HOPKINS — The final score will read Hopkins 29 and Dowagiac 14.

Some will read into that final score that the visiting Chieftains were no match for the Vikings, who defeated Dowagiac for the first time in school history.

The Chieftains’ final record will read 6-4 under the direction of first-year head coach Randy Brooks.

There are several things one can read into that, including the fact that Dowagiac lost to the No. 2-ranked team in Division 3, the then No. 1-ranked team in Division 4 and a pair of playoff teams in Otsego and Hopkins.

What people should see when they look at the 2019 season as a whole is that Brooks and his staff laid the groundwork for the future of the program.

Brooks, who was a member of the Dowagiac coach staff that won the 1990 Class BB state championship, as well as the defensive coordinator at Edwardsburg for 10 seasons, which included last year’s Division 4 state championship, took over a team that went 4-5 last season and missed the playoffs.

The Chieftains had to open with the defending championship Eddies and played well for more than a quarter before a turnover and Edwardsburg’s size and strength took over in a 46-8 loss.

Dowagiac would win its next two games against Three Rivers and Allegan before facing top-ranked Paw Paw in week four.

The Chieftains led 14-7 at halftime, but like the Eddies, Paw Paw was bigger, stronger and had more depth. It also wore down Dowagiac on its way to a 40-14 victory.

After beating Plainwell, the following week, the Chieftains lost the only game of the season that they can look back on and say they were the better team. Some missed extra points and some miscues allowed Otsego, a playoff team, to squeak out the 27-26 victory.

Dowagiac would go on to win its final three games of the regular season, including a dramatic come-from-behind win at Vicksburg, to earn a spot in the postseason.

“I think we improved technique-wise and I think we improved our mental approach,” Brooks said. “I think we improved our preparation. Our technique still has a long way to go, but I think we are headed in the right direction.”

Brooks also felt that his senior class did well in learning what was expected of them.

“It is a start,” he said. “For the seniors, there was an adjustment. It was different for them. I thought they adjusted and got more comfortable with what we were trying to do as the season went on.”

On Friday night, the Chieftains were unable to hold on to the football in some sloppy conditions and allowed Hopkins to open up a 22-0 lead, which they were unable to overcome.

There were some bright spots during the contest for Dowagiac, but it could not string enough successful plays together to drive down the field on a stingy Vikings’ defense.

One of those highlights was a throw-back pass from tailback D.J. Lanier to quarterback Caily Murphy, who weaved his way through the entire Hopkins defense to score a 58-yard touchdown.

The other was a perfectly thrown pass from Murphy to Dashawn Brooks for the final score of the game.

Unfortunately for Dowagiac, those three players are seniors and will not be back to help continue to grow the program.

The final numbers from Friday night’s game were close with Dowagiac rushing for more yards, while Hopkins threw for more yards. But those numbers will not tell the tale of the 2019 season.

How the returning Chieftain players use the lessons learned during this season to improve themselves for the 2020 campaign will be what is most important.