Eagles Prepare for Homecoming Clash with Holyoke

The Colby Eagles will take the field Friday night for their Homecoming game, facing the Holyoke Dragons in a matchup that promises to test discipline, ball control, and grit. This will be the fourth time the teams have played each other in recent memory, and Holyoke has the advantage after winning the first two games beginning in Fall of 2022. Both of those games were by a landslide 46-20 and 43-7. Last year, the Eagles were able to avenge those losses by defeating the Dragons in a tight 27-21 battle.

Holyoke comes into the contest under new leadership with a first-year head coach, but the Dragons are far from inexperienced. They return their starting quarterback and running back from last season, as well as a wide receiver who has already shown explosive potential. “They’ve got a wideout who really stood out on film—he’s explosive, runs sharp routes, and is a weapon in the short passing game,” said Colby head coach Ryan Mosier. “They don’t have the same top-end talent they’ve had in the past, but they’re still solid across the board.”

Mosier described Holyoke as a team that thrives on possession football. Instead of looking to light up the scoreboard, the Dragons rely on controlling tempo through steady runs, short completions, and strong defensive play. “They’re definitely more possession-based this year. They’ll run the ball, throw short passes, and make you work for everything,” Mosier said.

The Sunflower Standard could be sponsored by you...

That style may be especially challenging for Colby after last week’s setback, where penalty yardage proved costly. Despite an otherwise strong showing, the Eagles gave away an estimated 100-plus yards in penalties. “The message to the team was that we’re real close to being as good as we think we might be,” Mosier said. “If we can clean up self-inflicted wounds, we’re really going to be on to something.”

The Eagles had plenty of bright spots in their most recent outing. Quarterback play was sharp, with passes delivered on target. Cody Wright was effective every time he touched the ball, and lineman Tage Sullivan impressed with his work at right tackle. Meanwhile, Maxson Smiley had a great game statistically, even if it wasn’t immediately obvious from the sideline. Special teams also sparked momentum, including a kickoff return that energized the crowd.

Now, the challenge will be translating those positives into a cleaner, more disciplined performance against Holyoke’s patient style of play. Colby will need to sustain drives, limit mistakes, and keep the Dragons from grinding down the clock.

“We stayed positive last week because there were so many good things that happened, but the key is to clean things up,” Mosier said. “This team showed fight. They didn’t quit, even when things went against them. That gives me confidence heading into Homecoming.”

Kickoff is set for Friday night at Dennen Field, with first whistle at 7:30 P.M. Come out and celebrate Homecoming with the team.