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After holding Lloyd Memorial to just 12 points last week, the Holmes defense surrendered only one touchdown in the 24-8 win at Bellevue Friday, Sept. 4.
The Bellevue offense coughed up four turnovers to Holmes, including three fumbles and one interception when a Bellevue touchdown seemed imminent with a little more than four minutes remaining in the third quarter. It was a pattern throughout the night – Bellevue couldn’t punch in the ball after numerous promising drives.
“We were in scoring position a lot times and it just seems like we shot ourselves in the foot in so many situations tonight,” said fifth-year Bellevue head coach Dave Eckstein. “It could’ve been a closer game, but the fact of the matter is that they beat us 24-8.”
Holmes held the Bellevue offense to 256 total yards. Bellevue quarterback, Richard Wills, went 5-for-16 with 65 yards in the air and one touchdown. As for running back Ricky Buckler – Bellevue’s workhorse in the backfield – he finished with 101 yards rushing but failed to reach the end zone. Bellevue consistently elected to run the ball rather than throw it.
“They were pounding us on the ground,” said second-year Holmes head coach Stephen Lickert. “They are a big, strong group of kids. Holding them to eight points had to do with making them get to third and fourth down. They worried me to death. We bent a little bit tonight, but we didn’t break.”
The Holmes' offense finished with 418 yards of total offense, including 320 yards rushing.
Holmes got on the board first, courtesy of a 63-yard run by backup running back Greg Clemons for his first of three touchdowns on the evening. Clemons finished with 145 yards rushing on 14 carries to lead the Bulldogs.
“Our number one guy was hurt and Greg came in and pounded them back,” Lickert said. “And a big physical back against a big physical team is a good thing.”
In Bellevue’s two previous games this season against Newport and Holy Cross, the Tigers' offense put up 40 and 20 points respectively. But the only Bellevue touchdown of the night came in the first quarter, a 14-yard aerial strike from Wills to wide receiver Mike Rankin. Buckler then ran in a 2-point conversion to make it an 8-7 game.
With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Holmes scored on a 15-yard Clemons’ run making it a six-point game and effectively putting the Bulldogs ahead for good. After a 29-yard field goal by Holmes kicker Nyko Ghanbar and another Clemons touchdown run, Holmes commanded the game by the end of the third quarter, 24-8.
Perhaps Bellevue found a legitimate second running back in wide out Alex Hegge. Hegge had three carries for 79 yards in the loss.
Next week, the Bellevue Tigers (1-2) take on Scott at home and the Holmes Bulldogs (2-0) face Cooper at home.HOLMES 7-10-7-0–24
BELLEVUE 8-0-0-0-8
H–Clemons 63 run (Ghanbar kick)
B–Rankin 14 pass from Wills (Buckler run)
H–Clemons 15 run (Ghanbar kick)
H–Ghanbar 29 field goal
H–Clemons 2 run (Ghanbar kick)
RECORDS: Holmes 2-0, Bellevue 1-2.
