Hockinson statistics in depth

Anyway, I bring this up because Hockinson running back Josiah Niemela had a huge game Friday night, leading the Hawks to a 29-19 victory over Woodland for the 2A GSHL title. My story details his 26-carry, 203-yard, 3-touchdown performance. 

However, there were some with the Hawks who had him for 240 yards. In my world, that’s a big difference.

So I double-checked my notes. I keep track of every play, and after another look, I still come up with 203 yards.

Another journalist, Zach Buchanan of The Daily News, had Niemela for 206 yards on 27 carries. So we’re off by three yards. No big deal. I either missed a carry or Zach accidentally credited a carry to Niemela for another ball carrier.

But when I’m off 37 yards from another’s numbers, I want to see what happened. It’s fair to Niemela. If I made the mistake, I could have corrected it in my story. My play-by-play notes below are not my way of saying: See this, I’m right. Rather, it’s a way to let the readers know how I came up with my numbers, and if there is a person who knows I missed a play, let me know. I could still make a correction online if I missed 37 yards.

I will be off the rest of Saturday, Sunday, and then Monday for a mini-vacation, so if I have to correct these numbers, I will do so on Tuesday.

Here is Hockinson’s play-by-play (Niemela is named, while all others are listed as numbers):

Drive 1: Hockinson starts at own 5-yard line (yl)
1: Niemela rushes 18 yards from 5 to 23-yl
2: No. 22 rushes for minus-1 yard to 22-yl
3: No play. 5-yard penalty for false start to 17-yl
3: Incomplete pass
4: Pass to No. 19 (from No. 9) 8 yards to 25-yl
5: Punt
Niemela 1 carry, 18 yards

Drive 2: Hockinson starts at own 20-yl
1: Niemela 20 yards to 40-yl
2: No. 2 rushes 6 yards to 46-yl
3: No. 2 rushes 7 yards to Woodland 47-yl
4: Pass to No. 19 (from No. 9) 25 yards to 22-yl
5: Niemela rushes 9 yards to 13-yl
6: No. 15 rushes for minus-3 yards to 16-yl
7: Niemela rushes 5 yards to 11-yl
8: Niemela rushes 11 yards to EZ. TOUCHDOWN
Niemela 4 carries, 45 yards on drive
Total to this point: 5 carries, 63 yards.

Drive 3: Hockinson starts at own 22-yl
1: No play. Offsides, defense, 5 yards to 27-yl
1: Niemela 53 yards to Woodland 20-yl
2: No. 22 rushes 4 yards to 16-yl
3: No. 22 rushes 8 yards to 8-yl
4: Niemela rushes 8 yards to EZ. TOUCHDOWN
Niemela 2 carries, 61 yards.
Total to this point: 7 carries, 124 yards.

Drive 4: Hockinson starts at own 42-yl
1: Niemela rushes for no gain to 42-yl
2: Niemela rushes for minus-2 yards to 40-yl
3: No. 9 sacked for minus-6 yards to 34-yl
4: Punt
Niemela 2 carries, -2 yards.
Total to this point: 9 carries, 122 yards.

Drive 5: Hockinson starts at own 35-yl
1: Pass to No. 19 (from No. 9) 7 yards to 42-yl
2: Pass to Niemela (from No. 9) 8 yards to 50-yl
3: No. 9 sacked for minus-9 yards to 41-yl
4: Pass to No. 19 (from No. 9) 14 yards to Woodland’s 45-yl
5: No play. 5-yard penalty offense, to 50-yl
5: No play. 20-yard penalty on offense (Holding 10 yards behind line of scrimmage, statistically turns into 20-yard penalty) to 30-yl
5: Incomplete pass
6: Punt.
No carries for Niemela on this drive.
Total to this point: 9 carries, 122 yards.

Drive 6: Hockinson starts at own 26-yl
1: Niemela rushes 5 yards to 31-yl
2: No play. False start, minus-5 yard penalty to 26-yl
2: Niemela rushes 11 yards to 37-yl
3: No. 22 rushes 1 yard to 38-yl
4: No Play. False start, minus-5 yard penalty to 33-yl
4: Incomplete pass
5: No. 24 rushes 12 yards to 45-yl
6: Punt
Niemela 2 carries for 16 yards.
Total to this point: 11 carries, 138 yards.

Drive 7: Hockinson starts at Woodland 33-yl
1: Niemela rushes for minus-1 yard to 34-yl
2: Niemela rushes 11 yards to 23-yl
3: Niemela rushes 6 yards to 17-yl
4: No. 22 rushes 7 yards to 10-yl
5: No play. Holding penalty. Minus-12 yards to 22-yl
5: No. 2 rushes 2 yards to 20-yl
6: No. 2 rushes 13 yards to 7-yl
7: No. 2 rushes for no gain to 7-yl
8: Incomplete pass, LOSS OF DOWNS
Niemela 3 carries, 16 yards.
Total to this point: 14 carries, 154 yards.

Drive 8: Hockinson starts at own 42-yl
1: Niemela rushes 1 yard to 43-yl
2: Niemela rushes 3 yards to 46-yl
3: Incomplete pass
4: Punt
Niemela 2 carries, 4 yards.
Total to this point: 16 carries, 158 yards.

Drive 9: Hockinson starts at own 33-yl
1: Niemela rushes 8 yards to 41-yl
2: No play. False start. Minus-5 yard penalty to 36-yl
2: Niemela rushes 4 yards to 40-yl
3: Pass to No. 1 (from No. 9) 6 yards to 46-yl
4: No. 2 rushes 6 yards to Woodland 48-yl
5: Pass to No. 19 (from No. 9) 5 yards to 43-yl
6: No. 2 rushes 14 yards to 29-yl
7: No. 22 rushes 12 yards to 17-yl
8: Incomplete pass
9: Niemela rushes 2 yards to 15-yl
10: Niemela rushes 10 yards to 5-yl
11: Niemela rushes 3 yards to 2-yl
12: Niemela rushes 1 yard to 1-yl
13: Niemela rushes 1 yard to EZ. TOUCHDOWN
Niemela 7 carries, 29 yards.
Total to this point: 23 carries, 187 yards.

Drive 10: Hockinson starts at Woodland 1-yl
1: No. 2 rushes 1 yard to EZ. TOUCHDOWN
No carries for Niemela on this drive.
Total to this point: 23 carries, 187 yards.

Drive 11: Hockinson starts at own 29-yl
1: Niemela rushes 11 yards to 40-yl
2: Niemela rushes 1 yard to 41-yl
3: Niemela rushes 4 yards to 45-yl
4: No. 22 rushes 3 yards to 48-yl
5: Punt
Niemela 3 carries, 16 yards.
Total to this point: 26 carries, 203 yards.

Drive 12: Hockinson starts at own 48-yl
1: Team takes a knee (victory formation).

Interestingly, that last play, I did not see. If Hockinson ran the ball there for a short game, I guess that’s possible. I was getting ready to go downstairs for interviews, assuming there was a knee there.