Horns season officially ends

The Holcomb Longhorns closed out the 2018 football season as they began it, beating the Goodland Cowboys. Holcomb rolled to a 41 – 23 win behind 220 yards rushing and three touchdowns from Jayson Lambert and two touchdowns from River Amos. The Longhorn ‘D’ picked off five Cowboy passes. Holcomb beat Goodland 34-12 in the season opener.

Holcomb scored quickly in this one after forcing Goodland to punt, with Amos racing 76 yards on the Longhorns’ first play from scrimmage. Edgar Ramirez added the extra point and Holcomb led 7-0.

On Goodland’s next play from scrimmage, Sebastian Munoz picked off a Leyton Cure pass. Holcomb failed to capitalize and turned it over on downs at the Goodland 30.

The teams combined for three consecutive points and then Holcomb struck on a quick 51-yard drive.

The drive included a 35-yard pass from Peyton Ortner to Amos and an 8-yard TD pass from Ortner to Amos. After a missed extra point, Holcomb led 13-0.

On Goodland’s next possession the Cowboys would go for a 4th-and-1, but come up short and Holcomb took over on the Goodland 44. Four plays later, Lambert sprinted to the end zone from 30 yards out for the first of his three TDs. A two-point conversion pass to Amos made the score 21-0.

After the teams exchanged punts, Goodland would drive to the Holcomb 21, but Lambert picked off another Cowboy pass and the Longhorns took over on their own 4. Holcomb would eventually punt it back to Goodland, but Levi Knoll picked off a pass and returned it to the Cowboy 17. That threat ended when Kobe Hands threw an interception to Goodland’s MasonMurray.

The half ended with Holcomb up 21-0.

The Longhorns struck quickly to start the 2nd half, with Caleb Clumsky taking an Ortner pass 55 yards to the Cowboy 10, followed by a 10-yard run by Lambert for the touchdown. Ramirez hit the PAT to give Holcomb a 28-0 lead.

Goodland’s offense came to life in the 3rd quarter as the Cowboys put together a quick 75-yard drive, capped by a 38-yard TD pass from Cure to Chase Johnson. The PAT made the score 28-7.

Holcomb struck back, with Lambert darting in from 15 yards out to finish off a 6-play, 55-yard drive and the Longhorns led 34-7.

The Cowboys responded and drove to the Longhorn 9, but Clumsky intercepted a pass in the end zone, ending the threat.

A botched hand-off between Ortner and Lambert would give the ball back to the Cowboys on their own 30. Goodland then drove 70 yards in six plays with Joseph Mann scoring on a 39-yard run and a 2-point conversion cut the lead to 34-15.

After each team punted, Holcomb struck quickly again. Lambert raced 60 yards to give the Longhorns a 1st down at the Cowboy 11 and Hands took it in on the next play. Ramirez added the extra point for a 41-14 lead.

Goodland came right back with a 5-play, 78-yard drive, aided by three Holcomb penalties. Back-up quarterback Matt Nemecheck completed a 9-yard TD pass to Johnson. The 2-point conversion cut Holcomb’s lead to 41-23.

The Longhorns punted on their next possession and eight plays later the game ended with an interception, as Clumsky made his second pick of the night on the game’s final play.

Holcomb rolled up 494 yards total offense, with 393 yards coming on the ground, led by Lambert’s 220 yards. Amos added 80 yards on two carries and Drew Hill gained 45 yards on two carries.

The Longhorns finish the season at 4-5.