The players and coaches from the Newport Wildcats (2-2) and Holmes Bulldogs (3-1) football teams laid everything they had on the line from start to finish, evidenced in the slight 329-324 edge in total offense by the host Bulldogs. The fans and cheerleaders showed great spirit trying to help propel their teams to victory.
Holmes claimed a 32-28 victory.
“This is kind of like our version of the back yard brawl,” said Ben Nevels, Holmes head coach. “We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game. Hats off to Newport. I don’t think there’s a team in Northern Kentucky that has improved from week one to now than they have. You can see they have (Newport Head Coach Ryan Hahn’s) buy-in and they fought until the end. I’m very proud our guys. Took a punch and kept punching, regained our composure and finished it off with a win.”
“I think it’s very impressive with our kids how they don’t know how to lose,” Hahn, Newport’s head coach, said. “Our middle school program does a good job of preparing these kids for success. I’m grateful that I get to have that transition. We have a whole lot of young kids that played in this game. They went up against seniors. Granted, those seniors look like seniors and some of our freshmen look like freshmen and they competed. I can’t do much with kids that don’t want to compete. I have to have guys that want to compete and win. If I have that, then the sky’s the limit.”
The difference in this one came in the final five minutes in the first half when Holmes built a 20-6 lead off two interceptions and a short Newport punt. Newport had taken over at its own 25 after stopping Holmes on 4th-and-6 from the Wildcat 28.
Newport drove to the Holmes 45 and sophomore quarterback Kyle Lee completed a 15-yard pass to senior wide receiver Quincy Barber. A block in the back penalty on Newport moved the ball back to the Holmes 40.
But on the next play on first down, Holmes senior linebacker Braidin Green intercepted Lee’s pass and returned it to the Holmes 47. On the next play, Holmes senior running back Curtez Hill broke free on the right side for a 53-yard touchdown putting the Bulldogs up for good at 12-6 with around five minutes to go in the first half.
“I think (Newport) knew we had it locked over the middle. That’s why they went outside,” Green said. “It was great getting an interception and seeing (the Bulldogs) score on the ensuing possession. I’m glad I could contribute to putting points on the scoreboard. A ball in a defenders hand is always a good thing when you can turn it into an offensive score.”
Holmes outgained Newport, 254-50 running the ball. Hill led all rushers with 16 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown with one catch for a 55-yard touchdown. Senior fullback Emauryon Arnold added 11 carries for 108 yards to go with one rushing and one receiving score for the Bulldogs. Senior quarterback Miguel Garcia completed 4 of 5 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another.
“That is the best offensive line I’ve ever played with,” Hill said. “These guys played their hearts out. They blocked for their lives and they kept me safe so I’m happy with them.”
Newport went three-and-out on its next possession and the punt went just two yards and Holmes took over at the Wildcat 30 with 3:41 left in the half. Arnold finished the drive from three yards out and Garcia ran in the two-point conversion to give the Bulldogs that 20-6 halftime lead.
The Wildcats had to go to the air trying to come back and outgained the Bulldogs, 274-75 there in the game. Lee completed 12 of 27 passes for 274 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Barber had four catches for 96 yards and one touchdown to lead the Wildcats.
Holmes came out and finished off the opening drive when Hill scored from three yards out with 10 minutes left in the game. Hill took an inside handoff 52 yards setting the Bulldogs up at the Newport 3. Holmes led 6-0 after the two-point conversion pass failed.
But Newport responded with a long and sustained drive of its own. Lee threw a fade to the right side of the end zone for a 29-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Adonaje Lowe for the touchdown. The pass failed leaving the score 6-6 with 5:57 left in the first quarter.
At halftime, Hahn challenged the Wildcats to be more uplifting toward each other when things do not go their way. They responded in the second half outscoring the Bulldogs, 22-12.
