It took just one quarter Friday night for Miami Hurricanes commit Andre Hyppolite to showcase his prowess on the football field.
On North Miami Beach’s opening drive against North Miami at Traz Powell Stadium, Hyppolite broke three tackles on a 36-yard run that helped set up the Chargers’ first touchdown drive of the game while playing quarterback. On the Chargers’ ensuing defensive drive, he made an open-field tackle on the first play and then was in coverage as a free safety for a pair of incomplete passes, including a pass breakup on third down that forced a punt.
Hyppolite’s big-play prowess, along with a solid night from running back John Gray, led the way as North Miami Beach easily handled North Miami 27-7 to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Overall, Hyppolite had 187 yards of total offense (78 passing, 109 rushing) with a passing touchdown and led a defense that held North Miami (0-2) to just one scoring drive on nine possessions.
“I’ve been doing this since a freshman,” Hyppolite said of his two-way prowess. “This is a program that a lot of players go both ways. We’re just built different. When we get tired, you’re not gonna see it. We’re still gonna play hard. It’s just a mentality thing. We breed it different over here.”
Hyppolite, a four-star prospect and the No. 22 player in the state of Florida for the 2027 recruiting class according to the 247Sports composite ranking, is looking to finish his collegiate career on a high note. He doesn’t play for one of the big name schools in South Florida, but he has showcased his talent through and through at North Miami Beach.
“I want to stamp my name,” Hyppolite said. “I’m not just another four star. I feel like I’m one of the best, but I don’t do all the internet rapping. I just show up and play.”
He did just that on Friday.
Both of his runs of 30-plus yards — the 36-yard scamper on the opening drive and a 38-yard run early in the second quarter — put North Miami Beach into the red zone. Gray scored his first of three touchdowns on that opening drive from 2 yards out. Hyppolite put the Chargers up 14-0 with about eight minutes left in the second quarter on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Spivey on fourth and goal.
North Miami Beach went up 21-7 at halftime on Gray’s second touchdown run, this time from 1 yard out, with 42.8 seconds left in the first half to cap a seven-play, 41-yard drive that also featured a 17-yard Hyppolite run.
A sloppy second half that included three turnovers — two lost fumbles by North Miami Beach, one lost fumble by North Miami — nearly ended up scoreless before Gray capped the night with another 1-yard rushing touchdown with 4:14 left to play. The 10-play scoring drive was possible in part because of a 17-yard pass from Hyppolite to Ty Hayes on fourth and 5 that kept the possession alive and moved them into the red zone.
Gray finished the game with 174 yards and three touchdowns.
“That’s deadly,” Hyppolite said of the one-two punch between him and Gray. “You can’t stop that right there. Remember that name. … We’re gonna scare a lot of teams.”
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Miami Herald
Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.