.
