Key player’s injury puts Lions in a tailspin

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It was all going well for the Horace Mann Lions nearly halfway through the second quarter of their game against the Hopkins Hilltoppers.

 The Lions were holding a 10-point lead, sparked by the return of their starting quarterback Marc Murphy, who missed the previous two games as he recovered from a concussion. Murphy was running rampant on Hopkins’ defense, highlighted by a 30-yard touchdown run which gave the Lions a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. But that was the last snap Murphy would take in the game. And following the contest, the news got worse for Murphy and the Lions as Horace Mann head coach Matt Russo announced it was also the last snap Murphy would take all season.

Murphy picked up his second concussion in four weeks during the first quarter of the game, leading Russo to shut Murphy down for the rest of the season and with their starting quarterback out of the game, the Lions struggled offensively, and ultimately dropped the contest, 26-10, to Hopkins.

“I think the kids know what [Murphy] means to this team, and they get a little deflated,” Russo said. “Especially that it’s his second one in four weeks, so I think everyone just kind of got caught off guard.”

Murphy admitted he had a headache during the first quarter, but tried to play through it. The headache got worse, and after his 30-yard touchdown run, Murphy told the coaching staff he could not go any longer. Having already dealt with a concussion after the first game of the season, Russo decided he would no longer put his quarterback’s health in jeopardy.

“We’re at Horace Mann. I’m not sending kids to D1 [a Division I college football program],” Russo said. “It’s about keeping these kids safe and giving them a good experience. With that said, we have to protect our kids. Marc’s one of them.”

If Murphy, a junior, can recover, he would still have his senior season left to play. His year of remaining eligibility made the decision of shutting him down much easier for both Russo and Murphy.

“It’s very sad for me, but I have another year after this one,” Murphy said. “I’d rather be healthy in the long run then get another head injury and get messed up for life.”

With Murphy out for the rest of the season, Dillon Holder will take over the reins at quarterback.

Holder came into the game against Hopkins with six minutes remaining in the second quarter, but could not keep Horace Mann’s offensive efficiency going. With Holder at quarterback, the Lions failed to score for the rest of the game. To start the third quarter, Holder fumbled, leading to a Hopkins touchdown that gave the Hilltoppers a 13-10 lead.

“We were confident we were going to come out and move the ball, so definitely I think I let us down with that fumble,” said Holder, who also threw an interception in the game. “Today I had three turnovers, so I have to fix that,” Holder said.

Afterwards, Russo shouldered the blame for Horace Mann’s struggles on the offensive end after Murphy’s exit.

“It’s all on me,” Russo said. “I’m very comfortable with a system where you’ve got a guy like [Murphy] and you can do good things with it. When we lose that dynamic of an athlete, I’m just not well versed enough to really make up for it. But I’ve got a couple weeks here to do my homework.”

Russo will have a bye week this weekend to implement a system that suits Holder’s strengths.

“I’m very comfortable with [Holder],” Russo said. “It’s more me to be honest. Dillon’s a traditional quarterback and I’m not used to running a system with a traditional quarterback. But we definitely have some time to make it work.”

After Hopkins took a 13-10 lead on Jake Moscarelli’s second rushing touchdown of the game, the Hilltoppers kept their offensive strategy simple: give Moscarelli the ball. He would add two more rushing touchdowns in the game and the Hilltoppers’ defense dominated Horace Mann in a 26-10 win.

“I just think it’s such an energetic game,” Russo said, “And if you lose that energy it just changes the whole complexion of the game.”

The Lions were saddened to hear that Murphy would be out of the game, but the news hit them even harder after the game, when Russo gathered the team in front of parents and fans, and announced that Murphy’s season was over.

“I’m just concerned for him and his health,” Holder said. “I’m just hoping he gets better. We’re all just hoping he’s able to recover fully.”

Murphy will continue to attend his team’s games, and believes they can still have championship aspirations even without him.

“I’ll be at every game, supporting them on the sidelines and cheering,” Murphy said. “The usual.”

Horace Mann Lions, Hopkins Hilltoppers, Daniel Ynfante

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