Hopewell Valley linebackers Ethan Barker, 50, and Johnny Ellis, 7, celebrate after recovering a fumble in the fourth quarter against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley quarterback Milan Desai celebrates a 13-12 victory over Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Township wide receiver Quayd Hendyrx, left, catches a touchdown pass against Hopewell Valley defensive back Luke Caldwell, right, in the fourth quarter during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley running back Ben DeCore, left, looks for yardage as he gets a block from offensive lineman Christopher Heyman, right, against Burlington Township defensive lineman Brandon McCormick, center, during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Township quarterback Baron Davis, right, and running back Aiden Binns, left, look to the sideline to get the play against Hopewell Valley during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Township quarterback Bryce Carter, center, is tackled by Hopewell Valley's Luke Caldwell, left, and Ryan Ottobre, right, during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Township running back Aiden Binns, right, runs away from Hopewell Valley linebacker Kyle Yadamiec, left, during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Township running back Aiden Binns, center, moves between Hopewell Valley defenders Carter Horvath, left, and Kyle Yadamiec, right, during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Townshipr wide receiver Jules Carter, front, is tackled by Hopewell Valley safety Luke Caldwell, back, during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Township quarterback Baron Davis throws the ball against Hopewell Valley during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley quarterback Milan Desai carries the ball against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley defensive back Jude Berman, left, knocks the ball away from Burlington Township wide receiver Yeator Tappia, right, during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Township wide receivers Yeator Tappia, right, and Quayd Hendyrx, left, celebrate Tappia's touchdown catch in the first quarter against Hopewell Valley during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley defensive players Ethan Barker, 50, Luke Caldwell, 22, and Johnny Ellis, 7, after stopping Burlington Township running back Aiden Binns, 21, on a fourth down play during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley linebacker Johnny Ellis, 7, reacts after a fourth-down stop against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley running back Dylan Yasher, 4, carries the ball against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley center John Trainor gets set to snap the ball against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley's Daniel Pszczolkowski, left, and Gavin Lewis, right, lead the team on to the field against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley head coach Dave Caldwell reacts on the sideline against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Burlington Township coach Stephen Everette walks on the sideline against Hopewell Valley during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Hopewell Valley quarterback Milan Desai, left, celebrates with center John Trainor, right, at the end of the fourth quarter against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Show Caption1 of 21Hopewell Valley linebackers Ethan Barker, 50, and Johnny Ellis, 7, celebrate after recovering a fumble in the fourth quarter against Burlington Township during a WJFL game on Thursday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field in Burlington. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Expand BURLINGTON — It was the type of gut check that the Hopewell Valley football team probably needed if it is going to contend for a sectional title this fall. It wasn’t pretty and there many moments where it looked like the game might slip away. But the Bulldogs grinded out a 13-12 win against Burlington Township in the battle of unbeatens Friday night at Edward A. Steinmetz Field. “That was a tough game,” said coach Dave Caldwell, who secured his 100th career win. “A real tough game.” Hopewell (7-0) had scored at least 35 points while winning its first six games by at least 26 points each, so it was eye-opening that despite being shut out in the first two quarters and trailing at halftime for the first time all season, the Bulldogs never panicked. “It just shows how our team faces adversity,” quarterback Milan Desai said. “We have a such a bond. It’s like nothing can hold us back, so we go into halftime and we just make some adjustments, we keep our heads up and we come back out firing.” Much of that firepower came through the legs of the dual-threat Desai, who carried the ball 10 times for 62 yards in the second half including a 1-yard sneak for a touchdown that tied the game at 6 with 1:23 remaining in the third quarter. Both kickers missed their first extra-point attempt. Hopewell had only one first down and 37 yards of total offense in the first half, but the Bulldogs got moving with scrambles, read option and timely throws once they emerged from the locker room. “Their defense, they bottled us up pretty well. They did a great job, so we knew we had to change things up,” Desai said. “I feel confident in my ability on the ground and my coaches do, too, and my o-line just gave me massive holes. That’s how we win football games.” Burlington (6-1) made life difficult for a reason. The Falcons had given up only 25 points all year, and as Caldwell noted, they feature several athletes in the secondary and imposing size up front. Caldwell goes way back with Burlington coach Steve Everette, who began his coaching career at Princeton in 2002 and recently led Willingboro to three sectional titles. “When they’re disciplined and they coach up their kids to do their job, that’s gonna be difficult for us, and then we have to make an adjustment and that’s what we did,” Caldwell said. “It’s that chess game where they move their piece and we have to move our piece, and we’re fortunate we didn’t turn the ball over much.” Hopewell’s only turnover came when it fumbled what Caldwell called an “unintentional onside kick” by Burlington after the Falcons drove 65 yards in nine plays for a 10-yard touchdown pass from Baron Davis to Yeator Tappia on the game’s opening drive. That could have been detrimental, but Hopewell’s defense then stopped Burlington at the Bulldogs’ 33-yard line. In the second quarter the Falcons fumbled and got stuffed on a fourth-and-1 from Hopewell’s 45, and they fumbled the ball away to Hopewell twice more in the second half. Burlington lost its second fumble on a high snap only two plays after Hopewell had tied the game at 6. The Bulldogs took over at the Falcons’ 24-yard line and scored seven plays later as Desai found Owen Lengle for a 7-yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone. Lengle converted the extra point to make it 13-6 with 9:36 left in the fourth quarter. Hopewell accomplished all of this without leading receiver Justin Klotz, a Southeastern Oklahoma State commit who abruptly decided after six games that he no longer wanted to play high school football, according to Caldwell. “Obviously he’s one of the best receivers in the state of New Jersey, so it’s definitely a big hit,” said Desai, who passed for 109 yards against Burlington. “But we’ve always believed in Hopewell ‘next man up,’ and one of my best friends, Luke Caldwell, stepped up, took his role, had a great catch (25 yards) that took us to the goal line for our first score and really turned around the game. So I just believe in everyone on our team.” It was an improbable win when you consider that Burlington outgained Hopewell in total yards, 352-209, with Davis passing for 276 yards and Tappia and Quayd Hendryx each compiling more than 100 receiving yards. Burlington nearly tied the game with 1:50 remaining when Davis connected with Hendryx for a stunning 40-yard touchdown on fourth-and-13, but the Falcons again missed the extra point. Hopewell then iced the clock capped off with a 6-yard run by Dylan Yasher for a first down. Football is a game of inches sometimes, and Hopewell delivered the clutch plays in a playoff atmosphere between two teams who will be high seeds in the Central and South Jersey Group III playoffs. “We watched film on these guys all week, so we knew what they were gonna bring and they did a great job of that,” Desai said. “But we know that if we play our best football, we should beat any team we play.” Hopewell (7-0) 0 0 6 7 – 13 Burlington (6-1) 6 0 0 6 – 12 First Quarter B – Tapia 10 pass from Davis (kick failed) Third Quarter H – Desai 1 run (kick failed) Fourth Quarter H – Lengle 7 pass from Desai (Lengle kick) B – Hendryx 40 pass from Davis (kick failed)