Eagles Show Fight in Second Half Against Holcomb

The Colby Eagles endured a difficult first half before finding an offensive spark after the break in a 64-24 loss to the Holcomb Longhorns on Friday, Oct. 2, at Dennen Field.

Holcomb controlled much of the game and built a 27-0 halftime advantage, but Colby continued to compete despite suffering injuries during the night. The Eagles had several more players shaken up or forced from the field during the game.

The Eagles’ persistence paid off in the second half, when they produced three touchdowns and converted all three of their two-point attempts.

Senior Nathan Cates led the response with a hand in each Colby touchdown. He returned a kickoff approximately 90 yards for the Eagles’ first score, then caught a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Neale Morrison during the fourth quarter.

Cates finished with five receptions for 105 yards and two receiving touchdowns in addition to his kickoff return for a score.

Morrison completed 12 of 28 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried the ball 12 times for 17 yards while operating behind a lineup that was forced to make adjustments throughout the contest.

Holcomb opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown run by Costner midway through the first quarter. Cranston added a six-yard touchdown run later in the period to give the Longhorns a 14-0 lead.

Costner and Cranston each scored again in the second quarter, sending Holcomb into halftime with a 27-point advantage. A Longhorn field goal extended the margin to 30-0 in the third quarter.

Colby broke through following another Holcomb touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, the Eagles used a reverse that put the ball in Cates’ hands, and he raced down the sideline for the long touchdown. Morrison connected with Garrett Widerski for the two-point conversion, putting Colby on the scoreboard at 37-8.

The Eagles carried that energy into the fourth quarter. Morrison found Cates for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 9:58 remaining, and another successful two-point conversion narrowed the score to 44-16.

Holcomb answered with two long touchdown runs by Ezequiel Valencia, but Colby’s offense continued to work. Morrison and Cates connected again, this time for a 22-yard touchdown. The Eagles added their third two-point conversion to reach their final total of 24 points.

Although the Longhorns held statistical advantages in several areas, Colby ran 59 offensive plays to Holcomb’s 55 and possessed the ball for 29 minutes, 50 seconds. The Eagles recorded 15 first downs and were penalized eight times for 65 yards. Holcomb finished with 21 first downs and committed 14 penalties for 115 yards.

The loss dropped the Eagles to 1-4, but their 24-point second half offered something positive to carry forward. Even while dealing with injuries and lineup changes, Colby kept battling and continued to generate big plays through the final minutes.