Holcomb's Option Too Much For Tigers

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Julian Meraz put up big kick return numbers and scored on a pick-6 interception return, but Holcomb’s grinding option offense was too much as the Longhorns took down Ulysses 42-16 last Friday night. The loss  puts the Tigers at 0-3 for the season while Holcomb improved to 2-1.

Despite the loss, it wasn’t all gloom and doom for Ulysses.

Julian Meraz put up impressive kick return numbers, and a 70-yard kickoff return led to the only offensive touchdown of the night late in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Meraz returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter that cut the score to 14-8, and Nicholas Martinez recovered two fumbles.

After  Korbin Johnson capped Holcomb’s initial possession of the game with a 16-yard scoring run off an option pitch from Keegan Johnson, the Tigers drove from their own 17 to the 42 before punting. The Longhorns were again driving before Martinez recovered a fumble for Ulysses on an option pitch that went awry for Johnson at the Tiger 28 yard line. A Jesus Miranda field goal attempt failed, and Holcomb took over at its own 20.

The Longhorns responded with a 4-play 80-yard drive capped off by a Korbin Johnson 7-yard scoring run for a 14-0 Holcomb advantage. the drive was helped along by a 45-yard Johnson run with a Ulysses penalty tacked on.

After Ulysses punted again, Holcomb took over at its own 38, and Meraz intercepted a Keegan Johnson pass and returned it 62 yards for a score. Johnson floated one to the flats and Meraz grabbed it and ran untouched for the score. Tyce Perez  tossed the conversion pass to Joel Guaderrama to cut it to 14-8.

Holcomb took over from there, increasing its lead to 28-8 at halftime.

Holcomb went ahead 35-8 with 6:38 left in the third, and the Tigers gifted Holcomb its final touchdown when a punt snap went sailing over the punter’s head and Ulysses recovered it at the 2 yard line, which is where the Longhorns set up shop and Korbin Johnson walked in for a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:58 to go in the third.

Meraz followed that up with his 70-yard kickoff return that led to a 4-yard scoring run by Perez with 4:07 left in the quarter. Perez tossed to Guaderrama for the conversion and a 42-16 lead for Holcomb.

Martinez recovered his second fumble of the game on Holcomb’s ensuing possession.

For Ulysses, Perez was 16-for-28 passing for 101 yards, with his favorite targets Guaderrama (57 yards), Meraz (26 yards) and Preston Hittle (10 yards). Martinez and Jason Curl each caught one pass for a combined six yards. Guaderrama carried the ball 18 times for 40 hard-fought yards and Perez carried seven times for 29 yards. Perez had 208 all-purpose yards including 129 kick return yards.

Defensively, Stryker Berklund had seven tackles, Martinez seven, Jesus Miranda six, Guaderrama six and Caden Ledesma four. Martinez had the two fumble recoveries and Parker Browning one

Keegan Johnson was 5-for-9 passing for 139 yards for Holcomb, while Korbin Johnson carried the ball 19 times for 199 yards and four touchdowns as Holcomb recorded 446 yards of total offense.

The Tigers will be back at home this week to face Scott City (2-1) while Holcomb will be home to face Goodland (2-1). Scott is fresh off a 29-7 win over Hoisington.

Elsewhere around the area, Hugoton took out Lakin 32-22; Sublette downed Bucklin 24-18 in overtime; Meade took down Satanta 70-0; Stanton County fell to Ellinwood 55-0; Southwestern Heights downed Syracuse 22-6; Deerfield was open and will play host to Bucklin this week; Elkhart fell to Springfield, Colo., 44-12; Liberal ripped Guymon, Okla., 56-0; Garden City grabbed its first win of the season, 14-13 over Wichita Heights; Dodge City took out Wichita South 42-8; Hooker, Okla., was open and travels to Sayre this week; Tyrone, Okla., was open and plays host to Kremlin-Hillsdale this week; Beaver, Okla., was open and travels to Waynoka this week. and Boise City. Okla., downed Balko-Forgan 14-8.