Hopkinson earns postseason nod

Boulder City High School junior quarterback Gage Hopkinson will represent the school’s football program on the All-Southern Nevada team, comprised of the state’s top players.

It’s the first time since 2018 an Eagle has received that honor.

“I’m beyond honored to be selected for the All-Southern Nevada team,” Hopkinson said. “It is something I will cherish forever. I could not have done it without the help of my team and coaches.”

An honor usually designated for 5A and 4A players, Hopkinson was named an honorable mention selection, representing the 3A classification as one of only eight players selected to the 113-player list.

“I couldn’t be happier for him,” head coach Bubba Mariani said. “He played great this season and deserved this honor. I’m happy he was recognized because that’s our goal here. We want people to know that we play football at Boulder City.”

Leading the Eagles playoff charge, Hopkinson completed 168 of 286 passing (58.7%) for 2,356 yards and 23 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions.

A true dual-threat, Hopkinson played a major role in the Eagles 7-3 campaign, which included a playoff victory, rushing for 427 yards and seven touchdowns on 96 attempts.

“Our offense ran through Gage, literally,” Mariani said. “Any time we needed a play, he stepped up for up us. Obviously his job is to throw the ball, but he’s so instinctive and knew exactly when to run it and pick up yards. Out of all his carries, maybe 30 were designed runs. Gage just has a feel for the game and a knack for gaining positive yards.”

A true student of the game, Hopkinson also started on defense for the Eagles during the postseason, tallying nine tackles through a pair of games, while picking off a pair of passes in the Eagles’ opening round victory over Mater East.

Due to the importance of keeping their quarterback fresh, Hopkinson made his way onto the field sparingly defensively, because of his knowledge of the Eagles scheme, despite not practicing with the team’s defense.

“Gage is definitely our most football player, football player,” Mariani said. “He watched and understood what our defense was doing in practice, despite not practicing with our defense and wanted to help. That’s just who he is, he has a football mind. Come the end of the season, we made the decision that it would be beneficial to play him both ways in win-or-go-home games.”

A star quarterback, dual-threat athlete, potential two-way player and now All-Southern Nevada team selection, Hopkinson has a junior campaign for the books. He’ll now look to provide an encore as a senior.

“This season was one for the books,” Hopkinson said. “I’m heavily looking forward to next year. I think it will be a very successful year and I have very high hopes. I cannot wait to show everyone what Boulder City is made of.”

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.