Eagles Open Gridiron Season With Win
One Man To Beat… Eagle quarterback Wes Brown crosses the goal line in front of Crest Ridge defender Logan Duffy to score a touchdown during the Holden football team’s season and home opener on Friday, Aug. 30. Photo by Steve Edwards
Effective offensive production combined with shutdown caliber defense led the Holden Eagles football team to a season home opening win over Crest Ridge by the final score of 41-6 on Friday, Aug. 30.
The Eagles accumulated 381 total yards on offense as the Holden defense held the Cougars to 162 combined yards on the ground and through the air.
The Eagles cracked the scoreboard first on a touchdown run by quarterback Wes Brown as the Holden defense held the Cougars to a last-second score as time on the running clock expired.
“There were some first game things that are always there, and you never know exactly where they’re going to line up and how their secondaries going to adjust,” said Holden football coach David Diener. “They had more people in the box than what we were ready for early, so it was kind of a slow road. There were times where our kids, particularly Wes just said, ‘I’m going to be the best player on the field,’ broke a couple tackles and made things happen.
“I’m extremely proud of our defense. They had multiple times in that game to break and give up points, and each time when they had those opportunities, we stood up to the challenge.”
Brown’s first quarter scamper to the end zone covered 74 yards as he shredded the Cougars defense by breaking through multiple tackles. “We always tell our kids we to block and get you the first four to seven yards, and then you take care of the rest,” said coach Diener. “Well, on some of those plays we blocked it for two, and they got us the rest.”
Brown’s early touchdown run which came with a minute and a half played in the first quarter would stand for the only points scored in the first period with a missed two-point conversion following the initial score.
The two teams would swap possessions through the remainder of the first quarter.
A Holden drive which extended from the end of the first quarter into the second quarter ended with Brown finding the end zone for the second time. Following a first-down conversion on a 17-yard run by Eagle senior running back Sam Comer on Holden’s side of the field, Brown burst for 51 yards to the end zone with just over a minute expired on the second quarter clock. A second failed two-point conversion left Holden with a 12-0 lead.
“We knew coming in that Holden was going to be a good team,” said Crest Ridge football coach Jeremiah Baruxen. “I’ve been following them the last few years. Coach Diener’s a great coach. He’s fiery. He gets those kids fired up, and they run off that energy. It’s great. I’m an energy guy, too.
“We knew they were going to be big and physical,” continued coach Baruxen. “In the words of Dennis Green, ‘They were who we thought they were.’ We knew what they were going to come do.”
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