“We’ve been saying time and time again, we’re one block away,” Hahn said. “We’re one something away from being a really great offense. Our defense has some minor things to fix. But our defense is willing to play hard. They’re willing to fly around. Offensively as with anything when you get a new offensive coach, it’s going to take time. It can’t happen overnight, especially with young kids. Had we not had one of those turnovers, it might have been different. But I don’t play the ‘might-have-been game’. It is what it is.”
After two punts to open the second half, Newport found success throwing down the sidelines. Barber hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Lee with 7:52 left in the third quarter to trim the Holmes lead to 20-12.
Holmes responded with its own drive. It culminated when Garcia scored from 11 yards out with 3:02 left in the third quarter. The conversion run failed leaving the score 26-12 Bulldogs.
“That is the unsung hero of the game what happens on the offensive and defensive lines,” Nevels said. “A lot of people in the stands don’t see it. They see the wide receivers and the running backs going for six. But when you’re actually digging into the film and you’re seeing the down block, the kick-out or the reach block, it makes the difference. We were able to piece together an offensive line. We had several guys out so we were a work in progress. You have to give our offensive line credit for putting out a cohesive line.”
The Wildcats got back to work when Lee hit Barber for a 45-yard pass setting Newport up at the Holmes 15. Lee then hit Lowe for a 15-yard touchdown with 1:05 left in the quarter then scored on the conversion run to make it 26-20 Holmes.
Holmes started at its own 35 on its next possession and found itself in a 2nd-and-long after a high snap. But the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty came after Garcia ran right and the Wildcats tackled him near the sideline. After a Hill 3-yard run set the Bulldogs up at 4th-and-2 from their own 43, the Bulldogs lined up and Newport jumped offsides giving Holmes a critical first down.
The Bulldogs ended up chewing valuable time off the clock and scoring with 5:43 left in the game when Arnold scored from 12 yards out putting Holmes up 32-20. Hill scrambled for 12 yards on the previous play as the Holmes offensive line made critical blocks on the drive.
“The coaches have always told us to keep blocking, always keep your heads in the game and go hard,” said Josh Cobbins, Holmes senior lineman. “That’s what I did. We have chemistry. We know how to figure everything out with the other (linemen). At the end of the day, it came down to trusting each other. That’s what we do.”
But Newport scored in more than a minute on its next possession. Lee found Barber and Martin for big plays before sophomore wide receiver Landon Stacks hauled in a 24-yard touchdown. Martin punched in the two-point conversion to make the final score.
“All we have to do is go to practice and keep working,” Martin said. “We have a lot of young guys. It’s going to be special. We have to keep our heads up and keep it up.”
Newport tried an onside kick. But Holmes junior wide receiver/defensive back Kayden Crowell recovered it in the scramble with 4:30 remaining. Garcia and Hill ran for critical first downs after that allowing Holmes to run out the clock.
“I wasn’t really worried about anything else,” Crowell said. “I just focused on getting the ball. You just have to believe in yourself. If you let nerves get to you, that’s when you mess up.”
Newport plays again Thursday against Cincinnati (Ohio) College Prep Academy at a neutral site in Cincinnati at 7 p.m. Hahn said the game takes place at Withrow on the east side of town.
Holmes has its bye week this week. The Bulldogs play the Holy Cross Indians (1-3) on the road for a 7 p.m. game.
Box Score
Newport 6 0 14 8 28
Holmes 6 14 6 6 32
First Quarter
Holmes (10:00) – Curtez Hill, 3 run (pass failed)
Newport (5:57) – Adonaje Lowe, 3 pass from Kyle Lee (pass failed)
Second Quarter
Holmes (4:50) – Hill 53 run (run failed)
Holmes (:18) – Emauyron Arnold 3 run (Miguel Garcia run)
Third Quarter
Newport (7:52) – Quincy Barber 19 pass from Lee (run failed)
Holmes (3:02) – Garcia 11 run (run failed)
Newport (1:05) – Lowe, 15 pass from Lee (Lee run)
Fourth Quarter
Holmes (5:43) – Arnold 12 run (run failed)
Newport (4:35) – Landon Stacks, 24 pass (Mykell Martin run)