Hubbard Edges Wilmington 28-21
Tagged under: District 10, Game Photos-Videos, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
Shane Lux | August 30, 2025
New Wilmington – Mike Hazimihalis’ 9-yard touchdown run with 9:12 to play proved the difference in Hubbard’s 28-21 win over Wilmington Friday night.
Last season, the Greyhounds traveled to Hubbard and were beaten by the mercy rule, 39-7. It was a different story in 2025.
“Last year was a pretty lopsided affair. We were never really able to get things going,” said Wilmington head coach Brandon Phillian. “Yeah, we were able to go, blow by blow, punch by punch, there. A few things didn’t go our way, but credit to Hubbard; they’re a much bigger school. I mean, you look at the sideline, it’s a big school. I think the fact that we competed with these guys the way that we did definitely bodes well for us moving forward. But that being said, my heart aches for our boys; I couldn’t be more proud of the fight, the grit, and the determination they showed tonight.”
Though the Greyhounds tasted defeat, Wilmington showed plenty of fight and promise as they went toe-to-toe with the Eagles, which would be one of Pennsylvania’s biggest AAA programs if they were in the Keystone State.
“Yeah, there’s definitely positive takeaways,” said Phillian, “I think to start with, I’m most proud of the way that the boys fought. I’m most proud of the way that the boys competed tonight. You know, in crunch time, they battled all the way to the end. Got a big stop on defense, had a shot there. Ultimately, we gave ourselves a chance with a big completion. I’m really proud of the way the boys competed. I feel that we’re a better team now at the end of the game than we were at the start. It’s a high-character group, you know, really proud of the leaders on this team.”
The Greyhounds amassed 344 yards of total offense, including 305 on the ground, but couldn’t get the final 13 needed to force overtime or perhaps go for the win. Trailing by seven in the final minute, Wilmington faced a 4th-and-12 at the Eagles’ 24-yard line.
Quarterback Wesley Vass-Gal scrambled out of the pocket, but could gain only nine yards, turning the ball over on downs in the final seconds.
It was the second big defensive stop of the quarter for Hubbard, who turned away the ‘Hounds on a 4th-and-3 at their 12-yard line with 3:56 to play.
Wilmington got the football back with 1:31 on the clock at their 43-yard line, where Vass-Gal completed a 39-yard pass to Freddie Zehetner, giving them a shot at pulling even, only to see the Eagles’ defense rise to pull out the victory.
Hubbard had taken a 28-21 lead when Mike Hazimihalis scored his third touchdown of the night on a 9-yard run with 9:12 to play following a 77-yard drive.
Less than two minutes prior, Wesley Vass-Gal’s 1-yard run had tied the game at 21. Chase Mitcheltree had a 57-yard gain on the fourth quarter’s opening snap to the Eagles’ 2-yard line.
Not surprisingly, Mitcheltree had another big game for the Greyhounds, rushing for a game-high 142 yards on 19 carries.
His 5-yard touchdown run had tied the game at 14 late in the first half, succeeding an 11-play 57-yard drive with 2:26 on the clock.
Wilmington took the football to begin the game and ate up nearly seven minutes of game clock, but turned the ball over on downs when Zehetner was stopped for a 5-yard loss on 4th down at the Eagles’ 29-yard line.
The Eagles then methodically marched down the field and eventually opened the scoring early in the second quarter when Braydon Songer connected with Hazimihalis on a 7-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal.
On the next play from scrimmage, Rowan Miller ran a keeper 48 yards for a touchdown, before Hazimihalis answered with an 18-yard run following a 63-yard drive, giving Hubbard a 14-7 advantage.
Miller rushed for 73 yards on ten carries, while Cam Kettering added 32 yards, with Zehetner chipping in with 48 yards.
“You know, for us, running the wing T offense. It always starts with the big boys up front on the offensive line, Phillian said. “I thought they were solid all night long up front tonight. I thought our backs did a great job. The vast majority of carries, they were always falling forward. I felt that very few times, the first contact brought them down. I thought they did a great job with yards after contact.”
Mike Hazimihalis finished the night with six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown, while rushing nine times for 52 yards and a pair of scores.
“Oh man, it feels good, feels great. Man, all that preparation in the week. All that film. Paid off tonight, paid off tonight,” he said. “I watched hours of film this week, ran my keys, paid attention, practiced, and was focused all week long. For this game, I knew they were tough up front. They wanted to run the ball until you could stop it, and that’s what they did. I knew this team. I told all the guys not to take these guys easy. Do not take these guys lightly. This is a good team. This is a tough team.”
To begin the third quarter, Hubbard drove 75 yards in nine plays, and re-took the lead 21-14, when Songer punched home a 4th-and-goal rush with a 1-yard keeper.
The Eagles’ offense was efficient throughout the contest, and Songer played a big part as he completed 20 of 29 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a team-high 59 yards.
“I think that we’ll come back. We’ll work hard. We’ll have a great week of practice, and we’ll stay focused on our shared vision. As we look to, you know, continue in the regular season,” concluded Phillian.
Game Highlights:
Hubbard 28 Wilmington 21
Score by Quarters
Hubbard – 0 14 7 7 – 28
Wilmington – 0 14 0 7 – 21
Scoring Summary
Second Quarter
H – Mike Hazimihalis 7 yd pass from Braydon Songer, (Caleb Mackay pat), 11:30 – 11-71
W – Rowan Miller 48 yd run, (Ryder Tervo pat), 11:09 – 1-48
H – Hazimihalis 18 yd run, (Mackay pat), 7:22 – 8-63
W – Chase Mitcheltree 5 yd run, (Tervo pat), 2:26 – 11-57
Third Quarter
H – Songer 1 yd run, (Mackay pat), 8:10 – 9-75
Fourth Quarter
W – Wesley Vass-Gal 1 yd run, (Tervo pat), 10:46 – 7-80
H – Hazimihalis 9 yd run, (Mackay pat), 9:12 – 9-77
Individual Stats
Rushing: H – Songer 14-59, Hazimihalis 9-52, Rome Odem 3-7, Team 1-0. Totals: 27-118. W – Cam Kettering 9-32, Freddie Zehetner 10-48, Mitcheltree 19-142, Miller 10-73, Vass-Gal 3-10. Totals: 51-305.
Receiving: H – Hazimihalis 6-81, Odem 2-38, Colten Yobe 3-29, Anthony Clark 4-52, Jakob Hayes 2-46, Dylan Bucher 1-6, Byron Moss 1-8, Kenyen Franklin 1-5. W – Zehetner 1-39.
Passing: H – Songer 20-for-29, 265 yards, 1 TD. W – Miller 0-for-1, Vass-Gal 1-for-1, 39 yards, Team 0-for-1.
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