Holcomb blows out Wamego; advances to semis

The Holcomb Longhorns forced 6 Wamego Red Raider turnovers and converted 4 of them into touchdowns as Holcomb rolled to a 55-14 playoff win on the road. It was Holcomb’s seventh straight win as the Longhorns improve to 9-2 and advance to the sub-state round, one win away from playing for a state championship.

The Longhorns struck first on their third possession of the game, following a Red Raider fumble recovered by Tristen Dortch at the Wamego 25. Wide receiver Braden Showalter gained 21 yards on a sweep and then Dillon Williams plowed in from 4 yards out for the touchdown. Kaden Tichenor scored on the 2-point conversion and Holcomb led 8-0 midway through the opening quarter. Following a poor kick return, the Red Raiders started from their own 10 yard line and on 2nd and 10, Braden Showalter ripped the football away from Wamego running back Alex Vontz and sprinted 10 yards into the end zone. Tichenor threw to Brandon Stegman for the 2-point conversion and it was 16-0 in a span of less than 45 seconds.

Wamego’s passing game finally sprang to life and the Red Raiders drove 65 yards in 6 plays, most of the yardage on a 50 yard pass play, finishing it off with a 15-yard TD pass from Dillon Blain to Jayson Ebert on fourth down. The 2-point conversion made it 16-8 with 4:03 to play in the 1st quarter.

Holcomb answered immediately, as Teeter hit Showalter for an 88-yard TD strike on the first play from scrimmage and the 1st quarter ended with Holcomb up 22-8.

The Longhorns took complete control in the 2nd quarter, starting with a 10-yard TD run by Christian Merz and the point-after kick by Teeter to make it 29-8. With just over four minutes to play in the half, Teeter to hit Merz from 15 yards out and it was 35-8. Then Brandon Stegman picked off Dillon Blain and returned it to the Wamego 25. Three plays later Teeter hit Merz again, this time from 17 yards out. The 2-point conversion by Tichenor gave the Longhorns a 43-8 lead, but with just over a minute before halftime, a bad snap sailed over Teeter’s head and Wamego recovered at the Holcomb 40. It took the Red Raiders three plays to score, as Blain hit Jayson Ebert for a 21-yard TD. At the half it was Holcomb 43 – Wamego 14.

In the 2nd half, the Longhorns drove 85 yards, all on the ground, and Dillon Williams strolled in from 2 yards out to up the lead to 49-8. Then on Wamego’s next possession, the quarterback got sacked and stripped of the ball, with Dortch making his second fumble recovery of the night, this one putting the Longhorns on the Red Raider 7. Teeter hit Conner Van Cleave on the next play and Holcomb led 55-14. From there, it was a battle of back-ups, punts and two more Wamego turnovers.

For the second straight year, Holcomb advances to the sub-state round against Andale, this time at home. Both teams are 9-2 on the year, but the Indians are the defending state champions.