Hatboro-Horsham's Jaxson Bumpus finds great way to enjoy Senior Night

HORSHAM — Hatboro-Horsham senior Jaxson Bumpus found a great way to celebrate Senior Night — win a football game that may have secured a spot in the District One Class 5A playoffs.

Bumpus stepped into the breach in the second half, rushed for 83 of his 117 yards and was a stalwart at middle linebacker as the Hatters downed visiting Council Rock North, 21-7, in a nonleague game at Dennis Steinly Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

With the win, Hatboro-Horsham all but clinched a district playoff berth and Bumpus couldn’t have been happier.

“I feel amazing,” Bumpus said. “It’s unbelievable to think about how we were in the position we were the last couple of years and now we’re coming back. We might make the playoffs on my Senior Night. I’ve been playing football all my life and to have this all happen is just unreal.”

Where the Hatters were the last few years was a struggle to go through. Hatboro-Horsham’s last winning season was 2018 when the Hatters went 6-4. That was followed by a 2-8 mark in 2019. During Bumpus’ stint playing for Hatboro-Horsham, the Hatters were 1-21 coming into this season.

But with a new coaching staff led by 1991 Hatboro-Horsham graduate Tom Butts and former Hatters head coach Dave Sanderson, things are turning around.

More: Friday Night Highlights! Week 9 football scores, stats & recaps in Bucks County area

“It feels amazing,” Bumpus said. “Just the perseverance of all the guys just sticking through and the new staff coming in and really just building a bond and just building upon what we already had and just extending our talents and making us great.”

Hatboro-Horsham (5-4 overall) isn’t quite at the great stage yet. But the Hatters looked good in beating CR North (2-7).

Junior fullback Kayden Collazo paced the ground game in the first half with 99 yards on 13 carries and a pair of touchdowns. But he was injured late in the half and Bumpus was called on to step up. He carried the ball 13 times for 83 yards and a touchdown in the second half and helped keep the ball away from the North offense.

Bumpus also stood out at middle linebacker. He led his teammates on the defensive side of the ball in holding the North to 97 yards rushing and 47 yards passing. The opponents had the ball for just 12 plays in the second half.

“He’s fantastic,” Butts said of Bumpus. “He’s the leader of our defense and that’s his role for us most of the time. When Kayden went down, we kind of leaned on him. We’d like to have a two-headed monster at fullback if we could, but obviously when you get injuries, you just have to go next man up.”

Bumpus is happy to do it.

More: As the high school football season winds down, we attempt to pick the winners for Week 9

Game balls

• Kayden Collazo, Hatboro-Horsham fullback. Before getting injured late in the second quarter, Collazo rushed for 99 yards and scored on touchdown runs of five yards in the first quarter and two yards in the second quarter to give the Hatters a 14-7 lead.

• Mason Bynum, Hatboro-Horsham running back/cornerback. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound junior intercepted North quarterback Gio Cozza on North’s third play of the game, rushed for 38 yards on 13 carries and caught the Hatters lone pass completion for 12 yards, which helped set up Hatboro-Horsham’s final touchdown.

• Grant Capozolli, Council Rock North receiver. With 5 minutes, 54 seconds left in the second quarter, the 6-2, 165-pound junior was wide open in the left side of the end zone and caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Gio Cozza to tie the game at 7-7.

More: Pa. high school football scores: Week 9 statewide scoreboard

What it means

After getting trounced by Bensalem 52-20 last week, Hatboro-Horsham rebounded with a win that might have clinched the Hatters a District One Class 5A playoff berth. The top 16 teams go to the playoffs and Hatboro-Horsham is currently 13th in the district power rankings. The Hatters end the regular season next week with a nonleague game at District 3 Class 4A power Twin Valley, a 54-7 winner over Daniel Boone on Friday night.

North closes out the season next week with a game against archrival Council Rock South. South is currently ranked 10th in District One Class 6A and is 6-3. South beat Bensalem Friday night, 24-0. Anything can happen in this backyard brawl.

Key play

Midway through the first quarter, Hatboro-Horsham defensive tackle Stephen Stunder recovered a fumble at the Council Rock North 45-yard line. Kayden Collazo carried on five of the next six plays and scored the Hatters’ first touchdown with 3:10 left in the quarter. Stunder also stood out at left guard.

They said it

“We told them at the beginning of year in our very first meeting with the kids that our goal, since we don’t have a league championship to play for, was to make the playoffs,” Butts said. “Some of them looked at us like we were a little crazy, but they all bought in. They all believed. They’re just such a great group of kids to work with. Plus the seniors — I’m just really happy for them.”

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Hatboro-Horsham gets win on Senior Night, could clinch a playoff spot